Substance use and abuse in the legal profession is a complicated topic. We read about treatment breakthroughs every month with some substances that have historically been on Schedule 1 – the most prohibited drugs in the United States. Cannabis legalization and de-criminalization is sweeping the country. Fentanyl deaths are at an all-time high. How do thoughtful attorneys sort through this information and how do we square it with the DARE programs of our youth? This CLE looks at different substances merely as chemicals, without moral judgement, and compares the use, abuse, and affects of these chemicals on an individual and public health level with special attention to the potential effects on law practice and potentially impaired legal practice.

With the sudden onset of AI you might think nothing else has happened in the IP world lately, but you’d be wrong. Ross, Nate, and Xavier will walk you through developments in IP law that will help in your own decision-making processes, both for in-house counsel and private practice attorneys alike. Topics will include case law updates and a discussion of technological advancements (yes, we’ll briefly touch on AI) that require new and innovative ways to think about patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

Panel of privacy specialists from law firms, industry self-regulatory groups, and in-house as they discuss the year’s developments in privacy law. The panelists will discuss developments here in the US (in particular the slew of new state-level consumer privacy laws), as well as abroad. We’ll also focus on two areas of particular concern to game developers: concerns around child protection, and privacy/safety issues raised by new AI technologies.

• Joe Newman - Attorney, Tyz Law

This presentation will be a look at the various legal issues arising in our post Pandemic societies at gaming and interactive entertainment offices globally. What is the new "normal?" What pandemic inspired policies being are being kept, and what policies should be phased out? How are meetings being held? Can office presence be made mandatory? While these and other legal questions about labor and employment in a post-pandemic world are hardly limited to the United States, this panel will focus on some of the issues above and variations between federal and state law across jurisdictions.

• Heather Sager - Partner, Perkins Coie

In a previous presentation to the VGBA, Dr. Black presented an overview of moral panics, how they apply to the general societal beliefs about "Video Games and Kids," and did an overview of the evidence looking at a host of mental health issues and video games. This update will focus on new findings in research that are of a sufficient quality to shape our knowledge. There will be a focus on problematic video game play and loot boxes, where there has been a flow of new evidence.

• Dr. Tyler Black - MD FRCPC

As the game industry continues worldwide growth, publishers and developers seek to sell games to—and operate in—foreign territories. Understanding the legal framework for those regions, as well as the regulatory climate, market size, and consumer landscape is a key requirement for the modern interactive entertainment attorney.

• Konstantin Ewald - Partner, Osborne Clarke

The intersection of gaming with blockchain technology continues to attract developers, investors, players and communities across the globe. This session will explore perspectives from expert panelists across the industry on the current state of Web3 gaming and the metaverse, and what’s to come.

• Ira Lam - Chief Legal Officer, Superlayer

Content moderation is a widely-discussed topic today and is a centerpiece of a number of new regulatory frameworks. This session will discuss the new themes like the duty of care and transparency obligations, as well as discuss where existing content moderation strategies may fall short or warrant close attention.

• Mike Pappas - CEO, Modulate
• Ben Premack - Managing Partner, Premack Rogers

Confused about California privacy law and what it means for video game companies? In thirty minutes, we’ll provide updates on all the California privacy-related acronyms you’ve been hearing about for the past few years – e.g., CCPA, CPRA, CPPA, DPIA, and OAG – and ones that are just starting to buzz –e.g., AADC. We’ll leave you with our top takeaways for things you should be sure to do before July 1 when enforcement for CPRA (aka CCPA 2.0) kicks into high gear.

This presentation will examine a series of contemporary practical ethical issues facing videogame lawyers, including unauthorized practice of law issues resulting from work at home, billing practices, conflicts, and payment concerns. The issues will be illuminated by a series of hypotheticals and discussion of potential solutions.
This CL will award 1 California Legal Ethics Credit and 1 New York Ethics and Professionalism Credit.

Join U.S. and China-based game lawyers with valuable inside perspectives to gain exclusive insights on publishing your next game in the world’s largest gaming market. Learn about the latest developments shaping the future of game publishing in China, including economic and regulatory hurdles in China and political tensions between China and the U.S. Although China’s gaming market presents some challenges for foreign game companies, recent positive signals suggest that China’s gaming market is still open for business.

Litigation is a keystone for precedents in the games business, and in this lively session, expert industry litigators review recent actions, with discussion of the ramifications and outcomes that every game lawyer should take into consideration.

AI technologies are upending the game production pipeline, but they are positively fraught with legal risk. Our panelists, who include outside counsel, in-house game development counsel, and AI advocates, talk about how to use these technologies in a way that reaps all their benefits while reducing legal risk. In addition, we will talk about the future of IP policing in a world where it may be harder than ever to identify the sources of a given work.

• Jennifer Stanley - Partner, Fenwick & West

The global Pandemic continues to have been the catalyst that threw the world of interactive entertainment into a non-stop series of acquisitions of both large and small proportions. This section will review and discuss the business and legal trends in the financing of games and game companies in recent M&A.