Video game law firm Deviant Legal has published a free resource that explains the ins and outs of video game publishing agreements.
The Game Developer’s Guide to Publishing Agreements has been made available on the Deviant Legal website and is designed to help devs looking to understand all the different clauses that could appear in a publishing contract.
“The reason why we are releasing this free resource, is that we want to democratize access to legal knowledge for the games industry,” said Deviant Legal founder René Otto in a post on LinkedIn.
“Personally, I am annoyed by the fact that too much knowledge is only accessible to people with the financial resources to attend events or to engage a lawyer. Current public resources often require you to give away your personal data or are just fractions of relevant information.”
Deviant Legal’s guide is divided into 14 sections touching on topics like audits, royalties, future games, marketing, and legal terms.
Each section is then broken down into sub-sections. For instance, the Audit Clause section—which details a developer’s right to double check royalty calculations—breaks down exactly what an audit clause is, why it matters, and how it might be implemented into a contract. It also details how a developer might review and negotiate audit clauses in their contracts.
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In the Future Games and Exclusivity section, Otto and his team explain what clauses and terminology might appear in a contract—and how to approach contract details related to intellectual property rights.
“Some lawyers asked me whether I am not scared to give away this resource, because we give away ‘too much information,'” Otto said on LinkedIn.
“We are not, because we know we add value to any publishing deal negotiation we are involved with. We use our knowledge, experience and skills to determine the best course of action, based on the needs of the developer that works with us.”
Deviant Legal will continue to update and expand the guide with new sections over time.