Multidisciplinary analysis of the video game industry, in Englishhttps://lexludica.comen-gbhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-game-character-outfitshttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-game-character-outfitsMario's cap, Sora's shoes or the iconic outfits of our favourite characters: what does intellectual property really protect behind these recognisable elements? From cosplay to skins designed by luxury houses, this article reviews the rights at stake and what those who reproduce these outfits risk.Thu, 12 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTOmayma CHERKAOUIhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/resident-evil-unlicensed-merchandisehttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/resident-evil-unlicensed-merchandiseNemesis hoodies, Umbrella Corporation beanies: boosted by generative AI and online marketplaces, unlicensed merchandise is booming. In response, Capcom sued 68 sellers at once in the United States, before running into the new limits placed on “Schedule A lawsuits”.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFaris MELAHIhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/geek-twenty-years-of-video-gameshttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/geek-twenty-years-of-video-gamesInsult, proudly claimed identity, marketing category: the word “geek” has changed meaning as video games went mainstream. From the LAN parties of the 2000s to Twitch and Animal Crossing, a look back at twenty years of stereotypes, communities and commercial appropriation.Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBaptiste GODINhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/remaking-a-video-gamehttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/remaking-a-video-gameRemasters, remakes, reboots: the industry has never remade its own games so much. Between an economic safe haven, a heritage issue and a demanding legal framework, remaking a game is never a neutral act.Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTGrégory CAMPISTRON, Faris MELAHI, Moez RAIShttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-game-crash-1983https://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-game-crash-1983Too many consoles, too many games, wildly optimistic forecasts and cartridges buried in the desert: in 1983, the American video game market collapsed. A look back at the causes of the Crash, at the reconstruction orchestrated by Nintendo and at the question that still haunts the industry: could another Crash happen?Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMoez RAIShttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/microtransactions-free-to-play-enhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/microtransactions-free-to-play-enFree game, repeated spending: with free-to-play, microtransactions and loot boxes, access to video games can take up a lasting share of the player's purchasing power. Is consumer law enough to protect them, and what could the future Digital Fairness Act change?Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaleine OUMAR NIANGhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-games-generative-aihttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-games-generative-aiGenerated dialogue, procedural scenery, synthetic voices: generative AI is transforming the way video games are made. But who is the author of content produced by a machine? Can a studio still protect its game? And was the AI trained lawfully?Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTKenza IKAOUIhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/zelda-nintendo-spearheadhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/zelda-nintendo-spearheadForty years after its birth, Zelda remains Nintendo's flagship of prestige: a game design laboratory, an imaginary world turned ecosystem and an intellectual property the publisher guards jealously, from fan games to pre-release leaks.Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTFaris MELAHIhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/gta-vi-impossible-secret-enhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/gta-vi-impossible-secret-enThree months before its release, GTA VI was hacked again. Four years after the 2022 leak, a leaker claiming to defend physical media released never-before-seen footage of the game. A look back at an earthquake that ultimately only sharpened players' impatience.Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTAlexandre GODINOThttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/predatory-monetisation-digital-fairness-acthttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/predatory-monetisation-digital-fairness-actLoot boxes, battle passes, login streaks: the European Commission is preparing a Digital Fairness Act against unfair commercial practices in the digital world. Without waiting, the PEGI reform already rates games according to their monetisation mechanics. But the Belgian example shows the limits of regulation.Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaxime KUBIAKhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/good-cosmetic-league-of-legendshttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/good-cosmetic-league-of-legendsA “Legendary” skin for 1,820 RP, an “Exalted” cosmetic for €250: what is the player really paying for? Rereading Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson, the player becomes a surgeon to dissect the graphic work that studios sell them.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTGrégory CAMPISTRONhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/modding-making-cinemahttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/modding-making-cinemaWith Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yōtei, Sucker Punch Productions turned the open-world game into a cinematic experience. Modders extended this gesture, to the point that their camera and filter tweaks found their way, as official modes, into the second game's menu.Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTGrégory CAMPISTRONhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-games-elusive-strategic-sectorhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-games-elusive-strategic-sectorWhy is the French video game industry celebrated and supported as a strategic sector without being legally protected as one? Tax credits, direct aid, sovereignty rhetoric: France nurtures its gems, but has no means of keeping them in the face of foreign capital.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTMoez RAIShttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/double-problem-financing-video-gameshttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/double-problem-financing-video-gamesFinancing a video game means getting through years of production with no revenue, facing banks that do not know how to value intangible assets. In French-speaking Africa, this challenge is compounded by a nascent ecosystem. Bootstrapping, repurposed grants, international funding: a studio's roadmap.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTYAO Baba Ange Emmanuelhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/you-do-not-own-your-video-gameshttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/you-do-not-own-your-video-gamesOn Steam or the PlayStation Store, there is no “resell” button: what you “buy” online is only an access licence. In the Valve / UFC-Que Choisir ruling, the French Court of Cassation confirmed it: exhaustion of rights does not apply to digital video games.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTBaptiste GODINhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/stop-killing-games-enhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/stop-killing-games-enMore than a million European citizens asked that games they have bought should no longer be made unplayable overnight. On 16 June 2026, the European Commission declined to legislate. A look back at the rift between those who sell games and those who think they own them.Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaxime KUBIAKhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-game-emulation-and-the-lawhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-game-emulation-and-the-lawYuzu, Ryujinx, Citra: within a few months, Nintendo made the main emulators of its consoles disappear without obtaining a single ruling of principle. Is emulation legal? Yes and no: lawful in its design, it is almost always unlawful in its use.Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTMoez RAIShttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/from-console-to-big-screenhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/from-console-to-big-screenSuper Mario Bros., Sonic, The Last of Us: behind every video game adaptation lies a strategy for exploiting intellectual property. A profitable but risky bet, between faithfulness to the work and winning over a new audience.Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTKenza IKAOUIhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-games-and-pirateshttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/video-games-and-piratesInfringement, economic threat, but also a lever for visibility: from copied floppy disks to emulators, piracy has accompanied video games since their beginnings. Is the pirate the enemy of rights holders, or an intimate enemy?Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTFaris MELAHIhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/living-history-through-gameshttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/living-history-through-gamesAssassin's Creed, Civilization, Red Dead Redemption 2: historical games recreate the past with growing concern for accuracy. By turning players into actors in history, they transform their relationship with knowledge, to the point of entering the classroom.Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaleine OUMAR NIANGhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/copyright-video-game-charactershttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/copyright-video-game-charactersFrom Mario to Lara Croft, video game characters leave the screen for cinema and merchandise. But under what conditions does copyright protect them, and how can that protection be extended beyond their entry into the public domain?Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTDina ABDELLAHhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/from-software-to-complex-workhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/from-software-to-complex-workFor a long time, the law saw video games as mere software, whose regime extended to everything else. Since the Cryo ruling, each component (code, graphics, music, script) follows its own regime. A look back at a shift with very concrete effects.Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTBaptiste GODINhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/sharing-video-game-contenthttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/sharing-video-game-contentLet's plays, streaming, speedruns, esports: broadcasting one's playthrough has become a mass practice. In law, however, the publisher retains a complete monopoly over its work. Could a player who brings a personal performance be recognised as a performer?Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTAaron OLIELhttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/the-mod-creation-under-constraintshttps://lexludica.com/en/articles/the-mod-creation-under-constraintsShrek behind the wheel in GTA V, Counter-Strike born from Half-Life: modding is everywhere. But behind this abundant creativity lies a legal tangle, at the crossroads of copyright and contract law. The practice is widespread, but is it legal?Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTMoez RAIS