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In discussion regarding what someone who lost approximately $15,000 US Dollars in LukeConnell Vandeverre's last tizzy-fit, the question was 'what can be done?'

Short of a lawyer, it was hard to say. But in pulling up some links on an interesting precedent that could be reciprocal in Australia ([w:Dow Jones & Co. Inc. v Gutnick]) and the Reuters article, Australia says virtual income taxable - report, it dawned on me that the whole conversion of WSE Live from Linden dollars to the WIC might just be a plain and simple attempt to dodge the Australian Tax Office. While I don't know what everyone's favorite agent of delistment, LukeConnell 'WTF' Vandeverre, does about his Australian taxes - I do know that Reuters reported that the Australian government saw the Linden dollar as taxable:

...“The real world value of a transaction may form part of your taxable income, even if it is in Linden dollars,” a spokeswoman for the Australian Tax Office told the paper. “If you are getting a monetary benefit then it’s not treated any differently - normal rules apply.”...

Sounds pretty clearcut in Australia. If you're getting monetary benefit...

And as for the [w:Dow Jones & Co. Inc. v Gutnick] case - Australia decided that a case could be tried in Australia as the damage that Gutnick allegedly incurred happened in Australia. So if you pay money in... oh... Switzerland and lost that money due to someone making the rules up as they fumbled along pettily, maybe Australia would rule that the case could be tried in Switzerland? I'm no lawyer, but if it's good enough for Australia...

Or maybe the Australian Tax Office might get bored and decide to poke around. Maybe they already did. I dunno.

Probably one for VirtuallyBlind.com to mull over with some Australian counterparts. I just come across a lot of this stuff because of my involvement in Internet Governance, or whatever they call it tomorrow...