A New York court just decided some important preliminary motions (which I previously covered here in this post) involving allegedly unauthorized AI cloning of voice actors. The court reached a split decision, concluding “that, for the most part, Plaintiffs have not stated cognizable claims under federal trademark and copyright law. However, that does not
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UK’s Collective Licensing Initiative Aims to Harmonize AI and Copyright Law
By Samuel Cohen
In a significant move to address the tension between copyright and generative artificial intelligence (AI), the UK’s Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), and Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS) have announced plans to launch a collective licensing framework for AI training. The opt-in license would allow AI developers to use text-based published…
Congress Reintroduces the NO FAKES Act with Broader Industry Support
Congress has reintroduced the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act— a bipartisan bill designed to establish a federal framework to protect individuals’ right of publicity. As previously reported, the NO FAKES Act was introduced in 2023 to create a private right of action addressing the rise of unauthorized deepfakes…
EU: New European Consumer Protection Guidelines for Virtual Currencies in Video Games
On March 21, 2025, ahead of a consultation and call for evidence on the EU’s Digital Fairness Act, the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network[1] highlighted the pressing need for improved consumer protection in the European Union, particularly regarding virtual currencies in video games. This move comes in response to growing concerns about the impact…
Plaintiffs Try Another Bite at the Apple… and Google Too!
By James Gatto
In a recent post about legal issues with the social casino sweepstakes model, we indicated that a recent RICO lawsuit against a social casino sweepstakes model, which also named Apple and Google, was dismissed voluntarily by the plaintiff. Plaintiffs are already taking another bite at the Apple.…
New York and New Jersey Move to Prohibit Social Casino Sweepstakes Model
We recently wrote about the flurry of legal issues with the social casino sweepstakes model. Now, the New York State Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee passed S5935, a bill that, if fully approved and enacted, would prohibit in NY “online” sweepstakes games that uses a dual-currency system of payment allowing the player to…
Social Casino Sweepstakes Model is Under Fire – What Game Companies, Payment Processors and App Stores Need to Know
Social casino games remain incredibly popular and profitable. This success has drawn attacks from plaintiffs’ class action lawyers in the form of gambling loss recovery lawsuits and other consumer-based actions. Some have been successful, mostly in Washington state, netting plaintiffs hundreds of millions of dollars. This has created an incentive for more lawsuits. Some social…
Operating Social Casino-Style Applications Continues to be Costly in Washington State
In the latest string of gambling cases involving social casino-style apps out of Washington state, a federal jury has awarded a class of players nearly $25 million for injuries arising from the use of two of High 5 Game’s mobile applications: High 5 Casino and High 5 Vegas.…
New California Law Targets Sellers of Digital Goods
Introduced in response to certain digital media sellers (e.g., game publishers) revoking consumer access to purchases with little to no recourse, AB 2426 forces sellers of “digital goods,” such as movies, apps, games, books and music to clarify what a consumer is actually receiving in connection with their “purchase.” Often companies refer to the “purchase”…
Regulators Ramp up Scrutiny of Games’ Business Models
On August 28, the CFPB issued a Consumer Advisory warning that it believes video game companies are targeting children for monetary gain. With 45.7 million U.S. children engaged in video gameplay, the agency is concerned about the financial risks that games and virtual worlds pose, especially to young consumers. This Advisory highlights a growing focus…