Legal Summit Powered by Kinstellar
Join us for the first ever Legal Summit at the Game Developers Session!
13 December 2024 12-18 p.m.
The Legal Summit is a unique event at the GDS Prague, aimed at bringing together representatives of the video game industry and legal experts from different countries dealing with the legal and business aspects of the sector to exchange experience and insights on current developments and challenges within the sector.
Legal Mixer
The Legal Summit will be followed by drinks at the Legal Mixer by Kinstellar from 6 pm, where you will have the opportunity to meet legal experts from the Legal Summit and discuss legal challenges in the video game industry.
The Legal Mixer will be held at the GDS Meeting Zone on the 1.floor.
Legal Summit Speakers
Visit the number of talks that are presented by the guest speakers of the Legal Summit at GDS Prague.
Petr Bratský
Legal
About Speaker
Petr Bratský is a Managing Associate at the international law firm Kinstellar and an expert in Data Protection, IP and Interactive Entertainment Law. He focuses on providing comprehensive advice to both international and local clients on all legal aspects of video games. Petr also has significant experience in the field of media and film law, representing major production companies in all stages of film production and in regulatory matters. He is a member of the Video Game Bar Association.
Other talks
Tomasz Gadomski
11 bit studios
Are free Internet tools really free? Can we truly use free textures, images or other IP in our game? Do you use Adobe Creative Cloud, Chat GPT, or Midjourney while creating your game or marketing content? Have you read terms & conditions or just clicked 'agree'. If the latter - this speech is for you. We will review the legal risks hidden in terms of AI tools as well as we will talk about how to use free IP (Creative Commons licenses, public domain etc.) to our benefit or demise.
About Speaker
Legal Expert at 11 bit studio and lecturer of MBA class on Management of IP at PJATK Academy in Warsaw. Being both games and TV addict combines hands-on experience in intellectual property law with passion for media and pop-culture. What brings him the most joy is the ever growing list of movies on IMDB.com he was legal advisor for.
Other talks
Martina Bacikova
Sparring
Czech and US attorneys discuss how EU gaming companies can successfully engage with US clients. Through real-world examples and stories from contractual negotiations, they’ll explore common mistakes in cross-border agreements and offer practical tips for navigating legal and cultural differences. This engaging session, followed by an informal Q&A, promises insights for companies looking to build strong partnerships and find long-term clients in the US market.
About Speaker
Czech attorney-at-law with a passion for IP/IT law and AI, focusing on provision of the legal services to start-ups, IT companies, software and app developers but also to artists, graphic designers, media and content creators. Martina advised the clients with various types of service, supply and software development agreements, SLAs, terms of use or terms and conditions and in the field of M&A transactions through the sectors such as software and technology development.
Martin Repka
Sparring
Czech and US attorneys discuss how EU gaming companies can successfully engage with US clients. Through real-world examples and stories from contractual negotiations, they’ll explore common mistakes in cross-border agreements and offer practical tips for navigating legal and cultural differences. This engaging session, followed by an informal Q&A, promises insights for companies looking to build strong partnerships and find long-term clients in the US market.
About Speaker
New York attorney focusing on commercial contracts, corporate governance, and emerging technology. Martin guided numerous startups and software agencies in their expansion into the US market, helped them set up their operations and negotiate contracts with large customers.
Nav Sunner
Navatron
For many years, we have enjoyed TV series and movies based on video games. Take, for instance The Last of Us, Assassin's Creed, Fallout or soon to be released A Minecraft Movie. Contract drafts presented to developers by studios often contain legal pitfalls for the developer. How to prepare for them and what to pay attention to? In this panel we will discuss whether it is possible to negotiate a reasonable deal between a studio and a video game developer and how to prepare for negotiations.
About Speaker
Nav Sunner is the founder of a video games legal and business consultancy called ‘Navatron’. Has been involved with the video games industry since early 90’s. Has acted as both in-house counsel and external adviser for a variety of companies in the industry including some of the largest developers, publishers and service companies. Nav also holds advisory and board positions for some video game developers and publishers and gets involved in the acquisitions and IPO's of video games businesses.
Other talks
Pavel Hrdý
Kinstellar
Dark patterns are manipulative strategies designed to trick individuals into making decisions they would not normally make. In video games, these tactics often aim to drive in-game purchases and promote excessive gameplay. As this landscape continues to evolve, our experts will examine the use of dark patterns in games and highlight the shared themes in the regulatory frameworks of the EU and the UK.
About Speaker
Pavel Hrdý is an Associate in the Prague office of Kinstellar. He is a member of the M&A and the TMT team. He specialises in data governance, consumer protection and video games law. Pavel is an avid fan of video games and outside of work he enjoys playing Dota 2, God of War, Jedi Survivor and the Lego series.
Laetitia Nicolazzi
Linklaters
Dark patterns are manipulative strategies designed to trick individuals into making decisions they would not normally make. In video games, these tactics often aim to drive in-game purchases and promote excessive gameplay. As this landscape continues to evolve, our experts will examine the use of dark patterns in games and highlight the shared themes in the regulatory frameworks of the EU and the UK.
About Speaker
Laetitia is a Managing Associate in the Paris IP team at international law firm Linklaters. As a member of the Paris and New York bar, Laetitia assists and represents her clients in all intellectual property (trademarks, patents, copyrights), art law and commercial and consumer protection law areas. She has a strong expertise in the video game industry and focuses also on topics related to Web3, Metaverse, NFTs and influencers.
Other talks
Nick Allan
Legal
Dark patterns are manipulative strategies designed to trick individuals into making decisions they would not normally make. In video games, these tactics often aim to drive in-game purchases and promote excessive gameplay. As this landscape continues to evolve, our experts will examine the use of dark patterns in games and highlight the shared themes in the regulatory frameworks of the EU and the UK.
About Speaker
Nick is a video games lawyer and a partner at Mishcon de Reya in London. Nick’s practice focuses on the $200 billion global video games industry, including PC, console, mobile, web-browser and VR/AR games. Has been recognised by Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 as a leading practitioner in respect of video games. Nick specialises in contract negotiations, including development, publishing and licensing deals, as well as advice in respect of intellectual property and regulatory matters.
Lukáš Mrázik
Kinstellar
Dark patterns are manipulative strategies designed to trick individuals into making decisions they would not normally make. In video games, these tactics often aim to drive in-game purchases and promote excessive gameplay. As this landscape continues to evolve, our experts will examine the use of dark patterns in games and highlight the shared themes in the regulatory frameworks of the EU and the UK.
About Speaker
Lukáš Mrázik is a Managing Associate in Bratislava office, the co-head of the firm-wide Data & Cybersecurity service line and a member of Kinstellar´s Interactive Entertainment and Gaming group . He focuses on the Technology and Media & Telecommunications , with particular expertise in data protection and IP. Lukáš also enjoys playing World of Tanks and is a listed legal advisor to the Slovak Game Developer Association.
Roman Romanovsky
Wargaming
We will focus on various forms of microtransactions, especially on loot boxes and sales of in-game currency and related regulatory challenges and consumer protection issues. Roman will provide a unique perspective of an experienced in-house lawyer who will outline how to be compliant as a developer with ever increasing consumer and other regulations and will also touch upon the recent BEUC Report on unfair TCs applied by video game companies.
About Speaker
Roman is a Senior Counsel working for Wargaming, the developer and publisher of the multiplayer online games World of Tanks and World of Warships. He focuses on monetization, payments, and consumer protection law and has been working in the video games industry for over ten years.
Matěj Večeřa
Kinstellar
M&A in the video game industry present unique challenges for companies on the sell-side. Navigating a successful M&A transaction requires a deep understanding of the market, IP related issues and regulatory considerations. Our experts from four different countries will discuss key strategies and best practices for video game companies preparing for a sale. Understanding the intricacies of the sell-side process can make the difference between a successful exit and missed opportunity.
About Speaker
Matěj is a Senior Associate in the Prague office of international law firm Kinstellar. He focuses on M&A, corporate and private equity, including Tech M&A transactions. Also has experience in video game transactions and was recently included among the rising stars of Czech advocacy.
Michał Pękała
Rymarz Zdort Maruta
M&A in the video game industry present unique challenges for companies on the sell-side. Navigating a successful M&A transaction requires a deep understanding of the market, IP related issues and regulatory considerations. Our experts from four different countries will discuss key strategies and best practices for video game companies preparing for a sale. Understanding the intricacies of the sell-side process can make the difference between a successful exit and missed opportunity.
About Speaker
An advocate, a partner and head of the Video Games & Entertainment practice of Rymarz Zdort Maruta. Has extensive experience in advising entities from the video game industry such as developers, publishers, industry investors, asset providers, freelancers, and influencers, as well as e-sports teams. Also advises on financing transactions for gaming entities and is a legal expert for WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) in relation to video games.
Other talks
Martina Kotyková
IPO CZ
This lecture will introduce the IP scan service that will help businesses identify their intellectual property assets and help them integrate an IP strategy into their business plan. The aim of the IP Scan service is to provide guidance on how to register and use your IP now and in the future.
About Speaker
Martina Kotyková She works as head of the Innovation Protection Support Unit at the Industrial Property Office and is a member of the College of the President of the IPO. She has created an effective network of IP scan service providers. She is a promoter of ADR services in Intellectual Property. Her publication Legal Protection of GUI is also available from the US Library of Congress.
Jaroslav Menčík
MAVERICKS
Are you developing the best video game of all times but fear the legal challenges that lie ahead? You don’t have to anymore! GDS is organizing a legal clinic with a video game lawyer who will happily answer all your questions, whether you are a small indie studio working on your first game or an experienced team developing a AAA title. This talk is cofunded by the Promoting Entrepreneurship project, which is part of the Czechia's recovery and resilience plan, component 1.4 Digital economy and society, innovative start-ups and new technology. The project is funded by the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility.
About Speaker
Jaroslav is the head of video game practice at MAVERICKS law firm based in Prague. He regularly advises game studios, indie developers, publishers and investors on publishing & investment deals, intellectual property issues, licensing and protection of brand. Jaroslav regularly lectures on video game law at conferences and universities.
KINSTELLAR
Kinstellar acts as trusted legal counsel to clients across Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
With offices in 11 jurisdictions and over 300 local and international lawyers, Kinstellar offers full-service legal advisory covering both traditional legal areas (such as M&A, Corporate, Banking & Finance, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, Employment Law etc.) as well as advisory related to new technologies and our new modern era (e.g. Data & Cybersecurity, Intellectual Property, AI, etc.).
We are the only law firm covering Central and Eastern Europe with a team dedicated exclusively to video game law. Our experts are also active gamers, so we understand not only the legal but also the practical side of the industry. See more information here.