Mobile Games: Legal Complexities & Creative Consequences
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Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3- Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA 1 Gamer Technology Law Conference March 16 & 17, 2006 Beverly Hills, California Senta L. Wong Mobile Games: Legal Complexities & Creative Consequences Overview Growth of Mobile Games Evolving Technologies Legal Complexities – Contractual Rights & Obligations – Privacy Laws – Violent Game Laws – Content Guidelines – Skill-based Games – Intellectual Property Laws Creative Consequences Strategies for Mitigating Risks & Capitalizing on Opportunities
Transcript of Mobile Games: Legal Complexities & Creative Consequences
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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Gamer Technology Law ConferenceMarch 16 & 17, 2006
Beverly Hills, California
Senta L. Wong
Mobile Games:Legal Complexities & Creative Consequences
OverviewGrowth of Mobile GamesEvolving TechnologiesLegal Complexities
– Contractual Rights & Obligations– Privacy Laws– Violent Game Laws– Content Guidelines– Skill-based Games– Intellectual Property Laws
Creative ConsequencesStrategies for Mitigating Risks & Capitalizing on Opportunities
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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Actual Worldwide Mobile Game Revenue(millions)
$996
$1,990
2004 2005
Source: Screen Digest, December 2005
MarketDoubled!!
Projected Worldwide Mobile Game Revenue(millions)
$11,186
$1,990
2005 2010
Source: Informa Telecons & Media, October 2005; Screen Digest, December 2005
41% AnnualGrowth Rate
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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US Mobile Game Revenue (millions)
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Source: International Data Corporation (IDC), Wall Street Journal, December 2005
44% AnnualGrowth Rate
Worldwide Mobile Game Revenue as aProportion of Game Revenue
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2000 2005 2010
Other Sectors
Mobile Gaming
Source: Informa Telecons & Media, October 2005
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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Trends in the Mobile Games Industry
ConsolidationBrandingCommunityMultiplayer FeaturesCross-platform Interaction
Mobile Game Industry Participants
Content Provider
Publisher
Developer
Carrier
PortingService
End UserDevice Manufacturer
Independent Channel
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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Contractual Considerations
Grant of RightsRevenue ShareAllocation of Risks
Location-based & Context-aware Games
Location-based games use the physical location of player toenhance gameplayContext-aware games use physical location, activity, speed,direction, or voice of player to enhance gameplayPrivacy concernsVirtual killings / real world assaults
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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Violent Game Laws
Violent game laws considered in several states, includingKansas, Utah, Michigan, Maryland, Indiana, Washington,Illinois, and CaliforniaFamily Entertainment Protection Act
Content Guidelines and RatingsCellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA)
– Wireless Content Guidelines– Content Classification Standard– Generally Accessible Carrier Content– Restricted Carrier Content
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)– Ratings– Content Descriptors
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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Skill Based Games
Prohibited lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme– Prize or award– Element of chance– Consideration
Skill: objective measurements of success
Patents on Mobile Games: A Few ExamplesWireless gaming environmentU.S. Patent 6971956Wireless game playerU.S. Patent 6846238Gaming environment including portable transaction devices for rating playersU.S. Patent 6800029Wireless interactive gaming systemU.S. Patent 6702672System for profiling mobile station activity in a predictive command wirelessgame system U.S. Patent 6527641Multi-player game system using mobile telephone and game unitU.S. Patent 6524189Exploiting a broadcast system to enhance a wireless gaming experience usingposition holders to replace dataU.S. Patent 6453160Relative positioning and virtual objects for mobile devicesU.S. Patent 6287200
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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Patentable Subject MatterApplied algorithmsDisplay presentationsMenu arrangementsEditing functionsControl functionsUser interface featuresCompiling techniquesProgram languagesTranslation methodsUtilitiesFormulae to control program execution or process data
Trade Secrets
Yahoo! Inc. v. MForma Group, Inc.
Senta Wong of Fish & Richardson 3-
Law Seminars International | Gamer Technology Law Conference | 3/16/06-3/17/06 | Beverly Hills, CA
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Senta L. Wong | 617.521.7866 | [email protected]
