game industry

Taxing Mobile Apps and eBooks: California Issues New Guidance

Drew Boortz
March 08, 2012 14:46

Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as saying that nothing in life that is certain except death and taxes.  In light of all of the battles over online sales taxes, perhaps taxes are not as certain as we think.  Consider the state-by-state challenges that etailers are having with...

DevConcern's Patrick Sweeney: So You Want To Be a Games Lawyer...

Drew Boortz
January 19, 2012 20:32

For some great insight on what life is like as a video game attorney, read Patrick's interview with IndustryGamers.  Solid advice in there, though I'm disappointed his day-to-day experience isn't exactly like L.A. Law. If they ever make a revival of the show, I'd vote Patrick to be the...

Celebrity Endorsements and Morals Clauses: What To Do When Good Deals Go Bad

Drew Boortz
January 13, 2012 14:34

Though celebrity endorsements have always been a popular means of advertising products, recently there has been an uptick in celebrity endorsements of video games.  Here are two of my favorite examples:  and By appearing in ads, celebrities are aligning themselves with your brand,...

Quick Hits/Courtroom Roundup: The Combo Edition

Drew Boortz
January 09, 2012 16:45

Starting the week off right, with some news and notes on items of interest to the games industry: HBO has fired back in the suit brought by a former MTV reality personage over use of the phrase "Johnny's Bananas," asking a New York state judge to dismiss the suit in its...

Tracking Public Movements: GPS Tapping and Application to Virtual Worlds

Drew Boortz
January 04, 2012 15:08

A legal conundrum of sorts for you - are your movements in the real world more or less private than in a virtual world?  The answer may surprise you.  Your movements may be more private in a virtual world, but only if the world operator's privacy policy gives you such an...