Commentary on legal issues in the computer and video game industry
Posted in Intellectual Property, Licensing, Trademark on Apr 22nd, 2010
A trademark can consist of words, names, or symbols used to uniquely identify a source of goods. Trademark rights arise when the designation is first used in commerce linked to goods or services to indicate the source. Trademark law gives the owner the right to stop others from using a similar mark in connection with [...]
Posted in Copyright, Intellectual Property, Licensing on Apr 20th, 2010
Copyright includes rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, create derivative works, import, and export an original work. Examples of copyrightable material include writings, music, graphics, software, and videos. The author is ordinarily the original owner of a copyright. However, when the author creates the work under a contract with another, it may be a “work for [...]
Posted in Intellectual Property, Licensing on Apr 18th, 2010
Just about everything of value in a game company is intellectual property. This includes the game collectively, and its components of programming, story, art, and music. Accordingly, it is essential that a game company protect its intellectual property rights and properly license it in order to make a profit. Further, a game developer often ends [...]
