Safety is a top concern for Creators. With cases of violence and malicious behavior on the rise, such as during the most recent TwitchCon in San Diego where popular creator Emiru was assaulted by an individual at her Meet and Greet event, stalking, swatting, and doxxing cases are becoming an unfortunate reality for many Creators. …
Creator Safety: Reducing Risk for Streamers and Content Creators Read More »
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provides the main mechanism for how a Copyright Holder can take down online content and materials that infringe upon their copyright. The Basics of the DMCA Specifically, the DMCA provides a safe harbor in connection with third-party uploaded materials on their site that infringes the copyright of others by …
One of the most common concerns VTubers have is what intellectual property rights and protections they need to be aware of. We previously wrote briefly about intellectual property rights in VTuber avatars in our “VTubers: Avatars, Anonymity, and Agencies” blog post and about ownership over avatars in Corpo VTuber and Agency relationship in our “Legal …
VTuber IP 101: Protecting Avatars, Content, and Branding Read More »
“It’s hard being an indie game developer” is an understatement. This is especially true for developers embarking on the indie dev journey for the first time, whether on their own or through a newly formed studio. In addition to juggling the demands of game development and publishing, indie developers must now worry about accounting, marketing, …
In Counts II – V of the FTC’s complaint against HoYoverse and Genshin Impact, the FTC alleges that HoYoverse engaged in deceptive and unfair practices surrounding the actual cost and odds of its loot boxes and how those loot boxes are marketed. Importantly, this is the first complaint by the FTC against loot box mechanics …
As mentioned in Part I of the this three part blog post on the FTC’s complaint against HoYoverse and Genshin Impact, COPPA applies to sites and services that are either directed toward children under the age of 13 or have actual knowledge that children 13 are providing information online. In Count I of the complaint, …
On January 17, 2025, the Department of Justice filed a complaint upon referral from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Singapore-based Cognosphere Pte. Ltd and its Californian subsidiary Cognosphere LLC, which collectively does business under the name “HoYoverse”. The complaint consists of five counts split into essentially two major prongs against HoYoverse and their game, …
In the world of VTubers, content creators who use animated avatars as their online persona, there is a distinction between independent VTubers who (as the name suggests) operate independently and “corporate” or “corpo” VTubers who are part of a VTuber agency. In exchange for a certain percentage of their profits, corporate VTubers may receive promotional …
Legal Relationships and Agreements for Corporate VTubers Read More »
Whether a creator has designed an immersive tabletop game, written a page turning novel, or developed an innovative video game – receiving interest from others in turning their creative work (Property) into a television show or movie is an exciting prospect. But the terminology of Option Agreements, Shopping Agreements, Attachment Agreements and more can be …
Artists and writers have long submitted short stories, webcomics, and fan works to online literary magazines or on fanfiction websites as a way to hone their skills and gain exposure. Creators and their works span the globe and range from literary-style web novels to Japanese manga. In recent years, however, platforms have begun offering publishing …