A recently released guide to publishing agreements wants to empower game developers to get a better position in negotiation with publishers. The guide was released by attorney René Otto and Deviant Legal and is free to access.

Video game company attorney René Otto and his firm Deviant Legal have released a guide to publishing agreements for game developers.

“While receiving an offer from a publisher may feel like a golden opportunity, it is essential to carefully review and understand the publishing agreement before signing. This contract sets the foundation of your relationship with the publisher. Since the draft is usually prepared by the publisher’s lawyer, it will almost always be structured to favor the publisher’s interests.

For this reason, developers should understand the terms they agree to and what they should look out for during negotiations”, Otto explains the reasoning behind the guidelines.

The guide covers the most-used contract clauses and explains them along simple examples and with the reasoning behind the clause’s existence.


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