Video games and interactive entertainment have been on the rise for a few years and became the number one entertainment industry. Simont Braun has set up a dedicated multidisciplinary team to address in both technical and comprehensive manners all legal and regulatory questions in relation to this vibrant eco-system.
YOU HAVE A VIDEO GAME PROJECT… WHAT’S NEXT?
You need a legal structure
We advise you on the best solution to structure your project.
We assist you in setting up a company through which you can develop and fund your project and collaborate with other stakeholders.
Collaboration is key
You may choose to collaborate with (graphic) designers, developers, distributors, streaming platforms.
How to handle your relationships with all these actors (subcontracting, joint venture, distribution agreements)? Who owns the rights on the content, design or tech created in the framework of these collaborations? How to license and transfer these rights? How to integrate and adapt existing content? Who owns the final product and who bears the liability in the end? What about the consequences of the ground-breaking EU Digital Content Directive 2019/770?
You need funding
You can raise funds through either debt financing (i.e. borrowing money from a lender or issuing corporate bonds) or equity financing (i.e. issuing stock from your company). There is traditional financing that involves banks and traditional investors, but also new alternatives such as partner financing, crowdfunding, alternative lending, etc. which emerged with the advance of technology.
Our team will guide you through the different ways to access funding while advising on the pros and cons.
You need to produce, market and distribute your product
Many options are open: licensing, distribution, collaboration with big platforms, direct online sales, etc.
We can assist you in the strategic, commercial and contractual aspects of these sometimes complex choices.
You need protection… and so do your players
How will you protect your product, its name, tech, content, software, designs? Which intellectual property rights come into play? Will you own any rights? What about the producer?
In the chatrooms, are your players’ data and messages kept private? Is the protection of their personal data guaranteed?
And what about the in-game payments and currencies?
What type of “money” will be used in your video games? How will the players acquire these coins and what can they do with them (inside and outside the game)?
Our digital finance team has unique expertise in payments and (virtual) currencies, including in the gaming industry. We can assist you to determine the regulatory status of the currency used in your game, its risks and opportunities.
Above all, we can make sure you comply with all potentially applicable financial regulations and requirements: is your (virtual) currency a mere means of payment or does it qualify as a financial instrument? Do you need a licence as a financial institution? Are the anti-money laundering rules applicable? How do you partner with licensed entities and stay out of the regulatory danger zone?
We provide sound and pragmatic expertise in this regard. Simont Braun has also authored one of the first pragmatic analyses of the regulatory status of video games payments (read more here).
How can we help?
Simont Braun can guide you through all these steps. We offer all-inclusive legal assistance to make your project a reality, legally safe, and in line with your goals and strategy. We can provide you with truly full-service and yet specific expertise.
Our multidisciplinary team dedicated to gaming and entertainment gathers tech, digital finance, intellectual property, e-commerce, data protection, commercial law, corporate law and tax experts.
Simont Braun is a leader in other tech-related sectors such as FinTech: our passionate Digital Finance Team is a reference and trendsetter in Belgium. Our expertise has remained unique on the market and we make sure to stay on top of all tech and market trends.
Get in touch
Contact our team for any question, advice or assistance: gaming@simontbraun.eu
