I want to host survivor pools (contestants pick a winner of an NFL game each week) and season long contests (contestants will create a lineup each week picking from a pool of NFL players, accumulating a score correlating to how the NFL player performs that week). Is this legal? Are these... View More 
answered on Apr 3, 2024
Many states have laws specifically addressing gambling. Some have exceptions for "games of skill," but the definitions and interpretations vary. In most states, to avoid gambling issues, there have to be no entry fees and prizes must be predetermined and not based on entry fee totals.
I am not sure participating in Draftkings is legal in federal law or not.
I am aware that as a green card holder, purchasing or consuming marijuana can be the reason for denial of my application, even though it is legal in my state. This is due to it’s federal illegality.
The... View More
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answered on Nov 23, 2023
Participating in DraftKings, or similar online fantasy sports platforms, can raise concerns when applying for U.S. citizenship, particularly if there's ambiguity about its legality under federal law. Although fantasy sports are legal in many states, federal law can view certain types of online... View More
In 2017 Activision didn't renew a licensing deal they had with Marvel so they had to take down all of their Marvel games they had published. So I wanted to know if it would still be illegal to download any of those games through a website even though there is no possible way to get those games... View More
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answered on Nov 18, 2023
Whether a company has renewed a licensing deal or not, it is still illegal to pirate a game. The expiration of a licensing deal, such as the one between Activision and Marvel, affects the company's ability to sell or distribute the game, but it does not affect the copyright status of the game.... View More
The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways. They've cut out entire pages from the art book, removed and re-announced voice lines, and drawn over concept art to make it less offensive. The current Skullgirls team, while... View More
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answered on Nov 17, 2023
The situation you're describing with the Skullgirls digital product raises complex issues in digital content and consumer rights. In the digital realm, the rights and expectations can be significantly different from those associated with physical products. The End User License Agreement (EULA)... View More
What of censorship in general? the freedom of speech and exspression mean nothing when there's no one or no way to hear it.
I'm very concerned about the pressures from many special interest groups and diverse and even opposing political parties trying to control or cancel people... View More
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answered on Sep 11, 2023
You have raised a multi-faceted issue that encompasses both the legal domain and the evolving norms in society.
From a legal standpoint, private companies like game developers and publishers generally have a broad latitude to modify their products as they see fit, including post-sale. This... View More
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answered on Aug 10, 2023
Compulsory censorship of a digital good, such as an artbook or a game, after a sale may not be considered theft in the legal sense, but it could potentially lead to other legal issues or breaches of contract, depending on the circumstances and the terms of the sale or licensing agreement.... View More
answered on Dec 28, 2020
You chose a good category (Gaming) for your post, but it seems like you might be interested in protecting your intellectual property rights with your new idea. There's no guarantee that all questions are picked up, but you might have better chances of meaningful input by reposting and... View More
im 16 and obviously i live with her
answered on Oct 15, 2020
From a legal standpoint, that would result in a property damage matter. From a practical standpoint, while it's no one's business, parents generally want the best for their children. If the laptop has created tension in terms of interference with school or placed a burden on your budget,... View More
> Have a similar law?
answered on Aug 2, 2020
Your question remains open for two weeks. There's no guarantee all questions are picked up, but you may consider posting your question in other states in an attempt to get a response from gaming attorneys outside New York. While Australia could have uniform set of policies and laws involving... View More
answered on Apr 8, 2020
It's unlikely that any statute would address this. It's more likely to be addressed, if at all, (expressly or impliedly) by individual policies of teaching institutions in their faculty handbooks or student handbooks. Good luck
Tim Akpinar
We have a video game in the making based off of a TV show. I know there are copyright issues since we’re using the same characters, but what can we do to prevent that? We’d like to start a kickstarter campaign after we’re done with 35% of the game and start monitoring. How would we work... View More
answered on Dec 25, 2018
This is a very common question. Many bloggers and fans of shows or movie stars get really discouraged when they get cease & desist letter from the shows/stars lawyers.
Your situation is even more problematic: you are trying to raise funds, and then sell products and make money off... View More
If 2 players decided to make a bet on which one of them was better in a skill based video game (online chess or League of Legends) is it considered gambling even though none of the results are controlled by luck?
answered on Feb 25, 2018
It is illegal when there are 3 elements present in the contest: (1) prize; (2) chance; and (3) consideration. In the scenario you describe above, the element of chance is missing in the equation.
A few examples are: The Cones of Dunshire from the TV show 'Parks and Recreation', CharDee MacDennis from the TV show 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia', and True American from the TV show 'New Girl'.
answered on Sep 4, 2017
For copyright purposes, just as you cannot copy a real game, you may not copy from someone's imaginary game. In both instances, someone created the board game and to the extent the board was an expression of the idea of the game, then that would be off limits without the copyright... View More
The UK does not tax gambling winnings from casinos, but the U.S does. If I win money at a British Casino, and I bring that money back to the State (I am a U.S resident that has a Visa to stay in the UK), would I need to pay any taxes on such income that I earn? If so, would I need to ask the UK... View More
answered on Oct 25, 2016
US Citizens or resident aliens are required to report income from whatever source, US or abroad. It doesn't matter whether you bring it back or not - you are required to report it on a US tax return. Failure to properly disclose income from foreign sources or foreign accounts can result in... View More
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