Law-ification

Full Indie Summit – VancouverAugust 10, 2014

Jon Festinger Q.C.Centre for Digital MediaFestinger Law & Strategy http://videogame.law.ubc.ca@gamebizlawjon_festinger@thecdm.ca

“LAW-IFICATION

Gamification…

going the other way.

What this talk is not…

A “how to”

or

A “how not to”…

or

..a guide to the perplexed…

If you want those things…

http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/freepublications/en/copyright/959/wipo_pub_959.pdf

Or

http://store.lexisnexis.ca/store/ca/catalog/booktemplate/productdetail.jsp?prodId=prd-cad-01004

What this talk is about?Do you, as an indie developer, feel there are increasingly more “legal issues” and “legal choices” than used to be the case?

What, legally speaking, should be keeping you awake at night?

WHAT’S TRENDING?

My (pre-) list

• Copyright• Trademark• Patent• Contracts (post IP)• Confidentiality• Privacy• Surveillance

Quasi-empirical methodology…sort of…

http://videogame.law.ubc.ca

“News of the Week”

1. Starting with…“Crowd-Funding”

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2014/07/22/kickstarter-suspends-areal-crowd-funding-campaign#.U-gYylYgjio

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2014/07/17/yogscast-yogventures-backers-were-not-obligated-do-anything#.U-gZglYgjio

2. Consumer Protection

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-08-06-sony-faces-killzone-shadowfall-lawsuit-over-graphics

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-08-07-big-fish-accused-of-unfair-of-deceptive-trade-practices

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-08-06-codemasters-offers-refunds-for-pc-port-of-mobile-colin-mcrae

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/07/british-regulator-ea-misled-by-calling-dungeon-keeper-free-to-play/

Where consumer protection is going…

http://techcrunch.com/2014/08/06/kim-kardashian-hollywood-and-the-viral-oops/

What is helping it get there?BIG DATA

With some very poor judgment …care of Facebook

http://pando.com/2014/06/28/facebooks-science-experiment-on-users-shows-the-company-is-more-even-powerful-and-unethical-than-we-thought/

http://www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788.full

And other stuff too…

http://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/06/29/legal-loophole-advergames/

All of which ends up here…

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/facebook-in-hot-water-for-social-study/article19434632/

And here…

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/technology/more-than-20-000-join-privacy-action-against-facebook-1.1889192

Here too…

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-847_en.htm

…here…

http://www.osborneclarke.com/connected-insights/publications/game-developers-watch-out-german-data-protection-authorities-publish-guidelines-mobile-apps/

And someday maybe here…

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/we-need-a-legal-framework-for-biohacking-our-brains

3. Net neutrality – really?

http://nypost.com/2014/06/04/netflix-plays-the-blame-game-over-slow-streaming-speeds/

In Canada, too…

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2014/08/ghost-icravetv-crtc-asks-bell-answers-mobile-tv-service-net-neutrality-case/

http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/07/fcc-chair-accuses-verizon-of-throttling-unlimited-data-to-boost-profits /

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2014/08/08/president-obama-does-not-support-internet-fast-lanes#.U-gh15RdUxg

What does this have to do with indie game developers?

http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/23/5744804/authors-getting-screwed-in-face-off-between-amazon-hachette

EVERYTHING…The “gatekeeper” anti-trust issue

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jul/04/amazon-hachette-self-published-authors-stephen-king-james-patterson

But sometimes, the gatekeepers win…

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/06/supreme-court-puts-aereo-out-of-business/

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-06-25-net-neutrality-the-biggest-problem-facing-games-lanning

4. Correctness (is it really political?)

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/08/dmca-mea-culpa-randy-queen-apologizes-for-response-to-criticism/

http://killscreendaily.com/articles/doom-metal-women-and-videogames/

http://www.polygon.com/2014/7/22/5926193/women-gaming-harassment

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2014/07/22/gamasutras-game-developer-salary-survey-2014-highlight-gender-gap-video-games-industry#.U-glbpRdUxg

http://www.salon.com/2014/05/08/nintendos_anti_gay_cop_out_why_its_demented_same_sex_ban_is_no_game/

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/05/op-ed-its-time-for-nintendo-to-move-beyond-white-characters/

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-06-12-inclusivity-always-seems-to-end-up-on-the-cutting-board

& too many other articles…

And, yes. Violence in games seems a less prevalent issue then was the case…

Legal aspects to follow…

http://www.bchrt.bc.ca/

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/07/riot-starts-getting-tough-on-toxic-players-with-instant-bans/

4. Game media: How important is this? (If it’s important there are ton of legal aspects)

http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/29/5949903/more-than-20-million-people-watched-dota-2-international-4

Seems important?

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-07-01-twitch-tv-1-million-channels-and-rising

5. “I’m important, really I am..” Personality rights

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/16/manuel-noriega-sues-activision-over-character-in-call-of-duty-video-game

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/07/lindsay-lohan-sues-over-gta-v-saying-a-character-is-too-similar-to-her/

http://www.ibtimes.com/lindsay-lohans-gta-5-lawsuit-kindest-thing-you-could-say-its-publicity-stunt-1621156

Karen Gravano & GTA V

Lady Miss Kier & Space Channel 5

Beaver & Bieber

Dillinger & Electronic Arts John Dillinger & “Dillinger Tommy Gun”

Not quite “look at me…” No Doubt & Activision Publishing, Inc. (No Doubt v. Band Hero)

And the clearly legitimate…

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2014/07/03/ncaa-video-game-settlement-payments-detailed#.U-gqPpRdUxg

6. Miscellaneous

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/222617/Artist_claims_she_invented_Angry_Birds_files_complaint_seeking_compensation.php

& just when you thought the world could not get more ridiculous…

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/08/thailands-military-junta-bans-dictator-simulator-tropico-5/

THANK YOU

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