The
Metaverse Republic

The tragedy of the commons
Edward Castronova: if there are no rules — or
no real way to enforce the rules that do exist
— virtual worlds and games will inevitably
suffer a tragedy of the commons [...] regulation
is coming, like it or not, so we’ll all be better off
if we work to make sure it is good regulation.
Source: Benjamin Duranske,VirtuallyBlind.com

Current sources of law
“Code”
Terms of Service
Community Guidelines

Current sources of law
Contracts
Customs
Applicable law

The anti-social contract
Limits of contracts in governing interactions in
virtual worlds

Design issues
Raising awareness

Design issues
Structure design

Design issues
Multi-platform charters

Implementation issues
Identity and representation

Implementation issues
Land and financing

The Metaverse Republic
Democracy and representation

The Metaverse Republic
Judicial system

The Metaverse Republic
Local communities

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Checks and balances

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Enforcement

Criticism
Isn’t this basically extortion?

Criticism
Do we really need such a complex system?

Benefits
Sophisticated commercial transactions for sums
smaller than can practically be enforced and
adjudicated in national courts

Benefits
Support and encourage local communities in
the effort to organize themselves effectively and
resolve their internal disputes impartially

Thank you!
Antonio Bonanno
Metaverse Republic Co-founder
antonio.bonanno@metaverserepublic.org