Yahoo and EBay have begun a crackdown on auctions of characters and items from the popular online fantasy game Everquest.
In Everquest, it can take players weeks or months of playing time to assemble a strong character with powerful items. People have been auctioning their hard-won Everquest equipment, sometimes for thousands of dollars.
However, Sony, which owns Everquest, has forbidden the sales, saying they violate intellectual property rights. Yahoo and EBay will enforce the ban, even to the point of suspending auctioneers who persist in selling virtual Everquest items.
