MTJG London 2024 - Navigating colliding principles in lawmaking within the video game and interactive entertainment industry

MTJG is a unique series of academic-led conferences on Games and Interactive Entertainment Law attracting an international network of researchers and legal professionals who are passionate about the most successful and fastest-growing of the Creative Industries.

More Than Just a Game (MTJG) 2024, held earlier this month at The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, London, delved into the intricate landscape where principles in lawmaking collide and explored responses to the resulting loss of coherence and impact. With a spotlight on the interactive entertainment sector, the event illuminated the battle royale for human flourishing amidst incoherent laws, conflicting aims, and jurisdictional complexities.

The conference commenced with a warm welcome from the producer of the MTJG conference series Dr Gaetano Dimita, Senior Lecturer in International Intellectual Property Law at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London and co-organiser of the MTJG conference series Dr Michaela MacDonald, Lecturer at the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at Queen Mary University of London.

Setting the stage for the thought-provoking discussions ahead, the first session of the morning ‘Video Games, Culture & Society’, explored the evolving landscape of video games and their profound impact on culture and society. Dimiter Gantchev, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) provided some insightful figures, telling the audience, “of the entire world population, 3.2billion people are gamers, they should have more say and involvement in the industry”, with Dr Yin Harn Lee, University of Bristol adding “We must consider games as part of our social infrastructure, focusing not only on their playability but also their social connectivity.”

Other panel discussions took a closer look at patent and innovation where intellectual property experts discussed the dual role of patents as both a catalyst for innovation and a potential barrier to entry in the industry. The copyright and creativity panel delved into the intricate relationship between copyright laws and creativity within the video game industry, while the IP and competition law panellists deliberated on strategies to promote a more open and levelled playing field amidst increasing scrutiny of intellectual property rights.

For the final day of the conference the day commenced with a captivating session on "Data Privacy and Data Sharing," where the speakers including Willy Duhen from Activision Blizzard King, Stacy Feuer from ESRB, Andreas Lober from Advant Beiten, Mike Dunford from Kusk Law, and Rupam Dave' from Harbottle & Lewis, delved into the delicate balance between data-based business models and ethical practices.

Further panels included experts exploring the intersection of consumer protection, advertising, and privacy regulations in shaping business decisions within the interactive entertainment landscape, with the penultimate session of the day, "Globalisation and Localisation – Who Decides Which Principles Shall Prevail?" featuring insights from industry leaders including Ben Golant from TenCent, and Heidi Holman from Microsoft. Panellists engaged in a lively discussion on the state of the industry and future trends, shedding light on the complex interplay between global standards and local regulations.

Commenting on MTJG London 2024, Dr Michaela MacDonald said: “More Than Just a Game serve as a pivotal platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and charts a course towards a more coherent and impactful legal landscape for the interactive entertainment sector.”

Dr Gaetano Dimita concluded: “As the industry continues to evolve, the insights gained from this conference will undoubtedly inform future policy decisions and shape the trajectory of innovation and creativity in interactive entertainment.”