Please join us at Game Developers Conference (GDC) Next 2013 (Los Angeles, November 5 – 7). This conference is a brand new developer event focusing on creating the game experiences of the future, including how we will play games, on what we will play them, and how we will monetize,…
Internet & Social Media Law Blog
Blurry Lines: Legal and Business Uncertainty in Social Media
Join Pillsbury for a three-event series addressing legal, regulatory and business issues confronting the universe of social media, games and mobile applications. The first event in the series is Mobile Applications and Games on Wednesday, October 16 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. The mobile applications and games market is exploding.…
California Internet Privacy Bill Effective January 1
Last Friday, California’s Governor Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 370. AB 370 amends California’s Business & Professions Code § 22575 to require an operator of a commercial Internet website or online service that collects personally identifiable information about consumers residing in California who use or visit its website or…
Free Speech Protection for Facebook “Likes” by Public Employees
Last week, in Bland v. Roberts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit handed a constitutional victory to Facebook and two plaintiffs who lost their jobs after displaying online support for the incumbent’s opponent in a sheriff’s election. Reversing the district court decision, which said that “liking” a…
2013 Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries
Pillsbury attorney, Sean Kane, serves on the Governing Committee of the ABA as the Licensing, Merchandising and Branding Division Chair. Sean is participating in the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries as the moderator for a discussion titled, “PLENARY: Rights of Publicity…
Client Alert: Evolving Case Law on the Fair Use of Famous Trademarks in Video Games
A recent spate of cases has generally upheld, on First Amendment grounds, a developer’s right to include unlicensed trademarks in video games. However, until the body of case law becomes so prevalent that trademark owners recognize that they cannot possibly succeed in an action involving use in a video game,…
Crushing App-Cloning
King.com, maker of some of the most popular Facebook and mobile games, filed a complaint in the Northern District of California Tuesday, claiming competitor 6Waves cloned King’s Pet Rescue Saga and Farm Hero Saga games in developing its own Farm Epic and Treasure Epic titles. King is also the maker…
New Jersey Officially the Newest State with a Social Media Law
On August 29, 2013, Gov. Chris Christie signed New Jersey’s social media privacy law, making New Jersey the twelfth state to enact such laws governing employers. (Various states have enacted similar laws governing institutions of higher education.) Christie’s signature ends an approximately year and a half long legislative process: the…
Around the Virtual World: August 26-30, 2013
A weekly wrap up of interesting news about virtual worlds, virtual goods and other social media. Microsoft Points Retired The latest Xbox 360 system update has retired Microsoft points and now all transactions on the platform will make use of local currency. Software Patent Mess Hits High Court with WildTangent…
Healthcare Gamification – Regulation of Wellness Programs
Gamification has become pervasive in many every day activities, including health and wellness programs. For companies involved in these activities, you should make sure you are aware of the final Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) regulations on wellness programs. These come into effect in 2014. Gamification refers to the use of…