News & positions

AIM supports open, fair and interoperable virtual worlds

Brussels, 4 May 2023 – AIM strongly supports the European Commission’s objective to ensure open, interoperable, and innovative virtual worlds that can be used safely and with confidence by citizens and business alike.

Brands are already present in virtual worlds, including gaming and interconnected play, social and productivity focused virtual world platforms. Brands are uniquely positioned to increase engagement and reach new consumer audiences in virtual worlds because of consumer recognition and confidence in them, particularly well-known brands.

Brands are also beginning to explore new technology tools such as virtual and augmented reality and Web 3.0 to offer consumer experiences and create inclusive communities. Brands have a keen interest in the further development of virtual worlds, including the possibility of interoperability between them using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) via blockchain technology because of the potential to offer unique consumer experiences, test new products among their communities of fans, strengthen consumer loyalty to the brand and generate revenue.

AIM calls on EU policymakers to:

• Foster open, fair and interoperable virtual worlds, rooted in EU laws and values, to avoid the virtual world ecosystem being dominated by a few big players that would set the de facto standards, create market entry barriers, and continue to be the “gatekeepers of the virtual worlds;
• Treat non-fungible tokens (NFTs) used for authentication and association differently from securities due to their very different nature, and therefore avoid subjecting them to financial services regulations such as the EU anti-money laundering rules that are applicable to the trading of securities;
• Ensure strong IP protection and enforcement in virtual worlds to safeguard both consumers and the integrity of the EU’s IP acquis.

Read AIM high-level feedback on EC call for evidence on virtual worlds