Merchandising, merchandising, merchandising. Where the real money is (sometimes) made. If you’re considering setting up a merch shop for your game studio, however, you want to make sure you’ve got yourself covered from a legal perspective. Privacy Policy A privacy policy is a must for websites that collect or process any user data. This informs users …
So the company didn’t work out. It happens. With recent news of studio closures, I thought I would put together this brief guide to shutting down. First, some definitions Before the meat, let’s talk about the bones. These are key terms I’ll be throwing around a lot: Company – the business. This could be an …
Dissolving A Company – A primer on ending it all Read More »
The article from GameDaily.biz details Telltale’s potential legal troubles regarding its mass layoffs on September 21st, 2018. Here is an excerpt: Class action waivers in terms of use and similar contracts (like EULAs) are constantly litigated and there is new precedent all the time,” explains Brandon Huffman, founding partner of Odin Law & Media. “California …
Brandon J. Huffman Quoted on Telltale Studio Layoffs Read More »
Operation Airdrop is an all-volunteer group of General Aviation pilots formed by Doug Jackson to deliver relief supplies to hard to reach areas in need. In light of Hurricane Florence and the recent flooding devastation across the Carolinas, Odin Law joined the effort in sending supplies to stranded areas of Eastern North Carolina. If you …
Odin Law Participates in Operation Airdrop for Hurricane Florence Read More »
This month, the European Parliament voted in favor of the Copyright Directive, a piece of legislation intending to update online copyright laws. The apparent goal of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market is to hold platforms with user content, like YouTube and Facebook, liable for copyright infringement. Or in the video game …
The world of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) is pretty new, but fortunately, the legal standards for these experiences are still very similar to the legal standards for video games and experiences in other more common media types. The same goes for managing events focusing on VR/AR experiences and mitigating risk. For experiences: …
Best practices on events and risk management for VR/AR, Part 2 Read More »
What can you do if someone has copied your game? First, “copied” can mean a lot of things. Is this a clone game? Is it an unlocked .apk or drm-free install file? Did they take your art, sound, music and other visual assets and copy them into their own attempted-cpoy of the code? Each of …
What does the First Amendment Protect? In terms of speech only (the First Amendment protects a lot that isn’t speech), the First Amendment protects “expression.” It does not protect anything that is not expressive. Expression does not have to be words. For example, the Supreme Court has ruled that video games (even if they do not …
The First Amendment and Video Games – Part 3: Protected v. Unprotected Speech Read More »
A recent case in Alabama is asking what happens when someone’s “right of publicity” butts up against another’s freedom of speech. The “right of publicity” allows people to control the use of their likeness and prevent commercial exploitation without consent. The right of publicity isn’t a traditional intellectual property right, and instead stems from the …
Serial, John B. McLemore, and the Right of Publicity vs Freedom of Speech Read More »
The world of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) is pretty new, but fortunately, the legal standards for these experiences are still very similar to the legal standards for video games and experiences in other more common media types. The primary contracts you want to have in place for a VR or AR experience …
What contracts should I have in place for my VR/AR experience? Part 1 Read More »