Video Game Law: Everything you need to know about Legal and Business Issues in the Game Industry

by S. Gregory Boyd, Brian Pyne, Sean F. Kane

Overview

Video Game Law is aimed at game developers and industry professionals who want to better understand the industry or are in need of expert legal guidance. Given the rise in international competition, the increasing complexity of video game features, and the explosive growth of the industry in general, game developers can quickly find themselves in serious trouble, becoming vulnerable to copyright infringement claims, piracy, and even security breaches. Not every video game company has the financial resources to retain in-house counsel–which Video Game Law seeks to address by discussing many of the common pitfalls, legal questions, and scenarios facing the industry. S. Gregory Boyd, Brian Pyne, and Sean F. Kane, the most prominent, sought after, and respected video game attorneys in the country, break down the laws and legal concepts that every game developer and industry professional needs to know in order to better protect their game and grow their company.

KEY FEATURES:
• Provides a solid understanding of intellectual property (IP) concepts and laws, including
copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other protections that apply to video games and
how each can be employed to protect a company’s unique and valuable IP
• Explores cutting edge legal issues that affect the gaming industry, including gambling,
virtual currency, privacy laws, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, tax incentives, and
relevant piracy laws
• Provides an overview of legal and privacy vocabulary and concepts needed to navigate
and succeed in an industry that is constantly growing and evolving
• Provides illustrative examples and legal concepts from the video game industry in every
chapter

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138058491
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/20/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

S. GREGORY BOYD is one of the most prominent video game law attorneys in the United States.
He is a founding member of the Video Game Bar Association and formerly served on its Board
•f Directors. He co-chairs the Interactive Entertainment group at Frankfurt Kurnit and has been
featured in a variety of publications, including Fortune, Forbes, Mashable, and Gamasutra.

BRIAN PYNE is the Director of Legal Affairs and Enforcement for the Entertainment Software
Rating Board (ESRB) and legal counsel to the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC). Prior to
joining the ESRB, Brian was Associate Counsel at Take-Two Interactive Software, the parent
company of Rockstar Games and 2K. Brian has also taught a course on intellectual property
law and the video game industry and spoken on those topics at a variety of events.

SEAN F. KANE has been practicing video game law for 15 years and Variety magazine named
him to their 2017 Dealmakers Elite New York list and 2016 Legal Impact Report. He co-chairs
the Interactive Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, where he represents many of
the most well-known names in the video game industry. Sean is also on the Board of the Video Game
Bar Association and is a sought after author, speaker and industry commentator.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Founding and Running a Game Company. Chapter Two: How to Not Make a Game. Chapter Three: Intellectual Property Considerations—Intro to IP Law & Copyright. Chapter Four: Intellectual Property Considerations: Trademark, Patent, Right of Publicity. Chapter Five: Negotiation. Chapter Six: Explanation of Key Contracts. Chapter Seven: Privacy and Data Security in the Gme Industry. Chapter Eight: Free Money!: Making Use of Video Game Tax Incentives. Chapter Nine: Beyond Goldfarming:Virtual Property Regulations. Chapter Ten: Management and Motivation. Chapter Eleven: Gambling in Games. Chapter Twelve:Rating Systems. Chapter Thirteen: Getting a Job in Games. Chapter Fourteen: Hypothetical/issue spotter chapter.