As a general rule, the name, image or likeness of a living person–not necessarily just a celebrity–cannot be used for commercial purpose without his/her written consent. Some jurisdictions have extended the coverage to provide additional protection to such elements as signature, voice, mannerisms or even expressions. Unauthorized use of an…
A weekly wrap up of interesting news about virtual worlds, virtual goods and other social media. Gaming is a top priority for mobile-tech makers “Gaming is now a ‘need to have’ category, not a ‘nice to have’ category for mobile devices, whether they be tablets or phones,” said PJ…
On March 7, 2012, in our San Francisco office, Pillsbury hosted a discussion with prominent industry players from Electronic Arts, Zynga, Lightspeed Venture Partners and KlickNation (acquired by EA in 2011) to discuss all aspects of the process surrounding video game company acquisitions. Topics included: how deals are sourced in…
Back in January, we reported that the SEC released a National Examination Risk Alert addressing investment adviser use of social media. Now, the SEC’s guidance could be particularly important given the “crowdfunding” legislation Congress is currently considering. Crowdfunding is a method of capital formation where groups of people pool money,…
For some time, many industry insiders have anticipated that someday Zynga would launch its own game platform. That day has come. In press release today, Zynga announced: the Zynga Platform, a new platform designed to bring players what they’ve asked for: new ways to play and more people to play…
Gametek has filed a complaint for patent infringement against a large number of game and game-related companies over a virtual goods payment patent. The patent issued based on an application originally filed September 29, 2000, and claims priority to a provisional application filed June 20, 2000. The patent issued July…
Date: March 6, 2012Time: 8:00am – 7:00pm PTPlace: The Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA The ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries presents Video Games and Digital Media Conference Join Pillsbury as we co-sponsor this exciting and informative event in San Francisco! Learn about: The…
Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media sites. Pinterest enables users to “pin” interesting things to a virtual pinboard to share with others. A pinboard is largely a collection of images organized by topic (home decorating, wedding planning, etc.). A recent article calls into question the potential risks…
On Thursday the Federal Trade Commission released a staff report titled, “Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures Are Disappointing,” in which the FTC criticized companies for failing to properly disclose to parents how the companies are collecting personal data through mobile applications (“apps”) aimed at young children. The results…
Date: March 7, 2012 Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm PT Place: Pillsbury’s San Francisco Office How do you navigate the sale of your video game company? Join us and find out. Join Pillsbury as we host a discussion with prominent industry players from Electronic Arts, Zynga, Lightspeed Venture Partners and KlickNation…