Private ordering in esports tournaments

Private ordering in esports tournaments

Journal article

1 online resource

This discussion analyses the licence agreements of the top thirty videogames used in esports. It then contextualises the findings within the broader theoretical literature on private ordering in intellectual property. Esports is an industry, which in 2025, was estimated to have an annual viewership of 772.4 million people and revenues totalling $4.9 billion. Analysis of the licence agreements shows that game developers act as private regulators, using copyright as a means to control the esports industry. The ownership structures envisaged in the licence agreements support corporates monopolising culture. At the same time, the validity of various licence terms are suspect and would depend on municipal consumer protection and contract laws.

Crossref

Intellectual Property Quarterly ; I.P.Q. 2025, 4, 296-318

[New York, NY] : Thomson Reuters, 2025.

eng

https://1.next.westlaw.com/Copyright

External Online Journals > Intellectual Property Quarterly