Legal — Page 2 | Game World Observer

DOJ backs new antitrust bill aimed at preventing Apple and Google from favoring their own products

The US Department of Justice has supported a new antitrust legislation, raising concerns over the domination of tech giants like Apple, Google, and Amazon. This bill could prevent platform holders from favoring their products over those of competitors.

Legal March 28

New EU legislation to potentially force Apple to allow third-party app stores on iOS

The European Union wants Apple to provide iOS users with more freedom as part of the proposed Digital Market Act. If approved, it would force the company to allow side-loading and third-party app stores on its platform.

Legal March 25

Apple asks court to reject Epic Games’ appeal, says Fortnite maker offers no alternative to App Store rules

Apple has asked judges to reject Epic Games’ appeal in the ongoing antitrust case. The company noted that the Fortnite maker has offered no reasonable alternative to the App Store’s current payment policies.

Legal March 24

Activision Blizzard hit with new lawsuit over harassment and discrimination at workplace

Activision Blizzard is now facing a new lawsuit over multiple cases of workplace misconduct. It was filed by a current employee who allegedly experienced “rampant sexism” and discrimination.

Legal March 23

Report: court to approve Activision Blizzard’s $18 million harassment settlement

Activision Blizzard is getting closer to settling a lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) last year. The judge will likely approve a $18 million fund the company created to compensate employees claiming harassment damages.

Legal March 21

Russian court labels Meta “extremist organization,” making all its business activities illegal

Russia has officially recognized Meta as an “extremist organization,” meaning that the company’s business and services are banned in the country. However, people will still be able to use Facebook and Instagram despite them being blocked.

Legal March 17

US lawmakers introduce bill to block mergers worth $5+ billion ahead of Microsoft-Activision deal

Democratic lawmakers have introduced a new bill prohibiting antitrust mergers. It would allow the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to block M&A deals worth $5 billion or more.

Legal March 11

EU and UK start antitrust investigation into Meta and Google over their online ad deal

Google and Meta are now under investigation by the EU and UK. According to the European Commission, a deal that the two corporations made in 2018 endangers competition and is used to push smaller companies from the online ad market.

Legal March 11

Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia calls to recognize Meta as “extremist organization”

Following Meta’s decision to allow hate speech towards the Russian military on its platforms, the country’s Prosecutor General’s Office has called for a ban on Instagram, with the company being recognized as an “extremist organization.”

Legal February 21

California’s age-appropriate design code to affect companies like Activision, Riot, EA, and Meta

California has proposed a new bill to protect children’s data based on the similar design code introduced in the UK. If passed, the law might affect big tech companies and game publishers.

Legal January 28

34 US states back Epic Games in its attempts to recognize Apple’s antitrust practices

34 US states and the District of Columbia have sided with Epic Games in its antitrust lawsuit against Apple. They appealed the court’s ruling, saying that the iPhone maker should stop its restrictive practices.

Legal January 28

CD Projekt finally settles $1.85 million class-action lawsuit, refusing to admit any wrongdoing

CD Projekt has announced that it came to an agreement with investors to settle a class-action lawsuit over Cyberpunk 2077’s controversial launch. It also means that the company doesn’t admit any responsibility on its part.

Legal January 19

What developers should know about trade marks to protect their games

Legal December 29, 2021

Report: how Roblox CEO David Baszucki avoided capital gains taxes by giving shares to his relatives

Billionaire David Baszucki, known as the CEO of Roblox Corporation, has found a legal but really tricky way to avoid millions of dollars in capital gains taxes. According to the latest report, he has given plenty of his company’s shares to his family members

Legal December 16, 2021

CD Projekt to pay investors less than $2 million in class-action settlement

CD Projekt has managed to finally settle a class-action lawsuit over Cyberpunk 2077‘s controversial launch. The company will pay investors only $1.85 million, while they will relinquish all claims against the Polish developer.

Featured December 14, 2021

“2021 in Video Games” with Tim Repa-Davies, games lawyer at Sheridans

Legal December 9, 2021

CD Projekt enters negotiations to settle class-action lawsuit from investors

CD Projekt might soon be able to settle a class-action lawsuit from investors over Cyberpunk 2077’s botched launch. However, it doesn’t mean that the company is going to accept all allegations against it.

Legal December 9, 2021

Apple wins reprieve from making changes to App Store as appeals court pauses previous order

An appeals court has granted Apple’s request to put the previous order on pause. It means that the company doesn’t have to make changes to its App Store policy, which would let developers add links to third-party payment solutions.

Legal December 6, 2021

Apple sues Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service over its in-app purchases warning

Apple has filed a lawsuit against Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), which opened a case against the company in October over its refusal to let developers use third-party payment methods.

Legal December 1, 2021

Copyright God Mode: Is Russian law ready to combat cheat codes in video games?

The distribution of cheating software is a persistent problem faced by the video games industry. Despite the global nature of the challenge, most infringing torrent indexes are either operated/hosted from Russia or use Russian reverse proxies. In this article, Alena Kuzmina, a lawyer at Semenov&Pevzner, discusses the legal grounds on which the potential software cheating may be challenged under the Russian law.