Please join us for discussion of how intellectual property law affects companies, properties and talent in the video game industry, including practical tips and best practices for lawyers who work for or represent companies in this space, or folks who just want to learn more about how various types of (and developments in) IP impact this growing industry and vice versa! This discussion will cover topical issues facing game companies, including traps for the unwary when using independent contractors for game development, user generated content, the unique challenges faced by content providers and platforms serving the game industry including takedowns, the importance of trademarks (and the growing importance of patents), and interesting third party issues when developing today’s games.
Ryan Black is a partner and Co-Chair of the Startups, Emerging Companies and Technology sector group at DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, practicing commercial and transactional technology law with a particular focus on clients in the video game and consumer-facing ecommerce or SaaS sector. Ryan regularly works with founders and companies of all sizes on issues such as employment, privacy, licensing, M&A, contractual, and regulatory matters. Ryan is the author of Internet Law Essentials: Canada’s Anti Spam Law (2017) and has a strong passion for continuing legal education, including as a clinic adjunct supervising the pro bono Business Law Clinic at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC. Ryan sits on the boards of the Video Game Bar Association, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (.ca), and the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society, and lives in Vancouver, BC, with his wife (Yolanda), their cat (Kitty) and his 46TB media/game streaming server (GANDALF).
