THE LEGAL NATURE OF COMPUTER GAMES AS COMPLEX OBJECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW: COMPARATIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The growth in popularity of computer digital and information-telecommunication technologies in recent decades has led to numerous uncertainties and legal issues in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the realm of a cultural phenomenon like computer games. Studies reveal that computer games constitute a unique form of creative intellectual output, and inadequate legal regulation creates unfavorable conditions for the further development of the gaming industry, particularly by complicating subsequent rights protection processes. This scientific article discusses the importance of protecting intellectual property in the computer gaming industry, highlighting the legal issues in regulating computer games as complex objects of intellectual property law and examining the regulation of copyright in computer games from the perspective of Armenian and foreign legislative systems. The author elucidates the legal nature of computer games, distinguishes the studied objects from other results of intellectual activity, underscores the possibility of illegal game copying, and proposes methods to combat it.

The author analyzes the unique aspects of protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights in objects included in computer games, such as game scenarios, characters, musical components, also focusing on the commercial value of trademarks in the computer gaming industry. Contemporary challenges faced by developers and users of computer games are examined, solutions to which require more effective collaboration among rights holders, developers, and law enforcement agencies. Additionally, the article explores the prospects for the development of the gaming industry in the context of intellectual property protection in the era of digital technologies and online entertainment.