45-489: SCi Games Limited (formerly The Sales Curve Limited and SCi (Sales Curve Interactive) Limited ) was a British video game publisher based in London . The company was founded in 1988 by Jane Cavanagh and floated on the stock exchange in 1996. In May 2005, SCi's parent company SCi Entertainment Group plc acquired Eidos plc, the parent company of publisher Eidos Interactive , and merged their operations by June 2006; that company
90-403: A lease or other contract). The simplest definition is "A license is a promise not to sue", because a license usually either permits the licensed party to engage in an illegal activity, and subject to prosecution, without the license (e.g. fishing , driving an automobile , or operating a broadcast radio or television station ), or it permits the licensed party to do something that would violate
135-418: A term , territory , renewal provisions, and other limitations deemed vital to the licensor. Term: many licenses are valid for a particular length of time. This protects the licensor should the value of the license increase, or market conditions change. It also preserves enforceability by ensuring that no license extends beyond the term of the agreement. Territory: a license may stipulate what territory
180-655: A computer. Typically, a license is associated with a unique code, that when approved grants the end user access to the software in question. Under a typical end-user license agreement, the user may install the software on a limited number of computers. The enforceability of end-user license agreements is sometimes questioned . As of 2020, there are various ways to license software with different kinds of licensing models, which allow software vendors to profit from their product offerings in flexible ways. Like other intellectual property, patent owners may grant permission to others to engage in conduct that would otherwise be within
225-566: A group, they have had mixed performance. At present, Electronic Arts is the only third-party publisher present in the S&;P 500 diversified list of large U.S. corporations; in April 2010, it entered the Fortune 500 for the first time. Hype over video game publisher stocks has been breathless at two points: License A license ( American English ) or licence ( Commonwealth English )
270-405: A license does not require consideration, a license can be created with or without it. Moreover, whether an agreement is held to be a "license" and not a lease will depend on three essential characteristics of a license: (1) a clause allowing the licensor to revoke "at will"; (2) the retention by the licensor of absolute control over the premises; and (3) the licensor's supplying to the licensee all of
315-404: A particular geographic region, just for a certain period of time or merely for a stage in the value chain . Moreover, there are different types of fees within the trademark and brand licensing. The first form demands a fee independent of sales and profits , the second type of license fee is dependent on the productivity of the licensee. For example, McDonald's licenses their trademark such as
360-476: A permission to a licensee to copy and distribute copyrighted works such as "art" (e.g., Thomas Kinkade 's painting Dawn in Los Gato ) and characters (e.g., Mickey Mouse ). With such license, a licensee need not fear a claim of copyright infringement brought by the copyright owner. Artistic license is, however, not related to the aforementioned license. It is a euphemism that denotes freedom of expression,
405-589: A person who holds a licentiate. In English, the degree has never been called a license. In France, the licence is the first degree awarded in Universities. In Sweden , Finland, and in some other European university systems, a 'licentiate' is a postgraduate degree between the master's degree and the doctorate. The licentiate is a popular choice in those countries where a full doctoral degree would take five or more years to achieve. A license to driving certain vehicles has been applied to many countries around
450-478: A probation officer and only living at an approved address, in exchange for their early release. If they break the conditions of the licence, they can be "recalled" (returned to prison). Offenders serving determinate sentences are released automatically at a set point in their sentence, whereas prisoners serving indeterminate sentences (e.g. life imprisonment ) can only be released by the parole board . Patent licensing has been studied in formal economic models in
495-416: A type of activity, and to allow them to set conditions and limitations. A licensor may grant a license under intellectual property laws to authorize a use (such as copying software or using a patented invention) to a licensee, sparing the licensee from a claim of infringement brought by the licensor. A license under intellectual property commonly has several components beyond the grant itself, including
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#1732775571247540-429: A wider consumer pool and have access to distribute to a big network. Although they have creative constraints within game development and marketing, they often focus and follow market trends. They have a higher demand to attain commercial success. Examples of AAA video game publishers are Electronic Arts , Ubisoft , and Activision . Indie game publishers are companies that work with independent developers. Their focus
585-431: Is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreement between those parties. In the case of a license issued by a government, the license is obtained by applying for it. In the case of a private party, it is by a specific agreement, usually in writing (such as
630-576: Is associated with high risk : AAA game publishers produce and create games that are high budget and groundbreaking. They are advanced in technology and forward the boundaries of technology and creativity in the video game world. AAA game publishers often produce popular and blockbuster games. These publishers have the financial resource and means to fund large game development projects. These publishers implement and fund marketing and distribution to guarantee reach and exposure for their games. With their funds to market they are able to advertise and reach
675-459: Is necessary to complete the act. Another key distinction between a license and a lease is that leases are generally required to be in writing, where the statute of frauds requires it, while licenses can be made orally. A license is generally created by an express or implied agreement. The licensor must agree to the license which can be shown in writing or the licensors acquiescence in its exercise. Furthermore, unlike many other contractual agreements,
720-611: Is on developing games that promotes creativity and originality. Developers have creative control over their games. These publishers implement intimate collaborations between the publishers and the developers. Often stand out in the video game market due to the more unique genres. Indie game publishers have restrict marketing budgets and have small audience reach and visibility. Examples of Indie video game publishers are Devolver Digital , Annapurna Interactive and Raw Fury . Mobile game publishers produce and specialize in video games on smartphones and tablet devices. They take advantage of
765-475: Is statutorily required prior to the commencement of any special proceeding to recover possession of the property (e.g., in NY that requirement is 10 days). Mass distributed software is used by individuals on personal computers under license from the developer of that software. Such license is typically included in a more extensive end-user license agreement (EULA) entered into upon the installation of that software on
810-636: The Gizmondo handheld. In January 2005, SCi invested in Rocksteady Studios , acquiring 25.1% of the company's shares. In April 2005, SCi entered into a £103 million bid for Eidos plc, the parent company of Eidos Interactive . Eidos was acquired by SCi in May 2005, and fully merged with SCi by June 2006 with the Eidos brand used for all future games. Following Eidos' acquisition, all executives of
855-402: The " Golden Arches " or the " Big Mac ", but the licenses gives McDonald's a right to impose strict quality standards to their franchisees as they can take back the right to the trademark if they do not meet McDonald's standards. When a licensor grants permission to a licensee to not only distribute, but manufacture a patented product, it is known as licensed production . A licensor may grant
900-399: The ability to make the subject appear more engaging or attractive, by fictionalizing part of the subject. A licentiate is an academic degree that traditionally conferred the license to teach at a university or to practice a particular profession. The term survived despite the fact that nowadays a doctorate is typically needed in order to teach at a university. The term is also used for
945-746: The acquired company resigned, and were replaced by SCi's management. In October 2005, SCi employed around 600 people. By February 2006, it was the largest video game company in Britain, when Robert Tchenguiz 's Thorson Investments owned a 14.6% stake after acquiring a holding from Robert Bonnier. In December 2006, Warner Bros. started investing in SCi in exchange for granting game licences to Warner Bros. films to SCi. Warner Bros. owned 10.3% in September 2007. In July 2006, Cavanagh stepped down as chairwoman of SCi, while remaining chief executive officer (CEO). She
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#1732775571247990-405: The authority to act on another's land, when such action would typically amount to trespass absent that license. A key distinction between licenses and leases is that a license grants the licensee a revocable non-assignable privilege to act upon the land of the licensor, without granting any possessory interest in the land. Once a license is agreed upon, the licensee may occupy the land only so far as
1035-580: The company without external funding, and owned 100% of the company's shares. The Sales Curve published their games under the label Storm and was renamed SCi (Sales Curve Interactive) in 1994. Its parent company, SCi Entertainment, floated on the Alternative Investment Market in 1996. By February 1999, SCi Entertainment reported a turnover of £3.262 million . In February 2004, the company acquired Pivotal Games . In October 2004, SCi announced publishing agreements of its games for
1080-486: The death of either the licensee or licensor will terminate the agreement. If a license is revocable at will by the licensor, courts will be unable to grant specific performance in favor of the licensee. A licensee would be unsuccessful in bringing forcible entry claims or a detainer proceeding because the licensee was never granted any possessory interest. The Licensee would also not be able to recover damages for money spent unless they are able to show detrimental reliance on
1125-428: The essential services required for the licensee's permitted use of the premises. Under a pure licensing agreement, the licensor, under its terms and by common-law, can cancel the agreement at will and without cause, unless it is coupled with an interest or made irrevocable by contract. A license that has been coupled with an interest is not revocable by the licensor without exposure to liability and potential damages. In
1170-400: The event a license is coupled with an interest, the licensor must provide reasonable time for the licensee to remove that interest from the property prior to termination. Additionally, because a license does not confer any possessory interest in the licensee, in the event of a sale of the property, the license is terminated and cannot be enforced against the new owners of that property. Moreover,
1215-432: The field of industrial organization . In particular, Katz and Shapiro (1986) have explored the optimal licensing strategy of a research lab selling to firms who are competitors on the product market. It turns out that (compared to the welfare-maximizing solution) the licensor's incentives to develop innovations may be excessive, while the licensor's incentives to disseminate the innovation are typically too low. Subsequently,
1260-415: The field of industrial electronics). Often, patent owners will require a licensee to pay money in exchange for granting a patent license. Such payments are referred to as royalty payments and come primarily in two forms: lump sum or running royalty. A lump sum royalty involves an upfront, one-time payment, while a running royalty typically involves periodic payments ( e.g., quarterly or annual) based on
1305-607: The games they publish. Other functions usually performed by the publisher include deciding on and paying for any licenses that are used by the game; paying for localization ; layout, printing, and possibly the writing of the user manual; and the creation of graphic design elements such as the box design. Some large publishers with vertical structure also own publishing subsidiaries (labels). Large publishers also attempt to boost efficiency across all internal and external development teams by providing services such as sound design and code packages for commonly needed functionality. Because
1350-433: The legal system, be stopped if the intellectual property owner wanted to do so. Intellectual property licensing plays a major role in business, academia and broadcasting. Business practices such as franchising , technology transfer , publication and character merchandising entirely depend on the licensing of intellectual property. Land licensing (proprietary licensing) and IP licensing. A license provides one party with
1395-415: The license. In certain cases, however, licenses can be made irrevocable, and specific performance may be granted. Where a license is made with a set term period and valid consideration is transferred, revocation of the license prior to the terms expiration may raise breach of contract claims that could provide damages against the licensor. Furthermore, once the licensor terminates or revokes the license, notice
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1440-432: The licensee is the only person or entity that is allowed to sell, make, use, offer to sell, or import the patented invention) or non-exclusive ( i.e., the licensee is simply one of several entities who has rights under the patent). Finally, any rights given under the agreement may be limited to a particular "field of use" ( e.g., a licensee may be able to practice an invention in the field of consumer electronics, but not in
1485-404: The number of patented products sold or imported. A licensor may grant permission to a licensee to distribute products under a trademark . With such a license, the licensee may use the trademark without fear of a claim of trademark infringement by the licensor. The assignment of a license often depends on specific contractual terms . The most common terms are, that a license is only applicable for
1530-493: The optimal number of licenses in a signalling model. The provision of licenses and the agencies that mandate them are often criticised by American libertarians like Milton Friedman for creating an anticompetitive environment for occupations, which creates a barrier to entry for more qualified and skilled individuals who may not have the resources to obtain the necessary licences. According to Friedman, licenses and permits have become so burdensome due to legislation that favors
1575-471: The publisher often finances development, they usually try to manage development risk along with a staff of producers or project managers to monitor the developer's progress, critique ongoing development, and assist as necessary. Most video games created by an external video game developer are paid for with periodic advances on royalties. These advances are paid when the developer reaches certain stages of development, called milestones . Video game publishing
1620-453: The publisher or externally by a video game developer . They often finance the development, sometimes by paying a video game developer (the publisher calls this external development ) and sometimes by paying an internal staff of developers called a studio . The large video game publishers also distribute the games they publish, while some smaller publishers instead hire distribution companies (or larger video game publishers) to distribute
1665-412: The rights of the licensing party (e.g. make copies of a copyrighted work ), which, without the license, the licensed party could be sued, civilly, criminally, or both. In particular, a license may be issued by authorities, to allow an activity that would otherwise be forbidden. It may require paying a fee or proving a capability (or both). The requirement may also serve to keep the authorities informed on
1710-533: The rights pertain to. For example, a license with a territory limited to "North America" (Mexico/United States/Canada) would not permit a licensee any protection from actions for use in Japan. Again, a shorthand definition of a license is "a promise by the licensor not to sue the licensee". That means without a license any use or exploitation of intellectual property by a third party would amount to copying or infringement. Such copying would be improper and could, by using
1755-452: The scope of a patent. For example, a patent owner may authorize a licensee to make, use, sell, offer for sale, or import a patented product. Such agreements are typically referred to as a patent license agreement or a covenant not to sue . These agreements can last for a specific period of time (such as five years) or for the entire life of the patent ( i.e., until the patent expires). Patent license agreements may also be exclusive ( i.e.,
1800-509: The seminal work of Katz and Shapiro (1986) has been extended in several directions. For example, Bhattacharya, Glazer, and Sappington (1992) have taken into account that the firms acquiring licenses must make further investments in order to develop marketable products. Schmitz (2002, 2007) has shown that asymmetric information due to adverse selection or moral hazard may lead the research lab to sell more licenses than it would do under complete information. Antelo and Sampayo (2017) have studied
1845-474: The time, SCi had 900 employees. On 2 December 2008, SCi filed for changing its name to Eidos, which was finalised the following day. During 2008 the company raised £60 million at 35p a share. Eidos shareholders approved the acquisition by Square Enix on 27 March 2009 at 32p a share, a valuation of just over £84 million. Video game publisher A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that have been developed either internally by
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1890-704: The widespread appeal and rise of mobile gaming. These publishers enhance games for touch based interfaces and devices. They are proficient in designing monetization tactics for mobile platforms. Mobile game publishers have a comprehensive understanding of the mobile gaming market. They have proficiency in strategies for engagement and user acquisition for mobile sites. For mobile gaming there is access through app stores for distribution channels. There are obstacles with monetization due to lack of in-app purchase and free-to-play(F2P) models . Examples of Mobile game publishers are Supercell , King , and Zynga . Numerous video game publishers are traded publicly on stock markets . As
1935-480: The world. Being allowed to drive a certain vehicle requires a specific driving license, the type of license depending on the type of vehicle. In the United Kingdom prisoners serving a determinate sentence (a fixed time in prison) will be released prior to the completion of their full sentence "on licence". The licence is the prisoner's agreement to maintain certain conditions, such as periodic reporting in to
1980-465: Was briefly renamed Eidos Limited and was subsequently acquired by Square Enix in March 2009. Both SCi Games and Eidos remain shell companies under Square Enix Limited. Jane Cavanagh, formerly an executive for British Telecom 's Telecomsoft division, founded The Sales Curve in 1988, following a trip to Japan that convinced her of the potential of the video game industry . Cavanagh established and ran
2025-626: Was replaced by Tim Ryan, formerly non-executive director , as non-executive chairman of the board. In the 2007 New Year Honours , Cavanagh was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services in the video game industry, particularly SCi. Cavanagh was ousted as CEO in January 2008, and left the company alongside her husband, Bill Ennis, and studio chief Rob Murphy. Following their departure, SCi's shares doubled in value. At
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