As the majority of American schools have closed their doors because of the COVID-19 outbreak, children stuck at home are spending more time on social media and online games than ever before. If a company markets games or other content to children, it’s important to make sure they are in compliance with the applicable federal …
As 2019 is coming to a close, businesses are bracing themselves for California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which will take effect at the start of the new year. The act’s passage in 2018, coupled with Europe’s GDPR, teed up a slew of legislation in state general assemblies aimed at protecting residents’ personal information. As businesses …
The FTC recently came out with a new guidance piece directed specifically at social media influencers. The brochure, “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers,” is housed on a new “influencers” page on the FTC site that also features three videos highlighting information from the brochure. Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits, among …
With the rise of streamers on Twitch and mega celebrities endorsing games, many video game companies are considering hiring influencers. An influencer, defined as a person who has a significant following related to a certain topic, can be a great source of publicity and exposure for a video game. For example, Apex Legends received a …
How do I keep my influencer (and my company) out of trouble with the FTC? Read More »
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) protects technology, devices and/or services that are copyrighted. The act was written to protect IP owners, content hosts and internet service providers. A DMCA takedown is specifically when content is removed from a website or a platform at the request of the owner of the copyright holder. It is, …
In 2018, we had a lot of new ground covered in the video game industry from a legal perspective. Here are some of the most notable, influential stories in case you missed them: Studio Closures & Snafus More than a thousand jobs have been lost in the video game industry in 2018 alone – and …
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 …
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 …
“Subsidiary rights” usually refer to the right to exploit the book in other media. Pretty much any use of the book other than to sell copies of the book is a subsidiary right. Some lawyers would call these “derivative works” but in the literary world, they are subsidiary rights. Some examples include: Serial rights. This …
What are subsidiary rights in a literary publishing agreement? Read More »