Agenda

Before attendees "Ask Video Game Lawyers Anything," this session equips indie and emerging studios with the top legal lessons they wish they had known earlier. Experienced games lawyers, who advise studios from the inside and as external counsel, walk through common pitfalls around contracts, hiring across borders, IP ownership and assignments, record-keeping, marketing claims, taxes, and more. Using real-world examples, they show how small decisions in the early stages of a project can create expensive problems later, or avoid them entirely. The session also demystifies when and how to seek legal advice, how to prepare for those conversations, and what can be handled in-house versus with outside counsel. Spot legal risks early and handle issues proactively, before they become crises.

Takeaway

Attendees gain a concrete checklist of legal red flags for indie and small studios, practical guidance on contracts, IP ownership, cross-border hiring, taxes, and truthful marketing, and a clearer sense of when and how to engage legal counsel so they prevent problems instead of paying to clean them up.

Intended Audience

This session targets indie and small studio founders, producers, and leads involved in deals, hiring, or IP decisions. No legal background is required, but basic familiarity with game development pipelines and business operations helps. Anyone curious about making legal issues less intimidating and more manageable benefits from attending.