LAN Party Lawyers

Join Steve as he welcomes back Nick to discuss the intricacies of betting on esports from a legal perspective. In this episode, they explain the laws that regulate esports gambling, highlight some of the regulatory challenges facing esports gambling, and identify some risks inherent in the process.

Steve, Nick, and new player Charles explore how trade secrets impact the video game industry. They explain how trade secrets work, discuss recent esports litigation over trade secrets, and share some best practices for protecting trade secrets.

Join Steve and Nick as they dive into the complex and conflicting world of global video game regulations. They discuss various countries’ approaches to regulation, provide tips on how to enter coveted foreign markets, and peer into the future of video game and esports regulations in the United States and abroad.

In this episode, Steve and Nick interview John Kracum, a former lawyer and current vice president of Misfits Gaming Group, about the wide array of legal issues facing today’s top esports teams.

Since Steve and Nick first explored the issue of loot boxes on this podcast, the world has taken note, and the loot box debate has exploded. In this episode, we cover the ensuing twists and turns in the loot box saga and explain how their treatment and regulation have developed on a global scale.

Steve and Nick discuss contractual considerations facing many esports and video game companies canceling scheduled events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They explain the importance of force majeure clauses in contracts, common-law defenses, and how some companies have shifted to offering digital events.

Steve and Nick examine the trends behind the explosive growth enjoyed by the mobile gaming industry, as well as some of the legal and practical issues that come along with it. They then interview Brian Grayson, Founder and CEO of Lionheart Games, and talk about the differences in developing and publishing for the mobile market, […]

Scholastic esports programs have spread like wildfire throughout the country. Join Steve and Nick as they catalog the rapid rise of collegiate esports and discuss some of the legal issues that have come with it. Also hear from Tyler Schrodt, founder & CEO of the Electronic Gaming Federation, who shares some of the rewards and […]

The video game industry has undergone a seismic shift from a fixed-goods delivery model to one that instead treats games as a service. Join the LAN Party Lawyers as they discuss this industry shift, what it means for players and video game companies alike, and what game companies could do to appreciate the risks involved.

Recorded live from Atlanta during DreamHack and the inaugural Esports Summit, join Steve and Nick as they discuss these esports events and interview Allie Young, founder, and CEO of Axis Replay and board member of the Atlanta Esports Alliance.

In this special episode recorded live on the floor of Guardian Con 2019 in Orlando, Steve and Nick interview Bennett Newsome, Full Sail University’s Esports Strategist and a partnered Twitch streamer. They discuss the challenges and rewards in collegiate esports, as well as the journey to realizing one’s dream on the largest streaming platform in […]

In this special post-season episode recorded live on the floor of Guardian Con 2019 in Orlando, Steve and Nick interview Slate Schwertner of 505 Games and Vida Starčević of Remedy Games. They discuss various issues facing game developers and publishers, including microtransactions, FTC influencer guidelines, and gender relations, as well as their new game Control, […]

Employment-related issues abound in esports and the video game industry. Join Steve and Nick in the last episode of Season One of the LAN Party Lawyers podcast as they discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the industry – from the problem of “crunch,” to esport player contracts. They are joined by entertainment lawyer […]

Steve and Nick explore intellectual property rights issues in gaming and discuss recent cases involving alleged copyright and trademark infringement with intellectual property lawyer Gail Podolsky.

Join Steve and Nick as they discuss the spectacular rise of esports, as well as various ways companies are investing in esports. They are joined by startup and venture capital investor and advisor to the firm Adam Smith, who highlights some of the concerns unique to investing in esports and businesses in this space.

The FTC regulates endorsements and promotions by online influencers, including those in the gaming space. Join Steve and Nick as they discuss these guidelines as well as best practices for both influencers and companies behind the campaigns. They also interview First Amendment lawyer Justin Wales and discuss the guidelines’ impact on online speech.

In this episode of LAN Party Lawyers, Steve and Nick explain the Early Access model for releasing games, explore the legal and practical considerations that come with it, and debate its impact on the gaming industry.

In this episode of LAN Party Lawyers, Steve and Nick discuss the state of the law on Net Neutrality, and the cases for and against it. They also explore its rarely-discussed impact on esports and the video game industry with professional streamer Kevin Murray (aka kmagic101), who offers valuable insight and a unique perspective on […]

In this episode of LAN Party Lawyers, Steve Blickensderfer, Nick Brown, and special guest Jack Clabby explore the legal consequences of bugs in video games and digital exploits in the esports ecosystem.

In this episode of LAN Party Lawyers, Steve and Nick discuss cybersecurity incidents impacting the video game industry, from brute-force attacks to swatting. They also interview professional streamer Ben Bowman (AKA Professor Broman), and review potential legal recourse for those who have suffered a gaming-related cyber incident.

In this special episode recorded live on the floor of the inaugural UG competition in Miami, Steve and Nick interview UG CEO Steve Suarez and esports host/commentator Arda Ocal. They discuss the vision behind UG and the rise and future of the esports industry from an insider’s perspective.

Steve and Nick take a deep dive into the emerging legal issues surrounding data privacy in gaming. They discuss the history of data collection in games and how that data has been used, and explore some of the regulatory restraints and challenges facing industry players. Then, in the 1v1 Showdown, they debate various approaches to […]

Steve and Nick examine how increasingly complex Artificial Intelligence and neural networks have been developed using games as the testing grounds. They also interview Pedro Pavón, a thought leader in AI, about the legal and policy implications AI has for the future.

In this inaugural episode, Steve and Nick discuss the increasingly popular phenomenon of including loot boxes in digital games. They also examine the growing concerns about loot boxes by regulators around the world and debate whether loot boxes should be considered a form of gambling.