Introduction to Video Game Law: A Russian Perspective

About the course

This course focuses on basic approaches to those legal issues that relate to the unique features of computer games that have legal significance and the social relationships that arise around them. The history of the development of computer games is, at the same time, the history of the cutting-edge technologies, from multiplayer network interaction in a persistent environment, to artificial intelligence and VR / AR.

As a consequence, an analysis of the legal issues of the computer games industry is at the same time an analysis of the legal issues of these technologies. A good part of it is directly or indirectly reflected in the materials.

The course will be interesting for a wide range of listeners – from lawyers wishing to improve their qualification to representatives of game developing companies and publishers seeking to form general but systematic ideas of what legal problems are related to their professional activity. While the author is a Russian practicing lawyer, and many of the examples focus on the national law and practice, the course may be useful to anyone interested in the topic, since the legal problems of the videogame industry in the world are based on the same logic.

The author of the course is one of the first lawyers in Russia who began to specialize in this field long before it became a trend, and he has been a participant of numerous practical and academic projects that share a sincere and unyielding interest in the topic of games.

This course contains some decorations of role-playing mechanics’ style. If you are, by spirit, a videogame tester, and notice some bug or glitch, please feel free to contact us!

Programme

Level 1. Introduction. Computer Games as Object of Legal Relationships.

Level 2. Intellectual Property in Video Game Industry.

Level 3. Computer Game Content: Protection of Children, “Violent Video Games” and Freedom of Speech.

Level 4. Virtual Property, Lootboxes and Other Nuances of MMOs.

Level 5. Personal Data and Non-Material Values in Video Game Industry.

Level 6. Legal Aspects of eSports: Theoretical Foundations and Practice.

Course in Russian.