[Pentegarn]

I get the reason for why they are doing it. I use the term slippery slope and legal can of worms all the time. So I get where they are coming from. The problem is this is creating phantom victims (cartoons, computer avatars, etc.) which have no rights. In fact I dare say (going back to the slippery slope/legal can of worms thing) that you risk setting precedent to give rights to online avatars and cartoons as if they are sentient beings when they clearly are not. This could complicate and further bog down the legal system when unscrupulous people come out of the woodwork trying to create frivolous lawsuits for online avatars or cartoon characters.

Or what of the argument if a cartoon can be a victim, a cartoon can commit a crime? Artists start getting prosecuted because some nutcase claims some cartoon told them to rob a bank. Granted, this is not likely to happen, but the possibility is still there, and that in itself could be a bad thing.