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.
Legal December 1, 2021 Take-Two filed dozens of trademark complaints against It Takes Two and other brands over 1.5 years Take-Two Interactive has been actively monitoring the usage of specific words by other brands for more than a year and a half. However, Take-Two is not the only game company that files such complaints on a regular basis.
Legal October 11, 2021 Apple appeals Epic Games ruling, saying that third-party payment systems might harm users and devs Apple has taken the next step in its long-lasting legal battle with Epic Games. The company filed a notice of appeal against California’s court ruling, saying that the upcoming changes in the App Store policy might be harmful both for iOS users and developers.
Industry News September 15, 2021 Apple also investigated by Department of Justice. US lawmakers address “serious competition concerns” in app store space On September 10, a federal judge in California ruled that app developers can now direct users to payment options outside the App Store. That said, the court failed to “ultimately conclude that Apple is a monopolist.” Nor did the ruling force Apple into allowing third-party app stores on iOS. The iPhone maker was also allowed to keep its steep 30% commission. While Epic has lost on 9 of 10 counts, the Fortnite company might just have powerful…
Industry News September 15, 2021 Activision Blizzard faces new lawsuit from its employees and media labor union Activision Blizzard employees and the Communications Workers of America (CWA), U.S.’s largest communications and media labor union, filed an unfair labor practice lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. The lawsuit, which is filed in California with the National Labor Relations Board, accuses Activision Blizzard of acting coercively to stop its workers from unionizing.
Industry News September 15, 2021 App Annie and its founder to pay over $10 million to settle securities fraud charges The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged App Annie and its co-founder and former CEO and Chairman Bertrand Schmitt with securities fraud. SEC found that the mobile analytics firm engaged “in deceptive practices” and made “material misrepresentations” about how it obtained its market data on mobile app performance. Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, App Annie agreed to pay more than $10 million to settle the matter.
Industry News September 6, 2021 Tripwire Interactive president hails Texas anti-abortion law leaving dev community deeply concerned John Gibson, the president of Tripwire Interactive, which is know as the publisher of Chivalry 2 and developer of Maneater and Killing Floor, took to Twitter to hail a new Texas anti-abortion law passed by the U.S. Supreme Court last week. Backlash from fellow devs ensued.
Legal July 29, 2021 “Arbitration clause silences an employee”: lawyer explains forced arbitration and DFEH’s authority in Activision Blizzard lawsuit What is forced arbitration? Why do California employers force new hires into arbitration agreements? How can DFEH represent affected employees of Activision Blizzard in court despite their having signed those agreements? Senior lawyer Evgeny Farafonov at law firm Semenov&Pevzner is here to explain.
Industry News July 28, 2021 Shareholders rights law firm investigating Activision Blizzard officers and directors as company’s shares drop almost 7% On July 27, shareholder rights law firm Robbins LLP anounced it is “investigating Activision Blizzard to determine whether certain Activision officers and directors violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and breached their fiduciary duties to the company.”
Industry News July 22, 2021 Former Blizzard dev on how Blizzard prevents its employees from going to court With a Twitter-wide debate unfolding around the Blizzard sex descrimination lawsuit, a former employee shared what seems to be the beginning of the dispute resolution agreement new hires have to sign when joining the company.
Legal July 12, 2021 Video games in and out of court (January — June 2021) This is the latest installment of Semenov&Pevzner’s overview of the gaming industry’s major lawsuits and disputes from all over the world.
Featured February 26, 2021 Sheridans’ Tim Repa-Davies: “Publishers and investors are not out to trip up developers, but…” As part of WN Dev Contest, we are discussing the industry with the jury members. In this installment, we catch up with Tim Repa-Davies, games lawyer at media and technology law firm Sheridans.
Legal December 22, 2020 Video games in and out of court (May — December 2020). Part Two This is another installment of Semenov&Pevzner’s overview of major lawsuits and infringements affecting the gaming industry.
Legal December 18, 2020 Video games in and out of court (May — December 2020). Part One This is another installment of Semenov&Pevzner’s overview of major lawsuits and infringements affecting the gaming industry.
Industry News October 12, 2020 Game Industry Legal Conference wrapped up last week Game Industry Legal Conference ran October 6 through 7. The event brought together over 700 participants from USA, Russia, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Germany, Israel, Poland, and other countries.
Industry News October 6, 2020 Game Industry Legal Conference goes live Game Industry Legal Conference has kicked off today, October 6.
Industry News September 16, 2020 Game Industry Legal Conference to run October 6-7, 2020 Game Industry Legal Conference will be held October 6-7, 2020.
Industry News August 10, 2020 Game Industry Legal Conference to run October 6-7, 2020 White Nights Conference organizers announced Game Industry Legal Conference that will be held October 6-7, 2020.