Entertainment — Videogame

Orrick has substantial expertise in the videogame industry.  Orrick attorneys  have advised companies in litigation and licensing matters involving intellectual property in the videogame industry.  Orrick also has dealt with a full array of legal issues involving financing, development, production and distribution of videogame content and technology.  Orrick attorneys have structured complex deals and provided critical advice on corporate and employment issues to "start-up" game companies and established players alike.  Orrick has represented companies involved in every aspect of the industry, from developers of console, PC, mobile and online platforms to the videogame publishers and developers that create and distribute games.  Orrick also represents the companies that create underlying processor technology, sound and graphics technology, input devices and peripherals, computers and other infrastructure.

Selected Clients

• IGN Entertainment
• Nintendo Co., Ltd.
• Eidos Interactive Ltd.
• GameStrata, Inc.
• LucasArts
• Sony Online Entertainment, Inc.
• Microsoft Corporation
• Linden Lab
• Simnasium, Inc.
• Electronic Arts, Inc.
• Majesco Entertainment Corporation
• Square Enix Co., Ltd.
• Infogames
• Disney Interactive
• Hands-On Mobile, Inc.
• GameFly, Inc.
• Priceplay
• Mindscape, Inc.
• Entertainment Software Association
• Logitech, Inc.
• NVIDIA Corporation
• Sennari Entertainment, Inc.
• Radical Entertainment, Inc. (Vivendi)
• Full Armor Studios, Inc.
• Gravity Corporation
• Konami Corporation
• LetsPlay, Inc.
• International Game Technology

Recent Engagements

• Nintendo. Orrick is defending Nintendo in a patent lawsuit involving videogame controller technology related to the Nintendo Wii videogame console.
• IGN Entertainment. Orrick defended IGN, a major online gaming pr in a patent lawsuit dealing with online videogame digital rights management technology.
• Eidos Interactive Ltd. Orrick has advised Eidos, a leading videogame publisher, on employment and corporate matters.
• Emergent Game Technologies Inc. Orrick has advised Emergent, a major developer of videogame development tools, on a variety of employment matters.
• GameStrata, Inc. Orrick has advised GameStrata, a premier developer of community tools for gamers, regarding corporate and technology transaction matters.
• Gameloft. Orrick has advised Gameloft, a leading mobile game developer and publisher, regarding corporate and finance issues.
• NCSoft Corp. Orrick represents NCSoft, a leading online multiplayer game developer, in corporate and tax matters.
• LucasArts. Orrick represented LucasArts in a trademark action to prevent unauthorized use of its corporate logo and defended it in a videogame-related trademark action involving the term "Starfighter."  Orrick has also advised LucasArts regarding videogame licensing and distribution agreements and patent-related matters.
• Sony Online Entertainment, Inc. Orrick represents Sony Online Entertainment in a copyright, trademark and contract action involving videogames related to the motion picture Starship Troopers.
• Sennari Entertainment, Inc. Orrick advises Sennari, a leading provider of mobile entertainment products and services, on corporate, transactional, financing, licensing and intellectual property matters.  Orrick has also represented Sennari in litigation regarding a license dispute.
• NVIDIA Corporation. Orrick advises NVIDIA on numerous intellectual property matters related to its industry-leading graphics processing technology.  Orrick has represented NVIDIA in commercial litigation matters and provided employment advice as well.
• Microsoft Corporation. Orrick has advised Microsoft on patent and transactional matters relating to its X-Box videogame technology.
• Linden Lab. Orrick represents Linden Lab, creator of the extraordinary online virtual reality product Second Life, in a variety of corporate, transactional and financing matters.
• Electronic Arts, Inc. Orrick represented EA, the world's largest videogame publisher, in a variety of employment and corporate matters. Orrick represented EA in its class action litigation regarding the exempt classification of computer graphics artists and software engineers, the first of a wave of new cases in the videogame industry challenging employee classifications.
• Majesco Entertainment Corporation. Orrick has advised Majesco, a long-established videogame developer and publisher, on matters related to executive compensation, including negotiation and preparation of agreements regarding US- and UK-based executives.
• Hands-On Mobile, Inc. Orrick advises Hands-On Mobile, a leading publisher of mobile games and content, on corporate, licensing and other contractual matters.
• Radical Entertainment. Orrick represented Radical in a patent, copyright and unfair competition action involving screen display elements of Radical's The Simpsons' Road Rage videogame.
• Entertainment Software Association. Orrick has advised ESA, a U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games, on intellectual property issues relating to Massively Multiplayer Online Games.
• GameFly, Inc. Orrick has advised GameFly, the leading online video game rental subscription service, on corporate, transactional, financing, employment and intellectual property issues.
• Logitech, Inc. Orrick has advised and represented Logitech, an industry leader in videogame and other computer peripherals, in a number of patent matters involving input devices, software and gaming technology.
• Priceplay. Orrick advises Priceplay, provider of an online interactive pricing platform for games, on corporate and intellectual property licensing issues with respect to its patented gaming technology.
• Full Armor Studios, Inc. Orrick has advised Full Armor, a videogame developer, on a variety of corporate, financing, employment and transactional matters.
• Mindscape, Inc. Orrick represented Mindscape and Grolier in litigation of copyright and trademark infringement claims involving multimedia software programs.
• International Game Technology. Orrick represented IGT, which specializes in design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming machines, in a patent infringement action involving networked casino gaming technology. Within a year of the filing of the complaint against IGT, Orrick filed a successful summary judgment motion which led the Court to invalidate the two asserted patents.