Gamers confront copyright law, says Rutgers law scholar

Gamers confront copyright law, says Rutgers law scholar

Video games have evolved into a fully immersive, customizable experience in which gamers not only play, but also create new content. Players are encouraged to contribute their creativity by designing their own maps, customizing characters, and adding new material to games. But user-generated content has the potential to infringe upon copyright law, which is casting a shadow on the legality of gamer authorship. Rutgers–Camden law professor Greg Lastowka is mapping the intersection of copyright law and user-generated content in video games through research backed by a grant from the National Science Foundation. "There is definitely a move in the video game industry to allow more forms of user-generated content, but the fear of legal liability presents some restraints," Lastowka says. User-generated content for video games has existed for decades, but a gamer's ability to customize his or her experience has grown as technology has become more sophisticated. Many developers have created games that are platforms for user creativity. Popular titles like LittleBigPlanet and Minecraft, for example, prioritize user creativity and content designed by the player. "It's very clear that users want that ability," Lastowka says. "They want to customize their experience and create a personal space within the game—and they often use that freedom in ways the developers never anticipated." But a problem could arise if users create content derived from copyrighted material. "If you allow your users to create any kind of avatar, and someone creates an avatar of Mickey Mouse, Disney might view that as copyright infringement," Lastowka says. "Video game designers can feel constrained by copyright law in terms of what tools they can provide to users." 

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-09-gamers-copyright-law-rutgers-scholar.html#jCp