The video game market is a fast-growing market segment that had a global market value of 156 billion $US in 2020 and is expected to grow by over 70% until 2025. Video games today include games that can be played on a variety of devices, from computer games to console games to games played on smartphones. The wide range of different video games and also the nature of video games as artistic works, including visual elements and sound, as well as technology and software provide a wide range of different IP to protect video games. A typical example where IP protection becomes important for game developers is already the registration of the game title as a trademark. And in addition to the IP protection of the video games themselves, there are also questions in the industry about the protection of business model elements such as payment systems in games. A recent example for a conflict between game app developers and an app store operator is the lawsuit between Epic and Apple over restricting in-app transactions in the Fortnite game to Apple’s App store. 

In our weekly LinkedIn live talk on IP-Management on 23rd June, Dr. Marta Bettinazzi was our guest on the topic of IP and Video games. After the summer break, the LinkedIn Live format will be back on Wednesdays in October 2021.

Here are the questions which were addressed:

  1. How does game revenue come from in-game transactions to form a viable business model?
  2. How can you use Intellectual property to protect your game?
  3. Who’s the author of a video game, what are the model rights in this situation?
  4. What is the relationship between the “Author” and the Software house?

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Dr. Marta Bettinazzi is an Italian IP lawyer with a deep knowledge of the South East Asia IP landscape. She helps her clients in building an effective strategy to protect and develop their intangible assets. Previously she was the IP Advisor of the South-east Asia IPR SME Helpdesk project located in Ho Chi Minh City. Marta, holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Pavia (Italy), and a PhD in Roman Law and European legal culture from the Universities of Pavia and Saarbrücken (Germany).