Video Game Law

The Games Industry in 2025: Our Optimistic Perspective

By / January 16, 2025

The past couple of years have been a rollercoaster for the games industry, with significant layoffs and economic challenges dampening spirits. However, 2025 brings a sense of optimism. Many have managed to “survive to 25.” The industry is poised for recovery, with growth opportunities across emerging markets, cultural shifts, and technological advancements. Political uncertainty may …

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Maryland’s Kid’s Code: Preparing for the October 1, 2024 Deadline

By / January 9, 2025

In just a few days, on October 1, 2024, Maryland’s new Kid’s Code (also known as the Maryland Age-Appropriate Design Act) will go into effect. What is the Maryland Kid’s Code? The Maryland Kid’s Code, signed into law this past May, draws inspiration from the UK and California Age Appropriate Design Codes and aims to …

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Odin Law and Media Files Amicus Brief with U.S. Supreme Court Supporting Digital Privacy in Trademark Applications

By / January 9, 2025

Firm challenges US Patent and Trademark Office’s privacy-compromising requirement for domicile addresses FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Raleigh, NC – 16 July 2024 –Odin Law and Media (OLM), a leading firm specializing in digital media and game development law, is proud to announce its representation of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and CodeMiko in filing an amicus brief …

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Video Game Developers and Work For Hire Agreements

By / January 9, 2025

Indie developers frequently outsource portions of game development to independent contributors (i.e., contractors). But depending on what agreements, if any, the primary devs have in place with any contracted contributors, the primary devs might not own their game outright. Even so, when devs start making a game, one of the last things they think about …

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Understanding Open Source Licenses: A Guide for Game Developers

By / January 9, 2025

When working on a game development or software project, understanding open source licenses is crucial. These licenses dictate how developers can use, modify, and distribute open source software. In this blog post, we’ll break down the essentials of open source licenses, focusing on the differences between permissive and copyleft licenses, and how they impact the …

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Moonlighting: who owns what?

By / January 9, 2025

Moonlighting and side hustles – whatever you want to call them – come up frequently in the games space. However, it is important to keep in mind some potential issues that can arise – both from an employer’s perspective and from an employee’s perspective. An employer will generally want (and likely needs) to own all …

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What are the legal risks involved with localizing a video game?

By / January 9, 2025

The video game industry is a global phenomenon – there are video gamers in every country and in plenty of instances, gamers want to interact with games in their own native language. Localization can be a critical part of publishing a game to help it reach larger audiences. But what is localization and what are …

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