Game-changing factor: the recognition of video gamers' copyrights

The article discusses the idea that video gamers should have copyrights for the works they create and tests the hypothesis that players aim to make money by selling their rights, while game owners often deny such rights. The paper argues that allowing users to trade their intellectual property (IP) rights can benefit owners of video games and reduce the existence of a grey market for gaming items. The research methodology involves a doctrinal analysis of the protectability of artefacts developed by players, a classification of the provisions on IP rights of end-user agreements, a targeted survey among gamers about their motivation, as well as a debriefing of holders of hacker gaming platforms about their attitude to the copyrights of users. Our results show that players should have copyrights for the created works and the viability of a business model built on the legal trade of gamers' IP rights.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
International Journal of Intellectual Property Management
Published
2025-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1504/ijipm.2025.145577
Primary Topic
Digital Games and Media
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Game-changing factor: the recognition of video gamers' copyrights

Ruslan Budnik, А.А. Тедеев, Maxim Zverev
International Journal of Intellectual Property Management
Digital Games and Media
article

Game-changing factor: the recognition of video gamers' copyrights

Ruslan Budnik, А.А. Тедеев, Maxim Zverev
article en

Abstract

The article discusses the idea that video gamers should have copyrights for the works they create and tests the hypothesis that players aim to make money by selling their rights, while game owners often deny such rights. The paper argues that allowing users to trade their intellectual property (IP) rights can benefit owners of video games and reduce the existence of a grey market for gaming items. The research methodology involves a doctrinal analysis of the protectability of artefacts developed by players, a classification of the provisions on IP rights of end-user agreements, a targeted survey among gamers about their motivation, as well as a debriefing of holders of hacker gaming platforms about their attitude to the copyrights of users. Our results show that players should have copyrights for the created works and the viability of a business model built on the legal trade of gamers' IP rights.

International Journal of Intellectual Property ManagementVol. 15(2)
National Research University Higher School of Economics (RU), UNESCO (FR), Moscow State Forest University (RU), Lomonosov Moscow State University (RU)
Openalex Percentile: Top 91%
Digital Games and Media
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Game-changing factor: the recognition of video gamers' copyrights — Ruslan Budnik, А.А. Тедеев, et al. · International Journal of Intellectual Property Management (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS