While most patent disputes involving gaming companies are located in district courts, the ITC remains a viable option for at least some gaming disputes, where a patent owner can have the U.S. government bar importation of products found to infringe. While the ITC does not provide monetary damages, it’s extremely fast schedule and willingness to bar importation of infringing products makes it a desirable forum for patent owners.
Continue Reading ITC Threat for Gaming Companies Grows with PTAB Discretionary Denials

The esports ecosystem experienced transcendental growth in 2020 due at least in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, and is poised to act as a spring board for even further growth this year. With traditional sports largely sidelined last year, stadiums closed to fans, and people starving for personal interaction, gamers and spectators alike have turned to esports in record numbers.  According to Newzoo, a prominent esports analytics company, 22% of the internet population participates in esports, and global gaming revenue is expected to hit $159 billion by the end of 2020.[1] Streamers and streaming platforms have exploded in popularity, allowing streamers to earn income from broadcasting their live gameplay, interact with fans and engage with other players. …
Continue Reading Esports: What We Should Expect in 2021

When participating in an M&A process involving a video game company, whether you are on the sell-side or the buy-side, there are certain key terms that are included in industry standard commercial agreements that the parties need to keep on their radar. Failure to identify these terms early in the due diligence process can create roadblocks for the parties as they near the finish line, whether that be signing the definitive acquisition agreement or closing the transaction.
Continue Reading Planning for an M&A Transaction: Key commercial terms to look-out for

The streaming landscape has experienced its second major shakeup this year with Huya’s merger with DouYu on October 12, 2020. Huya and DouYu are China’s largest streaming platforms, averaging 169 million and 165 million monthly users respectively, and will combined be worth around $11 Billion USD. The merger positions the new entity as the largest esports platform in China, and makes it the de facto destination for esports eyeballs in the region.
Continue Reading Huya DouYu Merger is a Sign of Things to Come in Esports M&A

With 6 lawsuits, 32 preliminary injunction actions, and over 20 PTAB proceedings, GREE and Supercell have been duking it out in the IP world, with millions of dollars in legal fees being spent in the process.[1] Most recently, the PTAB denied Supercell’s PTAB challenges to GREE patents in early September, while an Eastern District of Texas lawsuit went to verdict and found in favor of GREE on September 18th, awarding $8.5 million dollars in damages to GREE.[2]…
Continue Reading Clash of Game Companies: Lessons Learned from GREE and Supercell Dispute

During the first few months of the COVID-19 lockdown, with virtually all major sporting events cancelled, sports betting and gambling companies turned their eyes toward the esports universe in search of a solution. While initially large scale esports events were also cancelled, professional gaming competitions soon began taking place online. As one of the only professional “sports” competitions being broadcasted with any consistency, esports competitions filled the gap for many sportsbook operators.
Continue Reading The Rise of Esports Betting