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Don’t Feed the Video Game Industry Patent Trolls
 1000 648 David Hoppe
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Over the years since Magnavox sued Atari in 1974 over the user interface for Pong, a cottage industry has emerged based on enforcing patent infringement rights and extracting licensing fees from companies using latent technology. While the Magnavox case involved digital manipulation the company was actively implementing into its own products, the case gave rise…

Video Games Lawyer
Skin Trade: Preventing and Punishing Digital Asset Theft
 1000 648 David Hoppe
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In-game assets can take the form of any good or attribute that can be purchased within a gaming platform using real or virtual currency. Examples include specialized character skins, clothing, weapons, magic spells, supplies, and performance enhancements. Some players enthusiastically pay big money to acquire rare assets for use in online games. Digital items’ market-determined…

video games lawyer
Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets “Meme Stock” Revolution: A Stock Market Game-Changer
 1000 648 David Hoppe
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On February 16, 2021, Keith Gill, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and MML Investors Services were slapped with a class action lawsuit by Christian Iovin, as the named plaintiff, represented by the law firm Hagens Berman. The litigation, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, stems from Gill’s involvement in…

Legal and Regulatory Challenges Related To Non-Fungible Assets
 1000 648 David Hoppe
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One of the hottest trends of 2021, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have empowered a new generation of digital artists and turned many speculators and creators into millionaires and overnight celebrities.

Video Games Lawyer
State-sanctioned Esports Commissions Present Challenges, Opportunities for Governments and Industry Players
 1000 649 David Hoppe
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Much like the California Gold Rush and the Oklahoma Land Rush, the economic opportunities offered by the Esports Rush are outpacing the industry’s ability to control dubious practices, unethical behavior, and outright lawlessness.

Video Games Lawyer
How Skill-Based Matchmaking Can Keep Online Gambling Games on the Right Side of the Law
 1000 648 David Hoppe
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While seamless global remittances and a digital store of value were the first use cases for blockchain technology, this innovation has much more to offer. Due to its immutable nature and cryptographic features, blockchains can be used to prove the security and fairness of just about anything.

Video Games Lawyer
The Impact of PASPA’s Repeal on Sports Betting
 1000 648 David Hoppe
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It has been nearly three years since the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Provision Act of 1992 (PASPA), which made it illegal for states (Nevada excepted) to allow sports betting. Many onshore bookmakers, real-money game operators, cash-starved state legislatures, and gamblers across the country had high hopes that the court’s…

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UK Studies May Determine Future of Real Money Gaming
 1000 648 David Hoppe
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Early in 2020, the British government introduced sweeping reforms to regulate real money games in the UK. Deeming existing laws to be antiquated and unsuitable for the digital age, the country’s gambling commission (UKGC) concluded that online real money games such as poker, online slot machines, virtual bingo, and other casino-type pastimes promoted excessive spending,…

Video Games Lawyer
Native American Casinos and the Shifting Gaming Landscape
 1000 648 David Hoppe
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Native Americans have been mistreated and subjugated for generations. First, they were enslaved and abused by European settlers. Then, government representatives from the United States and Canada violated their rights and displaced millions. Many native communities today struggle to overcome the ramifications of this oppression, and some have been stamped out entirely. While the specific…