Governance of online worlds and cultural diversity
Lucerne, 12 September 2008
Next to traditional channels for distribution of cultural content, online worlds have become a prominent and ever expanding space not only for the generation of considerable revenues, but also for various types of cultural expressions. Blogs brim over with literary works, while websites, such as YouTube or Flickr, attract videos and photographs in a dynamic mode. In online games and virtual worlds, avatars and their alter ego rival in the creation of “themselves”, buildings, clothes and other virtual objects.Technologies have radically lowered the threshold for creativity. An increasing number of internet users experiment with established and new types of cultural expressions. These creative activities take place simultaneously to intense social networking and lead to the emergence of new community structures, facilitated by the digital environment.
The governance mechanisms of online worlds – the structure of corporate business models in combination with applicable public policy regulation – are receiving increasing academic attention. Yet, regrettablys little research has been done on how cultural diversity in online worlds is being influenced by these governance mechanisms. Despite the amplified possibilities for creators, doubts about a purely favourable environment arise not only from the poor linguistic diversity.
The contractual terms of game controlling corporations on ownership or intellectual property of virtual objects and other user contributions, as well as the tight social bond of users with almost non-substitutable online sites and their user community, pose a challenge to undertaking thorough research on the conditions for cultural diversity in the context of online worlds.
In addition to this, the role and the effect of existing, primarily mass media oriented regulation in the public interest, such as the protection of minors, marketing and advertising rules, as well as certain competition law aspects need further exploration.
To assess the effects of governance mechanisms of profoundly different natures on cultural diversity within online worlds and the possible legislative desiderata, the workshop on "Governance of Online Worlds and Cultural Diversity" will proceed in a transdisciplinary manner. It will bring together approaches of law, economy, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and political science to explore the legal and non-legal tools for the effective protection of cultural diversity in online worlds.
See the workshop´s programme here.
Some visual impressions of the workshop find here.
Find here a report on the workshop´s proceedings published in the newsletter of the University of Lucerne.
Governance of Digital Game Environments and Cultural Diversity. Transdisciplinary Enquiries, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham/UK, 2010
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Digital game environments are of increasing economic, social and cultural value. As their influence on diverse facets of life grows, states have felt compelled to intervene and secure some public interests. Yet, the contours of a comprehensive governance model are far from recognisable and governments are grappling with the complexity and fluidity of online games and virtual worlds as private spaces and as experimentation fields for creativity and innovation. This book contributes to a more comprehensive and fine-grained understanding of digital game environments, which is a precondition for addressing any of the pressing governance questions posed. Particular attention is given to the concept and policy objective of cultural diversity, which also offers a unique entry point into the discussion of the appropriate legal regulation of digital games.Governance of Digital Game Environments and Cultural Diversity will be of interest to researchers of media law, internet law and governance, cultural studies, anthropology and sociology. As the book addresses a highly topical theme, it will attract the attention of policymakers at national, regional and international levels and will also serve as a great resource tool for scholars in new media and, in particular, digital games and virtual worlds.
Find here a review in Süddeutsche.de (12.8.2010).
