ABSTRACT
The video games industry, beginning in 1958 with Higinbotham’s Tennis for Two, has seen a rapid evolution that doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. This has also created a plethora of pressing challenges that require immediate attention. These issues affect not only developers, but also streamers, users, content creators and many more. This paper, titled “Mission Brief: Navigating Copyright Laws and Challenges for Innovators and Consumers in the Gaming Industry”, explores the complex landscape of intellectual property (IP) protection for game developers, content creators, and consumers.
This paper focuses on copyright laws, both domestic and international. It examines the applicability of traditional copyright principles to digital games, identifying critical issues such as ownership of game content, licensing agreements, user-generated content (UGC), and the modding community. This paper also addresses the increase in the usage of streaming platforms, such as Twitch and YouTube, where copyright laws and the fair use doctrine clash with the widespread practice of broadcasting video game content.
This paper analyses emerging issues and challenges in the domain of intellectual property rights in gaming, with an overview and analysis of notable case laws and legislative developments. The current issues faced by stakeholders and policy makers are identified and solutions are suggested.
This research aims to provide a comprehensive overview of copyright laws and its application in the digital gaming era. Further, emerging issues are identified and discussed, with possible solutions being proposed. By examining these issues, this paper intends to contribute to the ongoing discourse on the adaptability of intellectual property laws to the rapidly changing digital gaming industry, ensuring that the rights of all stakeholders are represented and protected.
KEYWORDS
Video Games, Copyright, Fair Use, Challenges, Solutions