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The metaverse & me

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As virtual worlds continue to expand, so do the avenues for legal disputes within them: Jacqueline Watts explains why lawyers should get to grips with the metaverse

Many legal practitioners still dismiss the metaverse as either a gaming platform with no real-world impact, or a tech fad destined to fade like others before it. This view overlooks its rapid evolution and growing significance.

For lawyers, understanding the metaverse is no longer optional. Platforms like Roblox already host vast, interactive economies where real transactions and social interactions occur daily. The industrial metaverse is reshaping how people live, work and connect; from training surgeons in immersive environments to building digital twins. With users transacting, socialising and even bequeathing virtual digital assets in these environments, legal oversight is essential.

With this evolution comes the inevitable rise in disputes. Whether triggered by commercial disagreements, intellectual property (IP) infringement, virtual asset theft or avatar misconduct, the need for effective litigation and dispute resolution mechanisms in respect of the metaverse is no

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Arc Pensions Law—Matthew Swynnerton

Arc Pensions Law—Matthew Swynnerton

Chair of the Association of Pension Lawyers joins as partner

Ampa Group—Kamal Chauhan

Ampa Group—Kamal Chauhan

Group names Shakespeare Martineau partner head of Sheffield office

Blake Morgan—four promotions

Blake Morgan—four promotions

Four legal directors promoted to partner across UK offices

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An obscure Victorian tort may be heading for an unexpected revival after a significant Privy Council ruling that could reshape liability for dangerous escapes, according to Richard Buckley, barrister and emeritus professor of law at the University of Reading
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