CFP: Journal of Virtual Worlds Research: Law and Virtual Worlds

CFP Journal of Virtual Worlds Issue on Law and Virtual Worlds 

A Special Issue edited by:

Melissa de Zwart, Adelaide Law School, Australia

Greg Lastowka, Rutgers School of Law-Camden, USA

Dan Hunter, New York Law School. USA

The University of Western Australia (UWA) presence on Second Life

The Journal of Virtual Worlds Research (http://www.jvwresearch.org/) is an online, open access academic journal that engages a wide spectrum of scholarship and welcomes contributions from the many disciplines and approaches that intersect virtual worlds research. The field of virtual worlds research is a continuously evolving area of study that spans across many disciplines and the JVWR editorial team looks forward to engaging a wide range of creative and scholarly work.

Motivation and Scope

This special issue will focus on legal questions generated by the creation, regulation and participation in virtual worlds. We are looking for papers that explore beyond the basics of ‘the magic circle’ (asserting that virtual worlds are immune from external laws and norms) and consider emerging legal issues that may encourage or inhibit the uptake of virtual worlds. In particular, we are interested in papers that adopt a multi-jurisdictional focus and which propose new ways that the legal issues may be approached by developers and regulators. Innovative and creative papers are encouraged.

Given the audience and nature of the JVWR we are looking for papers which are accessible to a non-legal readership. They should demonstrate a good awareness of the nature of virtual worlds.

Authors are invited to submit papers that are innovative, original, and contribute to the advancement of understanding of law as it applies to virtual worlds. Papers will be considered by the Guest Editorial Board and reviewed by expert referees using our double -open policy. Double-open policy means that in general, authors do not need to anonymize their papers, and reviewers identity is also known to authors. For more details about see JVWR site --> About JVWR --> For Authors --> Our double-Open Policy.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Jurisdiction and rule-making
• Governance and community management
• Player rights
• Virtual property
• Dispute resolution
• Intellectual property, modding, user-generated content
• Privacy, identity and data collection
• Security and hacking
• Crime
• Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, discrimination, access and hate speech

Submission Instructions

Authors are invited to submit papers of up to 6000 words (including footnotes and references) via the JVWR publishing system (see www.jvwreserach.org> about > for authors). Accepted papers will be published online in the Volume 6, Number 2 of the Journal, 2013. 

Deadlines and Timeline

Authors can submit a 600 word abstract as of the publication of the call.

Please use the Journal publishing system (login at the top right of the journal site, state that your submission is for the Legal issue.) 

Abstract submission will give authors quick feedback on the relevance and appropriateness of their topic and allow editors to identify reviewers as soon as possible. 

• Final deadline for Authors to submit abstracts for Editors’ comments: 30 June 2012
• Editors submit comments on the Abstracts to Authors: 30 Aug 2012
• Authors submit full paper: 30 Dec 2012
• Editors send Reviewers’ feedback on the paper, and indication of acceptance or rejection: 15 February 2013
• Submission of revised paper (if necessary): 30 April 2013
• Editors’ decision and comments for accepted papers: 20 May 2013
• Authors Submission of final version: 15 June 2013
• Staff editors & authors work till planned Publication Date: 15 July 2013

Further Information

CFP website JVWR

Please contact:

Melissa de Zwart, Adelaide Law School, melissadez AT gmail.com

Greg Lastowka, Rutgers School of Law-Camden, lastowka AT camden.rutgers.edu

Dan Hunter, New York Law School, USA