The video game industry has long been the world's largest and fastest-growing media sector. As it continues to evolve and increase in complexity, the demand for sound legal guidance grows accordingly.This book explores the legal issues that arise at every stage of a video game's lifecycle in a practical and solution-oriented way, taking into account commercial and economic conditions. It serves as a comprehensive guide to both current and emerging legal challenges in the video game industry. As a concise and accessible handbook, it serves as a valuable guide to both current and emerging legal challenges in the video game industry, covering key topics such as:

The legal framework for innovative business models

The opportunities and limitations for investment

Licensing practices

Platform obligations and liability

Regulation, particularly regarding minors, as well as data and consumer protection lawsKey areas:

Setting up a video game company (financing, founding, mergers and acquisitions, taxation)

Video game development (copyright, remuneration, music in games, trademarks, and work title law)

Publishing (contracts between developers and publishers, localisation, protection of minors, age ratings)

Distribution (business models, consumer contracts, legal issues related to virtual items and loot boxes, law enforcement, data protection, VAT)

Platforms (platform obligations, antitrust framework & related regulation, trust & safety measures, toxic players)

Marketing (media law, unfair commercial practices, influencer marketing, guidelines & licenses for Let's Plays, esports)EditorsProf. Dr. Christian-Henner Hentsch is a professor of copyright and media law at TH Köln, Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs at game - The German Games Industry, and managing director of VHG, the first collecting society for games; he holds a PhD in law from the University of Bonn and an LLM from Humboldt University Berlin.Dr. Anselm Rodenhausen is Vice President Legal & Policy at Video Games Europe, overseeing legal and regulatory issues for major game companies. He previously worked at Zalando, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and as a Legal & Policy Officer with the European Commission (DG CONNECT); he holds a PhD in law from the University of Münster and an MJUR from the University of Oxford.Dara MacGreevy is currently Senior Legal Counsel at Video Games Europe, where he has worked for 15 years, and previously led anti-piracy efforts for the Motion Picture Association in the EMEA region; he holds a law degree from University College Dublin and was called to the Irish Bar in 1976 and the Bar of England and Wales in 1979.AuthorsJürgen Bänsch, Senior Director Policy & Public Affairs Video Games Europe, Brussels | Ann Becker, Senior Vice President Video Games Europe, Brussels | Kai Bodensiek, Lawyer, Berlin | Florent Boisneault, Ubisoft, Director Legal | Dirk Bosmans, Pan-European Game Information (PEGI), Brussels | Guillaume Croisant, Lawyer and ESG Lecturer, Brussels | Isabel Davies, Lawyer, London | Dr. Gaetano Dimita, Queen Mary University of London | Andrea Dufaure, Lawyer, Paris | Dr. Willy Duhen, Senior Director Legal Activision Blizzard King, London | Kate Edwards, CEO and Principal Consultant, Geogrify, Seattle | Konstantin Ewald, Lawyer, Cologne | Dr. Jan-Peter Ewert, Lawyer, General Counsel Valve GmbH, Hamburg | Felix Falk, CEO German Games Industry Association (game), Berlin | Emanuele Fava, In-house Lawyer, Activision Blizzard King, London | Thomas Fischer, MBA (Columbia), Associate General Counsel, PLAION, Munich | Julia Foguel, Pan-European Game Information (PEGI), Brussels | Dr. Hans-Martin Grambeck, Tax consultant, Norderstedt | Laura Godfrin, Lawyer, Paris | Virginie Gringarten, Ubisoft, Vice President Legal | Prof. Dr. Christian-Henner Hentsch, Cologne Research Center for Media Law, TH Köln; Director Legal & Regulatory Affiars, game; MD VHG - Verwertungsgesellscha

Spécifications