Blog/Videos

VR/AR/MR Articles

VR lawyer
The VR Shooting Range and the Law of Unintended Consequences
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

The Law of Unintended Consequences is an informal, but widely known, observation that when people do something, there are almost always unforeseeable consequences — both positive and negative. This principle applies especially to governments (and laws) and particularly to emerging technologies. Like virtual reality, as (very) vividly demonstrated by a company in…

video games lawyer
Pokémon Go: Privacy, Trespass and Liability
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

Reaching more than 10 million downloads in the United States alone during just its first week, Pokémon Go demonstrates the potential for mixed-reality games, not only for the game business but for the retail world generally. Merchants can pay the app daily fees for “lures” that attract users, thereby drawing traffic to…

VR lawyer
Virtual Reality, Copyright Law, and the DMCA: Part 2
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

Part 1 of this article examined a case in which the DMCA was used in an attempt to remove a virtual animal from a virtual world. However, the bar for copyright infringement is high, and courts may be less likely to allow removal of a virtual item if it will cause damage…

VR lawyer
Virtual Reality, Copyright Law, and the DMCA: Part 1
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

Few cases to date have addressed the application of copyright legal principles to virtual reality games specifically.  This two-part article will explore the application of Copyright Law and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) specifically to virtual reality games, and will  offer recommendations to virtual reality developers on avoiding copyright problems with their…

media lawyer
Privacy Implications: Capturing Footage for Virtual Reality Movies and Journalism
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

As virtuality continues to enter more spaces, privacy implications will continue to arise. Since American privacy law and expectations are still forming, privacy is a concern that both developers and users of virtual reality technology should investigate and keep track of. One area in which privacy concerns are likely to arise is…

video games lawyer
Virtual Reality and Privacy Law: Lessons from Google Street View
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

Companies designing virtual reality products often base their virtual worlds on real settings. However, making one’s virtual world as accurate as possible – while potentially helpful for copyright purposes – may create other concerns for creators. In particular, privacy issues persist when it comes to capturing footage of real places with real…

VR lawyer
Virtual Reality Content for Education: Legal Concerns, Part 1
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

Virtual reality is playing an increasingly significant role in education, especially in the context of classes that are traditionally theory-based and abstract, delivering content has been difficult and uninteresting to students. Not suprisingly, a number of legal concerns accompany the growing use of virtual reality in education. One legal issue is ownership…

copyright lawyer
Trademark 101 for Virtual Reality Content Creators
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

Like other intellectual property issues, trademark issues may arise in interesting ways in the context of virtual reality. While virtual reality companies face trademark-related concerns similar to those in any industry such as choosing a distinctive name and other distinguishing marks, virtual reality also presents its own challenges. Virtual simulations may draw…

VR lawyer
Collateral Damage: Real Legal Risks for Virtual Reality Companies
 1000 648 David Hoppe
By:

Virtual Reality devices are opening a new universe of possibilities for hardware makers and application developers. However, these opportunities may lead to new and still unexplored liabilities. In particular, the increasing prevalence of head-mounted displays, which often obstruct completely the user’s vision, may lead to increased risks of personal injury and property…