VR/AR/MR Articles

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

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…

VR lawyer
How Does “Fair Use” Apply to Virtual Reality Content?
1000 648 David Hoppe

A primary defense against a copyright infringement lawsuit is fair use, but particularly in virtual reality cases, fair use should not be viewed as a guarantee since the outcomes in fair use cases are generally quite unpredictable, and virtual reality is such a new technology. A fair use outcome is difficult to…

copyright lawyer
Could Your VR Content be an Unauthorized Derivative Work?
1000 648 David Hoppe

In addition to strength of copyright protection, discussed in a previous post, another concern for owners of copyrights in virtual reality products may be derivative works, which are creations based on preexisting works. Virtual reality environments could be derived from other works, and creations by participants in virtual reality simulations could arguably…

copyright lawyer
How Strong is that Copyright in Your Virtual Reality Content?
1000 648 David Hoppe

While patent law usually comes to mind first when considering how best to protect virtual reality technology, copyright law may provide protection to virtual content. However, the strength of the copyright will depend on the degree of creativity incorporated. This is a particular concern in the case of virtual reality content, which…

VR lawyer
Oculus Rift Revisted
1000 648 David Hoppe

We’ve written before about the hot new virtual reality, Oculus Rift. A few months ago, Facebook announced that it was going to purchase Oculus Rift for a whopping $2 Billion. While the ink hasn’t yet dried on the acquisition, Oculus is making headlines again. This time, it appears that they, and Facebook,…

VR lawyer
Is Virtual Reality the future of gaming (again)?
1000 648 David Hoppe

If, in the mid-1990’s, you had asked any gaming industry expert about the future of gaming, you would have received a singular unequivocal response, in unison: Virtual Reality. Thinking back almost two decades, the hype and excitement were palpable; the possibilities and expectations for the technology, and the benefits it could bring…