The Video Game Bar Association is the premier international association whose members represent the industry’s leading practitioners in the interactive entertainment industry and other related fields.
The VGBA mission is to serve its members, their specialized profession and the law governing their practice by providing worldwide tools and resources necessary to collectively achieve the highest level of expertise and service.
The VGBA summit is the definite conference if you want to get the latest news about current legal hot topics in the Interactive Entertainment industry. Furthermore, there’s also time for networking with colleagues.
TOPICS
SESSIONS
SPEAKERS
A number of attorneys have founded the Video Game Bar Association, which aims to serve as a networking organization for lawyers whose primary practice focuses on the video game industry. The worldwide organization, which has sent invites to over 100 attorneys in North America and Europe, is the first association of its kind related to the games business.
In order to become a member of the association, individuals must be admitted to practice law, have two years of experience as an attorney for the games industry, and receive recommendations from two existing members of the organization. The association says members will receive benefits including the opportunities to attend in-person networking sessions and to receive continuing legal education. “As more and more attorneys look at this growing industry as a significant part of their practices, it’s only natural for an organization like this to arise,” said Patrick Sweeney, head of Reed Smith’s Video Game Practice and a member of the association’s board.
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Patrick Sweeney, President – Video Game Bar Association
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
How to develop robust content protection and branding strategies, including global trademark filings and copyright registrations for all aspects of a game, experience and related apps and merchandise. Efficiently and comprehensively address infringement issues for companies that depend upon their IP rights, helping them detect, investigate and address issues with an arsenal that includes cease and desist programs, alternative dispute resolution, civil litigation programs and criminal referrals. Including investigating possible targets for brand threats, domain name infringements, game hacks, cheats and other illicit brand integrity and piracy issues.
Moderator:
Patchen Haggerty, Partner – Perkins Coie
Panelists:
Jennifer Jolley, Senior Director & Associate General Counsel IP – Big Fish Games
Jay Choi, Counsel – Epic Games
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Discussion covering additional privacy regulations for the protection of sensitive consumer information, that will focus on privacy compliance and the legal implications of using AI in facial recognition and biometrics applications. We will also focus on emerging issues in AI and ML agreements and AI and its role in copyright.
Moderator:
Nicola Menaldo, Counsel – Perkins Coie
Panelists:
John Falzone, Vice President – Entertainment Software Rating Board
6:30 PM - OPEN END
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Featuring an interactive case study that spans a product’s entire litigation cycle, from initial design and testing to a post-accident courtroom showdown. Topics covered will involve both AR/VR hardware and software and include product liability litigation pitfalls, discovery lessons learned and other challenges within the industry landscape.
Moderator:
Kimberly Culp, Director – Carr McClellan
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Children’s Online Protection Privacy Act, or COPPA is now over 20 years old. In 2019, most children, under the age of 13, have access to or possession of an internet-enabled device. How has COPPA matured and what new steps, if any has the FTC taken to update policies related to COPPA?
Moderator:
Dona J. Fraser, Vice President – CARU
Panelists:
Don McGowan, Chief Legal Officer & Business Affairs – The Pokémon Company
Karin Hansen, Director, Legal – Consumer Regulatory Affairs – Big Fish Games
John Falzone, Vice President – Entertainment Software Rating Board
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
What does it take to start a league? Novel considerations in eSports, etc.
Moderator:
Yan Perng, Senior Corporate Counsel – NCSOFT
Panelists:
Tyson Gratton, Associate – McMillan
Nicholas Mitchell, Vice President – Legal – Wizards of the Coast
Jonathan Rubin, Partner & Co-Founder – MoginRubin
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
What is Real?
Moderator:
Andrew J. Ungberg, Associate – Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
Panelists:
Aaron Kornblum, General Counsel – Bungie
Felix Hilgert, Counsel – Osborne Clarke
Sean Kane, Partner – Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
2:30 AM - 3:30 PM
The video game industry is now bigger than movies and music, but people with disabilities continue to face barriers that limit their ability to partake in the interactive entertainment ecosystem. In this panel, we will discuss legal developments and requirements pertaining to video game accessibility, and talk to representatives from the video game industry about how they’re trying to make gaming more inclusive.
Moderator:
Brandon Johnson, Associate – Perkins Coie
Panelists:
Linda Norman, Deputy General Counsel – Microsoft
John Polito, Partner – Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Nikki Crenshaw, Associate UX Researcher – Blizzard Entertainment
3:30 AM - 3:45 PM
3:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Changing software development strategies, new mobile deals, new regulatory issues as the games business evolves to impact new markets and demographics.
Dona J. Fraser, Vice President – CARU
vs.
Don McGowan, Chief Legal Officer & Business Affairs – The Pokémon Company
4:45 PM - OPEN END
VGBA Summit North on Games Business and Legal Affairs
VGBA Summit North on Game Law & Business
3-4 OCTOBER 2019
Summit Venue
Perkins Coie
1201 3rd Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
Send an Email
jolin@vgba.org
Our Office
222 N Sepulveda Blvd #2000
El Segundo, CA 90245
Our Website
https://vgba.org