Advanced Topics in IP: Videogame Law (2) (CIP 400)

Professor S. Gregory Boyd

Views intellectual property law extensively through the lens of the interactive entertainment industry. Uses news items and case law to explore the development of the video game industry from the 1960s to the present, from Pong to Playstation 3. Shows how intellectual property law has shaped the game industry since its infancy and contributions the industry has made to IP law. Dispels the myth that there were ever "good old days" when game developers freely created without worrying about IP litigation. Students examine the practical importance of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and basic contract law and reflect throughout on the practical application of IP and contract principles. As the course progresses into the modern interactive entertainment era, it explores the basic transactions necessary to fund these four-year, multi-million dollar projects. Concludes by analyzing pending cases and predicting their potential results and effects. This course differs from many others by stressing how established case law and legal principles apply practically to issues currently in the news. Students interested in IP, entertainment law, or a career in the game industry should consider this course.