Video games have become an increasingly popular form of entertainment, as well as a powerful new platform for innovative art and a multibillion dollar industry.
Due to their complex legal nature and their combination of audio-visual elements and software, video games present a number of questions and challenges in terms of copyright.
On Thursday 17 October 2013, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) published on its website a comparative study on the legal regime covering video games, including a survey of national legislation on the protection of video games in the field of copyright in 24 countries around the world.
Yves Van Couter and Bernard Vanbrabant (Loyens & Loeff Brussels) contributed to this survey by providing an overview of different aspects of Belgian copyright legislation in relation to video games (classification, key stakeholders, authorship, transfer of rights, and economic compensation).
After analysing the legal status of video games in all 24 participating countries, the WIPO now aims to facilitate an international debate on this issue, involving all key stakeholders.
An electronic version of the comparative study can be accessed through the following link: http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/activities/video_games.html
In collaboration with :
Stéphanie De Smedt – Associate stephanie.de.smedt@loyensloeff.com
