COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, is a law that was created to protect the privacy of children under 13. The Act was passed in 1998, took effect in 2000, and then it was updated in 2013. There are a lot of misconceptions about COPPA so let’s address a few of them and how …
What is COPPA and how does it affect my game company? Read More »
As a consumer, it’s important to read a license before signing it whenever possible. As a business offering a license, it’s even more important to understand what is being offered. A license is there to help business set terms of the relationship with the users of a product. Here’s a quick overview of a few …
An overview of licenses: shrink-wrap vs. click-wrap vs. browse-wrap licenses Read More »
There are many legal requirements that companies, especially game and digital media companies, must adhere to in this day and age. One question that comes up often is whether game companies must have a privacy policy on their website. What is a privacy policy? A privacy policy is a document that explains what personal information …
Modding, the act of creating extensions within games and other platforms, is popular in the video game scene. What is a game mod? A game modification, or game mod, alters how a video game may look or behave. Mods are intended to extend and expand gameplay and modders are the individuals or communities that provide these …
Let’s Play videos (or LP videos for short) have grown significantly over the past few years as more and more gamers play PC games (or play console games on ROMs) and have easy access to screen capture and video editing software. But are they legal? Let’s discuss. What’s a Let’s Play video? A Let’s Play …
Often, it can be hard to come up with video game ideas to test programming concepts on. One method a lot of game developers use to sharpen their skills it to create clones of games to learn more about the development process. If you make a cloned game, though, what can you actually do with …
Can I make a clone of a game purely for self-educational purposes? Read More »
If you’re starting your own video game studio, you might be inclined to just hit the ground running without extra thoughts to the legal structure and framework of your business. Naturally, I’m biased against this approach. Here’s a short overview of why you should consider forming a corporation or a limited liability company (LLC) before you …
Why should I create a corporation or LLC for my video game studio? Read More »
Thinking of opening a virtual reality (VR) arcade? Be prepared to learn about the exciting world of commercial licensing! In order to legally offer a physical location where others will access content like video games (whether they pay for them or not), you must purchase commercial licenses of games. What is a commercial license? When …
Do I need a commercial license to use games for a VR arcade? Read More »
Congratulations! You’ve received your first video game from a developer or publisher as a gift and your review has been requested (or paid for). Do you have to tell your audience the behind-the-scenes details? Let’s take a step back here. Defining an influencer An influencer is a person who may be a celebrity or, even …
Do I have to tell my audience if I’ve received a game and then reviewed it? Read More »