Welcome To The Metaverse: Challenges To Expect From eDiscovery

The term “metaverse” is one of the hottest buzzwords in tech today. Despite all the attention it’s received, however, many attorneys are still confused about what exactly the metaverse is and how it’s actually used.

It might be tempting to dismiss the metaverse as simply a world for gamers and other internet enthusiasts, but when any technology starts to be used in business, its involvement in litigation is only a matter of time. 

The volume of business-related metaverse data is already increasing, as major companies like JPMorgan, CVS, and Walmart are using the metaverse to host meetings and more. The metaverse will continue to develop and attract more corporate users, and virtual real estate in it will soon come at a premium. The next logical step will be companies and their lawyers seeing metaverse-related data requested and offered as evidence in eDiscovery.

Both companies and lawyers need to be prepared for the metaverse to play a real role in litigation. To that end, PLI is offering a one-hour program, Metaverse eDiscovery – Reasonable Anticipation of Challenges Ahead, where expert lawyers will cover some of today’s most pressing legal issues related to the metaverse, including:

• The types of litigation and regulatory actions that might arise from the metaverse
• Possible triggers for the duty to preserve metaverse-related data
• The types of electronically stored information (ESI) that might be relevant and discoverable
• The types of data that might be subject to production and in what formats
• Whether the process for identifying an avatar might be similar to the process for obtaining the identity of an email account
• Whether litigation can be reasonably anticipated if certain virtual conduct is not yet recognized as a crime or tort

Register for the program here. If you’re interested in learning even more about the legal implications of the metaverse, PLI has several other programs available on demand, including Misconduct in the Metaverse: Can Your Avatar’s Actions Get You Arrested?, Regulating the Metaverse, and Cybersecurity in the Metaverse.