In most games, trading ingame items for real money is considered a violation of the terms of use and will get you a sanction. Despite this the phenomenon only seems to be growing bigger across the world. Some companies have stepped up enforcement, Valve developed a hat fetish, and Blizzard saw dollar signs and decided to legalize and control it in Diablo III. Whatever your take on it, real money trading is very real and widespread.

In a move that would be the first of it's kind in the world, South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working on a law that would ban this practice in their country. The law would further ban the use of programs that allow for computer controlled characters to farm items or credits without the need for a player. The Ministry says that these trades and farming are detrimental to a healthy gaming culture, a sentiment that many would agree with.

Still, for someone doing something as small as buying currency for an MMO, you could face up to five years in prison and a fine of 50,000,000 Won. That's $43,000 US or 34,000 Euros. While the harshest punishments are surely reserved for the dealers and not the consumers, it does send a message that the Korean government is taking this very seriously. If the law passes, it's sure to have effects seen around the globe as other governments may try to follow suit.