Virtual reality (VR) might be the next big thing in the gaming space – but what are the legal considerations that need to be kept in mind with this new technology? Here are some thoughts you may want to keep in mind to protect your intellectual property as development in VR continues to grow. Protecting …
Protecting your patents & intellectual property in VR Read More »
There’s a fine line with copyright infringement and trademarks when it comes to Easter eggs in video games. What are Easter eggs? Easter eggs are intentionally placed features within a work that may sometimes reference inspiration from outside of the work. Easter eggs can be found in video games, computer programs, movies, TV shows – …
If you’ve been paying attention, you may have seen press coverage of the Entertainment Software Association’s opposition (PDF) to a proposed change to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. So, what is ESA arguing about? Who are they arguing with? Why is this happening? The short version: A “museum” petitioned the copyright office to change the rules …
What’s up with the DMCA fight over defunct online games? Read More »
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 »
Recently, this article posted on Polygon outlining the many commercial uses of the iconic watchtower image from Firewatch. These uses were not authorized by Campo Santo, the developer, which leads to the question: what do you do if you find yourself in this situation? First, pat yourself on the back. You made something so good …
The article from Syfy.com details the vast market of counterfeit “geek” goods and the legal and ethical issues they present. Here is an excerpt: “True counterfeit merchandise is almost certainly actionable. That said, with a company the size of Disney, with properties as numerous and popular as Disney’s, it’s probably impractical to police literally every …
Brandon J. Huffman quoted on counterfeit collectables Read More »
My recently released eBook, Key Provisions in Video Game Publishing Agreements contains a lengthy discussion of intellectual property rights and how publishing agreements might address them. This post includes some samples of that section of the book, and some additional discussion. For more in depth discussion of these rights, get the FREE eBook now! What …
Copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights Read More »