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Copyright, Contract, and Video Games

Terms of Play

Copyright, Contract, and Video Games cover

Copyright, Contract, and Video Games

Terms of Play

Quantity
Pre-order. Available 14 May 2026
£64.80 RRP £81.00 Website price saving £16.20 (20%)

Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available

Description

This book uncovers how video game contracts act as monologues of power, moulding players to align with proprietary ideologies.

In the era of interactive technologies, the player emerges as a vital yet curiously overlooked figure. While copyright law governs the creation and distribution of these technologies, it sidesteps the player, leaving private contracts to define their role and obligations. Using video games as a case study, this book fills the gap left by copyright law, offering an innovative socio-legal methodology to interrogate and challenge harmful contractual norms.

By analysing contracts as a form of critical discourse, the book exposes the contradictions and idealisations embedded in these agreements, which often serve to reinforce industry priorities. It is an essential resource for scholars in intellectual property law, video game studies, and socio-legal research, contributing to pressing debates on user rights and the shifting balance of power in interactive industries.

With its fresh perspective on the interplay of copyright, contract, and cultural participation, the book redefines the player's role in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, offering new tools to understand and critique the legal frameworks shaping this most interactive of industries.

Accessibility Information

Additional accessibility information

  • PDF/UA-2, 1.4
  • Accessibility request contact

Support for non-visual reading

Has alternative text descriptions for images

Navigation

  • Page list to go to pages from the print source version
  • Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation
  • All or substantially all textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order

Table of Contents

Introduction

Level 1
1. The Player in Copyright Law
2. The Player in Contract

Level 2
3. Research Design

Level 3
4. Authority
5. Access
6. Artifice

Conclusion: The Final Boss

Product details

Published 14 May 2026
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Pages 208
ISBN 9781509988044
Imprint Hart Publishing
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Amy Thomas

Amy Thomas is Lecturer in Intellectual Property an…

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