Friend getting sued over online game

We really need to know specifically what was said by both parties. Until we do, we don't know how much merit there is or isn't to this case.

Like if the other team was talking in Korean and one of the dudes heard a girl's voice and started making sexually explicit comments towards her and the rest joined in, then well, sorry, you're F'd and you should be. Friend should be thanking his lucky stars that all they're asking for is a few grand. Pay that off and learn your lesson.

However, if they were both swearing at each other and then your friends decided to say some sexually explicit stuff towards the girl, that's greyer, especially if they swore/insulted first. If that's the case, then you perhaps you could plausibly counter-sue which might at least be enough to stop it or get the settlement to a dinky amount.

On the other hand, if she said something sexual or defamatory first OR it's a really mild/flimsy insult i.e. "Kiss my ass" (not literally used), then you're probably fine. Threaten a counter-suit and it goes away.

As for her asking sum, it could be because of #3 and they know it's a weak one. Hopefully for your friend's sake it's that. However, she might not be wanting to make too big a deal of it. Or maybe she doesn't want to "punish" too harshly. Maybe she was urged to do this by a friend. Maybe your friends said some really awful shit to her and she really was hurt by it and just wants it to go away but with some "justice". In that case that might be why the figure is so low.

Also OP, your friend needs to thank his lucky stars this girl wasn't a minor. If he said something explicit to a minor, he could really be in trouble. Regardless, your friend and his bros need to learn to be careful. Your friend doesn't know how old someone is and who can hear what. And they certainly shouldn't assume they can't understand English. FFS imagine if some 14 year old kid is playing in the living room and their parents hear some 30 year old guy saying "Bitch, shut the f up. I'll come over and give you some of this d*ck in your mouth. Tie you up and train you to show respect."

To the people thinking this is no big deal....uh it is. And no, it's not a free speech issue if sexual harassment was directed towards someone. And no, it is a big deal. Just because this isn't the office, but an online game, doesn't mean sexual harassment laws don't apply. You can't be like "Stand up to old piggish men and sexual harassment!" when it comes to the board room and then be like "It's no big deal. Freedom of speech. Toughen up toots. " Online sexual harassment IS sexual harassment.

The reason why this news really got to me was because I realized if it's this serious in Korea, then anyone of us could also get sued.
I've seen plenty of fights on forums that many people here could probably get sued for thousands of dollars for the verbal abuse written but
the thing is, people's real identities are not known here.  You can sign up here without giving your real info, so I suppose nobody here is going
to really go after someone else for defamation but you could right?

Another thing is, what about on Youtube?  If you create a youtube account in Korea, do you have to submit real ID info?  Normally when you create
a YT account, you don't have to give real ID info.  You can make up anything you want as long as you have a valid email address (google).  But I think
now you have to verify your YT account with a phone number?  So if you use your Korean mobile phone number to verify your YT account, would someone
be able to find out who you are on youtube and come after you in a claim/lawsuit for verbal abuse/assault?

I've spent years on YT commenting on thousands of videos and often times I'd say pretty harsh criticisms towards people, organizations, governments, and even korean videos I would comment a lot criticizing Korea and the government.  Couldn't they sue you for making awful comments on youtube? LOL.  I guess we gotta go back and delete as many of them as possible else it might come back and haunt you one day?

I remember I was commenting a lot on YT defending North Korea's actions for simply wanting to protect themselves and their sovereignty by developing nukes.  Would something like that be considered defamation for supporting NK and criticizing SK and US for always provoking them with military drills near the NK waters?    This is crazy.  We really can't even just express ourselves anymore.

He says everyone does it all the time, it's just chatting.  He never thought he'd be so unlucky to get sued.

Oof.
"Everyone does it all the time. What's the big deal? I never thought I'd be get sued." I think of some boss in the 1980s in the U.S. after getting sued for sexual harassment.

That's probably why he is getting sued. Everyone does it all the time and certain people are sick of people thinking "it's just chatting".

but he must've said a bunch of things with his friends that really offended her and she somehow hooked up with some kind of Department called the Women and Youth division and they must have told her how to sue him for sexual harassment or something along that lines.  I can see it totally happening.

Yeah, this is all that victim's fault and the fault of that evil Department of Women and Youth. Not the person who sexually harassed someone (again, allegedly and who knows, need to see the transcript, etc.)

I'd like nothing more than for this to be another case of SJW overreach. But the fact is there are rules and people have the right not to be sexually harassed, and I'm pretty sure no one consented to sexual harassment when they signed up to play League of Legends.

The reason why this news really got to me was because I realized if it's this serious in Korea, then anyone of us could also get sued.

Those are valid concerns, but we're not talking about that.

We're talking about an individual claiming they were sexually harassed. Just because you're online, doesn't mean it isn't sexual harassment.

You guys are all idiots and your fathers smell of elderberries.

Case 1: "Thurairajah yelled “F— you” out his car window at State Trooper Lagarian Cross. Cross responded by getting in his vehicle and arresting Thurairajah for disorderly conduct."
Case 2: "She then yelled at a lieutenant: “You f—ing crooked a– cop” and “You’re a b—-.” ...Officers charged her with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct."


 

So, someone wrote a bad word online to someone else and the police came over to arrest them?  Never heard of it.  As for your cop stories, one of them was different, the woman sounded violent and trashy.  Her son did just steal a car and run away from police.  The other case not sure about, but a good lawyer and higher court appeals would overturn that and a bad cop but I never heard of anyone getting arrested in Canada for swearing at a cop unless it was threatening. 

Either way, Korea's cases and restrictions are more severe and you know it.  I already gave numerous examples of where speech is restricted and it is not in America. 

There is one other thing I'd like to add.  I think Korea uses something called Real Name Verification?  This is like verifying your identity whenever you sign up for any game or online site.   You are basically giving them your full and real information about you and where you live and contact info etc.

This is why I hate the idea of actually having to submit your real INFO just to play games online or use any online services.  Anonymity is always preferred like it was in the past.  Of course, if you want to make in game purchases, you'll most likely be giving up your real ID anyways with financial information.  But I suppose you could always just pay via gaming cards so you don't have to link any real info to your account.

So that's why it's so easy for them to track you down because whatever you do so awful in the game, they can easily find out who you are, where you live, and report you to the police.  That sucks.     

Either never give out your real info when signing up for anything
OR
If you have to link your real ID to it, then you had better be on your best behavior because anything you say or do can be easily linked to you!

+1 for anonymity.

This world is trying to get rid of all anonymity and that sucks.

So far we have privacy in the west, but the far left wants that gone to "keep people safe".  From whom is the big question.  Certainly not from the state.  Korea has this "social credit" system in it's own way and has for a while.  It is total government control.  It is fascism.  No story about a rogue cop in America hides the fact that Korea does have far more restrictions than in the US or Canada.  (Now if you want me to support Rand Paul with his quest for ending "no knock warrants", I'm all for it.  The Deep State is another whole separate matter.)  You are being "watched".  There is a George Orwell 1984 moment to this.  We do already see many folks who engage in "wrong thought" being kicked off Big Tech.  Authoritarianism is creeping in bit by bit. 

Those are valid concerns, but we're not talking about that.

We're talking about an individual claiming they were sexually harassed. Just because you're online, doesn't mean it isn't sexual harassment.

This is the grey area that society is having a hard time adjusting to.  I understand by law, they could easily make it so that chatting sexual abusive words is the same thing as physically touching someone sexually against their will.  The reality is they are not the same.  But by law, it can easily be made to be the same thing if they want to make the law state that.

So if we take this further, are we now going to sue people one day for killing my digital character online?  It's the same thing as murder because killing is killing whether you do it to me physically in person or you do it to my digital life.    Do you see how crazy this is going to get?

I could eventually see how shooting a gun in a VR game so realistic will one day hold the same weight as shooting a gun in RL.  It can be made illegal.  They easily say that you are mentally and emotionally abusing and assaulting someone for shooting at them with a gun or attacking them with a knife in the game.   

So it still does seem crazy that a guy who chats some choicy words to a girl online is considered sexual harassment vs a guy in RL slapping a girls butt or  grabbing a boob on the bus are the same thing.  They aren't the same thing even if the law wants to say they are.

You guys are all idiots and your fathers smell of elderberries.

If this is part of some shameless master plan to all sue us, I wholeheartedly endorse it and will play along for a cut of the profits.

So far we have privacy in the west, but the far left wants that gone to "keep people safe".  From whom is the big question.  Certainly not from the state.  Korea has this "social credit" system in it's own way and has for a while.  It is total government control.  It is fascism.  No story about a rogue cop in America hides the fact that Korea does have far more restrictions than in the US or Canada.  (Now if you want me to support Rand Paul with his quest for ending "no knock warrants", I'm all for it.  The Deep State is another whole separate matter.)  You are being "watched".  There is a George Orwell 1984 moment to this.  We do already see many folks who engage in "wrong thought" being kicked off Big Tech.  Authoritarianism is creeping in bit by bit.

You are so bang on.  I've always found your arguments to make sense and be exactly what I'm thinking haha...I may have already told you this years ago.  You and I are on the same wavelength.

If this is part of some shameless master plan to all sue us, I wholeheartedly endorse it and will play along for a cut of the profits.

Are you implying I'm some sort of scheming fraud artist?

You'll be hearing from my 변태사.

*변호사

Damn predictive text.

You are so bang on.  I've always found your arguments to make sense and be exactly what I'm thinking haha...I may have already told you this years ago.  You and I are on the same wavelength.

Ha ha thanks.  Some other users will prob accuse us of being the same person using a different user name though.  I already got accused of being someone else already. 

But we are not the same person.  It is possible common sense goes through many minds at once including ours. 

HiddenLoops77

HiddenLoops77

Still not me man!. 

BTW, number 7 is a lucky number.  Lots of folks use it.  Just a heads up there champ. 

Still not me man!. 

I know, I'm just messing around.

BTW, number 7 is a lucky number.  Lots of folks use it.  Just a heads up there champ.

Are you saying I should change my name to CO7?

So, someone wrote a bad word online to someone else and the police came over to arrest them?  Never heard of it.  As for your cop stories, one of them was different, the woman sounded violent and trashy.  Her son did just steal a car and run away from police.  The other case not sure about, but a good lawyer and higher court appeals would overturn that

You asked for an example of somebody arrested for swearing. I gave you two. Plenty more if you do a bit of searching -- it's not a one-off kind of occurrence.
Still waiting for that recant, mate.   

but I never heard of anyone getting arrested in Canada for swearing at a cop unless it was threatening. 

Also, you specifically asked for them to be from the US, not Canada. But let me just... ah, yes. Here we go:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/24/nova-scotia-man-facing-trial-for-swearing-in-public.html

A literal 5 second googling turned up a few dozen examples.

Either way, Korea's cases and restrictions are more severe and you know it.  I already gave numerous examples of where speech is restricted and it is not in America.

And yet, third party international organizations (such as the one that I linked) find that this is not the case when it comes to freedom of the press.
Unless you're talking strictly about the freedom of individuals to express their opinions and the like, in which case, yes, the USA is pretty darn free. Far, far more so than Korea. 
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-with-freedom-of-speech

This is the grey area that society is having a hard time adjusting to.  I understand by law, they could easily make it so that chatting sexual abusive words is the same thing as physically touching someone sexually against their will.  The reality is they are not the same.  But by law, it can easily be made to be the same thing if they want to make the law state that.

1) Your friend (allegedly) spoke REAL words to a REAL person. That it was over broadband does not change that. There's no imaginary characters involved. He didn't (allegedly) sexually harass some character or avatar. he said these to an actual person he was in direct communication with.
2) Sexual harassment is not just physical contact or unconsented touching, but comments of an inappropriate and unwanted sexual nature directed towards someone. You do not have the right to stroll around the office telling female (or male employees) you'd love to bend them over the copy machine and give it to them.
3) If someone has been a victim of sexual harassment or some other inappropriate/illegal act, they have every right to submit evidence of it and every right to compel evidence that such a crime took place. This isn't doctor-patient privilege. This was a statement made by your friend over the equivalent of a telephone or in a letter. The police can't randomly search such things, but if someone says they were threatened/harassed over the phone or by mail, they absolutely can hand over such "private" conversations to the police.

So it still does seem crazy that a guy who chats some choicy words to a girl online is considered sexual harassment vs a guy in RL slapping a girls butt or  grabbing a boob on the bus are the same thing.  They aren't the same thing even if the law wants to say they are.

FFS dude, you remind me of one of my uncles, who in divorce court in front of a female judge no less, stood up and said "Why she should get anything? She was just a housewife. She didn't do anything." It's never a good sign when your own brother (my dad) facepalms as he's sitting behind you.

You need to read up on the definition of sexual harassment. I think you're conflating it with sexual assault. These different terms and distinctions are important. I know they may sound the same to you, but to lawyers, judges and the police, they are not.

Are you implying I'm some sort of scheming fraud artist?

You'll be hearing from my 변태사.

It's a trap!

You asked for an example of somebody arrested for swearing. I gave you two. Plenty more if you do a bit of searching -- it's not a one-off kind of occurrence.
Still waiting for that recant, mate.   
Also, you specifically asked for them to be from the US, not Canada. But let me just... ah, yes. Here we go:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/24/nova-scotia-man-facing-trial-for-swearing-in-public.html

A literal 5 second googling turned up a few dozen examples.
And yet, third party international organizations (such as the one that I linked) find that this is not the case when it comes to freedom of the press.
Unless you're talking strictly about the freedom of individuals to express their opinions and the like, in which case, yes, the USA is pretty darn free. Far, far more so than Korea. 
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-with-freedom-of-speech

The media has restrictions on it.  Say anything too negative about an incumbent or about someone then get sued even if true.  Someone does something bad or obnoxious, you are limited in your reporting of it, you even have to blur their faces.  IE  those idiots eating pizza in front of the hunger strikers trying to get the info on the Sewol.  The prosecution service can go after you with a 99 per cent conviction rate too.  You can't even campaign for office and make yourself known for office until 2 weeks before the vote.  So, much for unseating incumbents. 

As for that attempt to charge someone in Canada for swearing, that is rare and if he had of been convicted, there would have been a news story reporting that as every single civil liberty group would have been all over that.  Again, Korea is far more restrictive.  You start commenting on Korean political figures publicly and see where it gets you.