As I’m scrolling through my blog, I realized that I have yet to do a “what is a trademark” post. I didn’t plan for this post to be about that, so I’ll give you a one-sheet on it, and if you already know about this and want to learn how and where you should use […]
Virtual Currency: A Primer on Pitfalls With the upswing in mainstream recognition of virtual currencies, more people are becoming aware of its application in the real world. However, games have been offering in-app purchases for virtual currency (or other items) for ages. [one_half][/one_half] [one_half_last][/one_half_last] Licensing vs Ownership Rights There are several potential pitfalls that can […]
As a developer, newbie or otherwise, you’ll eventually get to the point where you realize you want to release your game in some way or another. At that point in time, if not much–MUCH–sooner, you’re hopefully going to consider whether you need some sort of legal documents or protections in place before you go full […]
Myth: If I pay someone to create some art assets for me, because I paid them to do it, I own the copyright in the end product. This harkens back to basic copyright law. If you understand that, then you’ll understand who owns what when you’re making a game. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to understand. Copyright Law […]
Welcome to Part 2! My heart sings with…actually, my voice is bad enough, you don’t need to know how my heart sings, knowing you’ve returned for more torture. Fair Use By Game Users What is most often copied by users is either gameplay footage or characters/storylines, rather than making other games with copyrighted content. […]
Fair Use in Video Games – Part 1: Fair Use Basics ‘Fair use’ is generally in reference to copyright law, as fair use in trademark law is much simpler and far more literal. To say the least, fair use is a heavy hitter in copyright law—meaning it’s a complicated subject, but because it potentially offers […]