Video Game Law Blog – Page 15

November 9, 2005November 4, 2006

Michigan Game Law Temporarily Blocked

Text of Preliminary Injunction
District Court judge prevents ban on sales of violent games to minors from taking effect, says the act is “unlikely to survive strict scrutiny.

Sources: Gamespot | GameDaily.biz | Gamasutra | Next-gen.biz | 1Up.com

GamePolitics Full Coverage Of Michigan’s Violent Video Game Law

Related Posts:

Michigan Game Law Permanently Blocked (April 3, 2006)
Michigan Game Law Temporarily Blocked (November 9, 2006)
Michigan Governor Signs Violent Games Bill, ESA Files Suit (September 14, 2005)

November 9, 2005May 6, 2007

Sony Settles PS2 Class Action Suit

Ruling on infamous “disc read error” issue could give qualifying PS2 owners $25, a free game, free repairs, or a replacement system. Canadian and U.S. courts must approve the settlement before it is finalized.

Sources: Gamespot | Gamasutra

November 9, 2005February 27, 2008

Atari Sued over RollerCoaster Tycoon Royalty Dispute

Atari is being sued by RollerCoaster Tycoon developer Chris Sawyer for between $4.8 & $5.2 M U.S. (depending on the report) plus interest in alleged unpaid royalties. Sawyer alleges Atari breached its contract by failing to to give his auditors access to Atari’s accounts between 1999-2001.

Sources: CNet | GameIndustry.biz | The Inquirer

November 8, 2005October 29, 2006

Delaware Introduces Mature Game Sale Restrictoins Law

Delaware may follow California with the introduction of a bill to restrict the sales/rentals of M rated video games to those under 17. If this bill passes, the failure to check for ID, or selling or renting M or AO games to an underage customer, will result in a Class A misdemeanor.

Source: Gamasutra

November 8, 2005

Developer Chris Sawyer Sues Atari in Royalties Dispute

Game developer Chris Sawyer is suing Atari for $5 million U.S.D. after forensic accountant audited reveals royalty payment shortfalls. Atari had petitioned the British High Court to choose New York as the appropriate forum. The court disagreed and the case will proceed in Britain.

Sources: Gamasutra | gamingindustry.biz | Gamespot | GameDaily

November 8, 2005March 17, 2008

Region Coding for PS3 Unlikely

Sony likely to change its PS3 region coding practice after loosing Australian modding decision.

Dale’s Comment: While Sony may be able to limit or remove region coding technology for PS3-based video games, they will not have the legal right to remove region-coding from regular DVD and Blu-ray DVD movies that will also be playable in the PS3.

November 7, 2005November 4, 2006

Thompson Exits GTA Cop Killer Case

Controversial lawyer representing families of two police officers killed by GTA-playing Devin Moore, removed himself from GTA case following allegations of professional misconduct.

Sources: gamesindustry.biz | Gamasutra | Next-Gen.biz | Wikipedia Entry on Thompson

Related Posts:

Alabama Supreme Court Rejects Another Motion to Dismiss Take-Two/GTA Slaying Case (March 29, 2006)
Civil Suit in Alabama Goes Forward (December 14, 2005)
Alabama Judge Revokes Thompson’s Temporary License (November 19, 2005)
Thompson Exits GTA Cop Killer Case (November 7, 2005)
Thompson Comes Under Fire (November 7, 2005)
Judge Asked to Dismiss GTA Case (November 5, 2005)

Juvenile Violent Crime Decreases in Last 10 Years (October 11, 2005)
Judge Sentences GTA Gamer to Death (October 7, 2005)
Killer Convicted, Despite GTA Insanity Defense (August 10, 2005)
Grand Theft Auto Sparks Another Game Violence Lawsuit (February 14, 2005)

November 7, 2005October 29, 2006

Developers Threaten Digital Jesters with Legal Action

The UK Game publisher Digital Jesters has been accused by game developers of breaking contracts, failing to account for royalties, failing to pay game studios and otherwise breaching their contracts.

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

Related Posts:

Digital Jesters Wound-Up by British Court (January 11, 2006)
Super X Parts Ways with Publisher Digital Jesters (December 1, 2005)
Kylotonn Severs Digital Jesters Ties (November 23, 2005)
Developers Threaten Digital Jesters with Legal Action (November 7, 2005)

November 7, 2005November 4, 2006

Thompson Comes Under Fire

Controversial anti-video gaming lawyer Jack Thompson appears in court to defend right to practice law in Alabama. Law firm Blank Rome has filed a motion to have Thompson taken off the case and to revoke his legal license.

Sources: EuroGamer | gameindustry.biz | Wired Article on Thompson | Wikipedia Entry on Thompson

Related Posts:

Alabama Supreme Court Rejects Another Motion to Dismiss Take-Two/GTA Slaying Case (March 29, 2006)
Civil Suit in Alabama Goes Forward (December 14, 2005)
Alabama Judge Revokes Thompson’s Temporary License (November 19, 2005)
Thompson Exits GTA Cop Killer Case (November 7, 2005)
Thompson Comes Under Fire (November 7, 2005)
Judge Asked to Dismiss GTA Case (November 5, 2005)
Juvenile Violent Crime Decreases in Last 10 Years (October 11, 2005)
Judge Sentences GTA Gamer to Death (October 7, 2005)
Killer Convicted, Despite GTA Insanity Defense (August 10, 2005)
Grand Theft Auto Sparks Another Game Violence Lawsuit (February 14, 2005)

November 5, 2005November 4, 2006

Judge Asked to Dismiss GTA Case

A judge was asked to dismiss a civil suit filed by the families of two Fayette police officers and a dispatcher against the makers and sellers of “Grand Theft Auto” video games that allegedly influenced a man to shoot the three to death.

Sources: Game Cube Advanced | The Decatur Daily

Related Posts:

Alabama Supreme Court Rejects Another Motion to Dismiss Take-Two/GTA Slaying Case (March 29, 2006)
Civil Suit in Alabama Goes Forward (December 14, 2005)
Alabama Judge Revokes Thompson’s Temporary License (November 19, 2005)
Thompson Exits GTA Cop Killer Case (November 7, 2005)
Thompson Comes Under Fire (November 7, 2005)
Judge Asked to Dismiss GTA Case (November 5, 2005)

Juvenile Violent Crime Decreases in Last 10 Years (October 11, 2005)
Judge Sentences GTA Gamer to Death (October 7, 2005)
Killer Convicted, Despite GTA Insanity Defense (August 10, 2005)
Grand Theft Auto Sparks Another Game Violence Lawsuit (February 14, 2005)

November 3, 2005

Elevation takes Controlling Interest in BioWare

Elevation Partners, of whom the singer Bono is a partner, takes a controlling interest in Edmonton-based Bioware Corp. and Westwood California’s Pandemic Studios

Sources: Gamasutra | 1Up.com | ign.com | Gamespot | joystiq

November 2, 2005October 28, 2006

Australian Province of Victoria considers Changing Game Ratings

Australia is known for banning many video games that are commonly acceptable in North America and Europe. Australia does not have a “mature” classification for games as it does for films. Australian’s IEAA (an industry lobby group) commissioned a study that finds that 88% of the survey’s respondents believe that games with mature themes should be classified as 18+ just as films are. Members of Australian provincial government of Victoria is meeting this week to discuss the renewed calls for a change in the national laws with a view to including an 18+ rating for video games.

Sources: gamasutra.com | gameindustry.biz | EuroGamer

October 31, 2005

Koei Expands Toronto Studio

Toronto gaming publisher looks to expand workforce by 150-200 people.

Sources: Gamespot | 1Up.com | Koei Canada | GamaSutra Nov. 7 Feature Article

October 27, 2005March 18, 2008

Contracting: Case for Flexible Milestone Deliverables

by Thomas H. Buscaglia.

Source: Gamasutra | Tom Buscaglia’s Blog

October 25, 2005November 2, 2006

CAMRA Bill Introduced in House of Representatives

In May 2004, Senators Brownback, Lieberman and Clinton introduced the Children and Media Research Advancement Act to study the effects of various forms of media, including video games, upon children. CAMRA is a counterpart to that bill.

Source: Gamasutra

GamePolitics.com’s Full Coverage Video Game Legislative Activities in Congress
Related Posts:

Congressman Joe Pitts Claims his Video Game Comments were Misportrayed in Daily Show Lampoon (July 8, 2006)
Jon Stewart on Congressional Debate over Video Games (June 22, 2006)
Congress, FTC Discuss Video Game Rating System (June 15, 2006)
Views Clash at Senate Game Hearing (April 3, 2006)
Regulating Youth Access to Violent video Games: Three Responses to First Amendment Concerns (March 29, 2006)
Senate Panel OKs Video Game Study (March 8, 2006)
U.S. Family Entertainment Act Introduced in Congress (December 16, 2005)
IEMA & ESA Respond to Clinton & Lieberman Family Entertainment Protection Act (November 30, 2005)
Senators Clinton & Lieberman Introduce Federal Game Regulation (November 29, 2005)
CAMRA Bill Introduced in House of Representatives (October 25, 2005)
Juvenile Violent Crime Decreases in last 10 Years (October 11, 2005)

October 20, 2005November 4, 2006

EFF Label’s Blizzard’s Anti-cheat Warden Program – “Spyware”

Unbeknownst to many gamers, World of Warcraft now has an unwanted special feature—a hidden program called “Warden” that snoops gamers’ computers looking for any “unauthorized third-party program” that “enables or facilitates cheating of any type”.

Sources: EFF | BBC | Game Politics | Rootkit.com | AlterNet

Related Posts:

EFF Label’s Blizzard’s Anti-cheat Warden Program – “Spyware” (October 20, 2005)
Player’s Say Blizzard’s Anti-cheat Warden Program Invades Privacy (August 12, 2005)

October 20, 2005

Stae of Play III – Video Game Law Conference Wrap-up

Ren Reynolds wrap-up summary of the State of Play Conference held at New York Law School Oct. 6th to 8th, 2005.

Source: State of Play Conference Wrap-up

October 18, 2005November 4, 2006

ESA Launches Legal Action against California’s Violent Games Bill

ESA and the Video Software Dealers Association to file a lawsuit protesting against California’s AB1179 bill, restricting the sale of violent games to minors.

Related Posts:

Yee, Schwarzennegger Comment on California Injunction (December 28, 2005)
Judge Halts Implementation of California Violent Game Bill (December 22, 2005)
ESA Launches Legal Action Against California’s Violent Game Bill (October 18, 2005)
Schwarzenegger Signs Game-restriction Bill (October 7, 2005)

October 12, 2005October 28, 2006

Ratings Firm Offers ESRB Overhaul

PSVratings has offered to take on the job of categorizing games. The firm says it can address subjectivity issues in various State laws designed to protect minors from ‘violent’ games.

Source: Next-Gen.biz

October 12, 2005November 4, 2006

Texas Video Game Pirate Sentenced

Texan, Ponce de Leon, is sentenced to three years, ten months in prison and ordered to pay a $1.154 million fine for criminal video game piracy over the Internet.

Sources: U.S. Immigration & Customs | Gamasutra | Gamespot | Next Generation

October 11, 2005November 4, 2006

Juvenile Violent Crime Decreases in last 10 Years

Contrary to pop-culture beliefs, this article makes the case, complete with FBI statistics, that juvenile violent crime has decreased in the last 10 years as video game playing by young people has increased.

Sources: Game Evolution | ars Technica | Wellesley College Newspaper

See also: Related August 12, Gamasutra Article

October 11, 2005December 8, 2006

EA Faces a Third Employment-Related Class-Action Suit in Florida (Tam Su)

Text of Tam Su Class-Action Complaint Within a week of EA's settlement of the Kirschenbaum class-action suit, Tam Su's over-time law suit emerges. The original suit was filed in February 2005 Sources: GamePolitics.com | Edge Online Activision (Canulti):

Second Employee (Canulti) Unpaid Overtime Suit Brought Against Activision (July 20, 2006)

Activision (Erimez):

Another Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit – This Time Against Activision (May 2, 2006)

EA (Lender Hasty): EA Programmers

EA Settles Leander Hasty Class Action Labor Lawsuit – Tam Su Suit Still Pending (April 26, 2006)
"EA Spouse" Revealed to be Erin Hoffman (April 26, 2006)
Electronic Arts to Institute Limited Overtime Policy (March 10, 2005)
EA Hit by Second Employee (Leander Hasty) Lawsuit (February 21, 2005)
The "EA Spouse" Post that Started it All (November 10, 2004)

EA (Tam Su):

EA Faces a Third Employment-Related Class-Action Suit in Florida (Tam Su) (October 11, 2005)

EA (Kirschenbaum): EA animators, texture artists, and modelers

EA Settles Kirschenbaum Labor Dispute Lawsuit – Hasty Suit Still Pending (October 5, 2005)
Electronic Arts Faces (Kirschenbaum) Overtime Lawsuit (November 12, 2004)
The "EA Spouse" Post that Started it All (November 10, 2004)

Sony:

Sony Computer Entertainment Sued by its Animators and Graphic Artists. (February 11, 2005) – This case is still pending as far as I know.

October 7, 2005November 4, 2006

Schwarzenegger Signs Game-Restriction Bill

Text of Bill
The bill, which comes into force in January 2006, bans the sale or rental of “violent video games” to minors

Sources: Gamespot | Gamasutra | Governor Schwarzenegger’s Press Release
Click Here to Listen to GamePolitic’s October 10, 2005 interview of California Assembly Speaker pro Tem, Leland Yee, about the bill.

GamePolitics Full Coverage Of California’s Violent Video Game Law

Related Posts:

Yee, Schwarzennegger Comment on California Injunction (December 28, 2005)
Judge Halts Implementation of California Violent Game Bill (December 22, 2005)
ESA Launches Legal Action Against California’s Violent Game Bill (October 18, 2005)
Schwarzenegger Signs Game-restriction Bill (October 7, 2005)

October 7, 2005November 10, 2006

Stanhouse GTA San Andreas Class-Action Suit Moved to Federal Court

The most recent class action filed in St. Clair County over a controversial rating on a video game has been removed to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act.”