Video Game Law

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 OF THIS UPDATED NEW EDITION:

• 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 AI, gambling, virtual currency, privacy laws, SAG-AFTRA, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, tax incentives, and relevant piracy laws
• Provides an overview of industry agreements, negotiation strategy, and 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

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 of Directors. He was inducted into the Games Industry Law Summit’s Hall of Fame. He teaches annually and holds a position as Honorary Professor of Law at Queen Mary University, London. He co-chairs the Interactive Entertainment group at Frankfurt Kurnit Klien + Selz with Sean Kane and has been featured in a variety of publications, including Fortune and Forbes.

BRIAN PYNE is Principal Legal Counsel at Tencent America. He has previously served in legal, compliance and enforcement roles at Take-Two Interactive Software (parent company of Rockstar Games and 2K), the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), and the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC). 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 practiced video game law for more than twenty years and was recently inducted into the Games Industry Law Summit’s Hall of Fame, an honor conferred by his peers in recognition of his significant and sustained contributions to the field of video game law. He serves as Co-Chair of the Interactive Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz with Greg Boyd, where his practice focuses on representing leading companies within the video game and interactive entertainment industries. Mr. Kane is a former President and current Board Member of the Video Game Bar Association and is a frequent author, lecturer, and commentator on legal and policy issues affecting the video game industry.