Qui di seguito il testo della Convenzione per la salvaguardia del patrimonio architettonico virtuale, pubblicata per la prima volta sul blog Played in Italy, curato da Mario Gerosa, il 12 giugno 2006.

The members who subscribe this document

Considering that in the virtual worlds is growing a virtual architectural heritage that develops and implement itself in a creative chaotic form

Recognising that the virtual architectural heritage constitutes an extraordinary expression of the many faces of the Cyberspace cultural heritage and must not be cancelled, being a great expression of the society of the XXI Century

Recalling the importance of preserving the buildings and the environments that constitute the basis for a new kind of world, developing in the Cyberspace.

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

The purpose of this convention

In the last decade many new worlds are born, the so called MMOG and MMORPGS. And there one can find many new forms of architectures. Some are based on designs that recall the architectural forms of real life, but many of them decline an original style. For this reason, they are original expressions of art and the must be preserved. In fact, in these world there is an intense and chaotic urban development, uncontrolled by any form of authority, and there is the risk that several buildings created for these worlds will disappear and be lost forever, due to many reasons.

Article 2

Definition of the virtual architectural heritage

For the purposes of this convention, here are the properties to be preserved.

Monuments: all buildings and structures of artistic interest. In this group there are: houses, hotels, resorts, disco, bars, nightclubs, mad doctors laboratories, regeneration points, teleporters, labyrinths, churches, castles, ecc.

Sites: areas who are topographically definable and have a special interest either for social or artistic sense either for the gameplay.

Article 3

Formation of a scientific committee for the protection of virtual heritage

It will be created a scientific committee, formed by architects, critics of art, designers, economists, game designers, who will define in an essay the specific characters of the new architectures of the MMOGS and MMORPGS.

Article 4

Identification of the heritage

The scientific committee will also contribute to prepare an inventory of the most relevant places, architectures and environments in MMOGS, a sort of atlas that will be constantly updated.

Article 5

Agreements with the programmers

One of the main purposes of this convention is that there will be an artistic authority recognised by the programmers, who will consent to have a supervision. By this way, the suggestions of the scientific committee of the convention will be submitted to the programmers.

Article 6

Unicity of a building

In a MMOG or MMORPG will not be allowed to create replicas of already existing buildings or sites in that world.

Article 7

Protection Procedures (part 1)

To prevent the disfigurement or demolition of protected properties the programmers of the MMOG undertake to introduce legislation which:

a) requires the submission to a competent authority of any scheme for the demolition of virtual monuments which are protected.

b) requires the submission to a competent authority of any scheme which involves substantial alterations of protected buildings.

Article 8

Protection Procedures (part 2)

In case an hacker would destroy part of the environment, causing damage of a building, or in case a player decided to destroy a building he made, the programmers must rebuild the protected properties.

Article 9

End of a World

In case a virtual world is closed by the programmers, it will be prepared a digital archive of the virtual environments of that world. There will be machinima movies and screenshots with descriptions.