RuneScape gold recognised as property in UK court ruling on alleged $700,000 theft

UK judge has ruled that Old School RuneScape gold can qualify as property under theft law in major case

A UK court has ruled that Old School RuneScape gold can be treated as property for the purposes of a theft claim, following a case involving the alleged removal and sale of in-game currency worth more than $700,000.

The decision arose from a judgment issued on January 14 concerning a former employee of Jagex, the developer of Old School RuneScape.

The ex-developer is accused of accessing 68 player accounts, extracting substantial quantities of RuneScape gold and selling the currency outside the game in exchange for Bitcoin.

Jagex argued that the in-game gold had a real-world value exceeding $700,000, based on its established value within black-market trading communities.

The defence contended that RuneScape gold could not be considered property under UK law because it lacks physical form and has no official monetary value.

In his judgment, Lord Justice Popplewell examined whether in-game currency could fall within the definition of property under the Theft Act 1968.

He concluded that the term should be interpreted broadly and can include assets that are commonly understood to be capable of being stolen, even if they do not exist in physical form.

The court noted that RuneScape gold is routinely bought and sold both within the game and through unauthorised external markets. This capacity for exchange and dishonest dealing was cited as a key factor in determining that the alleged actions could amount to theft.

The ruling also outlined how Old School RuneScape operates, describing player progression as a process that requires significant time investment.

According to the judgment, this time investment gives in-game wealth practical value to players, despite the absence of formal real-world recognition by the game’s publisher.

While the decision does not automatically extend to all disputes involving virtual items, it establishes an important reference point.