IP Management

Games are the expression of the imagination of those who create them. This expression takes its form through various mediums - art, graphics, models, music and sounds, code and ultimately the entire game itself. In legal terms this expression of ideas is known as Intellectual Property or IP. This section discusses the foundation of making games as a collaborated effort. Although it is possible for one individual to make a game, most of the time games come out of a collaborative effort by a group of talented individuals. However, since games are comprised almost entirely of Intellectual Property, steps must be taken in order to ensure that the developer has legal title to all of the game assets. After all, ownership is basic to any business. And, you can not sell what you do not own!

Issues addressed in this section include appropriate intellectual property ownership and an explanation of the why and how of IP asset management. This is without a doubt the most important section of the Kit and the most important part of this section is the Contributor Agreement that comes with it. This section includes a Contributor Agreement sufficient to convey all of the Intellectual Property rights of the contributors to the developer. This Contributor Agreement has been developed by an attorney working in the game industry for years. The agreement was derived from a contract used in conjunction with a developer deal with Electronic Arts and it was accepted by the EA legal department as effectively conveying all IP rights to the company.