Pillar Legal, P.C.

🎥 Highlights from the 2024 Video Game Law Summit in Shanghai!

Pillar Legal, P.C. Advises Perfect World Co., Ltd. in US$34.5 Million Studio Sale 🎉 We congratulate both Perfect World Co., Ltd. and Scopely on reaching an agreement for Scopely’s acquisition of certain game assets from Perfect World for US$34.5 million. 💻Pillar Legal supported Perfect World in negotiating the main transaction documents. Founding Partner Greg Pilarowski led the Pillar Legal team and was assisted by senior associate Yue LU out of Pillar Legal’s U.S. office. 👏We can’t wait to see the great games that come from this deal on both sides of the Pacific. Click on the links below to check it out: https://lnkd.in/g3b7kycj https://lnkd.in/gNS8ZJsu #GameAssetTransaction #Crossbordertransaction 

🚀 Tech Startup? Avoid these five legal mistakes. At Pillar Legal, P.C., we have worked with hundreds of tech startups and collaborated with incubators and accelerators that have supported thousands more. Drawing on our own experience and that of our partners, we have identified the top five legal mistakes that tech startups make. If you as a founder can get these points right, investor due diligence during your first financing will be much smoother. 📝 Download our free article to ensure you’re on the right track from the start: https://lnkd.in/gypXieMN #TechStartups #StartupMistakes #LegalAdvice 

📚FTC Final Rule – Amendments to COPPA 📚 On January 11, 2025, the FTC introduced final amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), strengthening protections for children’s data. Key changes include: 📜 updated a few key definitions, such as “mixed audience” and “website or service directed to children”; 📢 additional parental direct notice requirements; ✅additional method for obtaining parental verifiable consent, and 🔒 new data retention policy and security program requirements. Read our full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/gX9vMT5b #COPPA #PrivacyLaw #FTC #ChildDataProtection #LegalUpdate

Happy Spring Festival! Check out our colleague Yue LU at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business and University of California, Berkeley - School of Law Spring Festival event!

😊TechCon SoCal 🌍 A great two days on campus at San Diego State University hearing about AI and:💰 Financing, 🏥 Heathcare, 🔒 Cybersecurity, 💼 Venture Capital, 🔬 Science, 🚗 Autonomous Vehicles. And for a tech conference in 2025 of course AI is the focus…but it wasn’t only about AI. A few takeaways: 📉 Can you add AI to your pitch deck and then successfully raise funds? One speaker pointed out that the old guys remember the dot com days in late 1990s and how that worked out. Short answer: no. 🌟 Tech Hubs exist outside of Silicon Valley. Thanks to Ashley Keating of CincyTech, Jason Scharf of Austin Next, Neal Bloom🎩 of Interlock Capital and Scott Fox 🦊 of StartupCouncil.org for highlighting the virtues of Cincinnati (close to my undergraduate school OSU, go Bucks! 🏈), Austin, San Diego and Detroit (my hometown, go Lions! 🐯). 🎓 Universities are (of course) critical to a tech ecosystem. Thanks to Jeff Draa, Hala Madanat of host San Diego State University and Paul Roben of UC San Diego for sharing all that our great universities have done to make San Diego a tech hub. 🎉 Congratulations to DeepWater Exploration Inc. for winning the pitch contest and to the seven other amazing finalists for telling us about their companies: Biocanic, FlyX Technologies, Site Bionics, InflammaSense, GolTech, Loopholes and AIR Surgical, Inc. 🙌 Most of all thank you to Faisal Mushtaq and his team for organizing a great event that showcases San Diego, America’s finest city, as the tech hub that it is. #TechConference #AI #SanDiego #Innovation #TechConSoCal

Today, the US Supreme Court voted 9-0 to uphold the federal TikTok ban ⚖️Intermediate Scrutiny Applies. The Supreme Court decided the TikTok ban is content neutral, and so intermediate scrutiny applied – meaning the government had to prove the TikTok Ban serves a legitimate government purpose and is substantially related to that purpose. ⚖️Ban May Be Constitutional Using Strict Scrutiny Too. Two judges weren’t convinced the TikTok ban was content neutral but concurred that even when applying the highest standard of scrutiny, strict scrutiny, the law was constitutional – meaning the government proved it had a compelling state interest in the TikTok ban, and that the TikTok ban is narrowly tailored to that interest.    ⚖️Decision Based on the Public Record. The Court based its decision entirely on the public record, without reference to classified evidence filed by the government. According to Justice Gorsuch in his concurring opinion, “the Court recognizes, we have no business considering the government’s secret evidence here.” So, what does this mean for other China apps in the US, such as, for example, 🧧RedNote (小红书, Xiaohongshu), which recently became popular in the US as an alternative to TikTok?  📱The bipartisan TikTok ban, aka, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, grants the government the authority to ban any China apps accessible on US platforms that pose a threat to national security. 📱But only the President can make that call, much like how the President has the authority to block or restrict foreign investments in the US after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) recommends action. In other words, China apps have a high bar to meet before they’re likely to face the same repercussions as TikTok. #FreeSpeech #SCOTUS #TikTokBan

🎉 Video Game Law Summit 2025 (VGLS 2025) Returning in July 2025! 🎉 ☺ We’re thrilled to announce that the Video Game Law Summit, organized by the Video Game Bar Association (VGBA) and the Multimedia Industry Association (Shanghai) (MIA), will return on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, and will continue to be an annual tradition. 🎮 What Makes VGLS Different: ⚖️Legal Guidance: At VGLS, we address the potential legal challenges that companies may face when China games go to foreign markets, demystifying the process and making global gameplay that much more accessible. 🤝Networking Opportunities: VGLS presents a unique opportunity for China game companies and foreign game lawyers to build transpacific connections. 🌐Industry Collaboration: VGLS brings together industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts for a day of insightful discussions and engaging activities to strengthen the video game community and nurture collaboration. Highlights of VGLS 2024: 🌍International Insight: 23 speakers from more than 10 countries, including the United States, China, France, Singapore, Switzerland, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Australia. 📈Global Reach: Over 100 attendees, including representatives from law firms, numerous China and international game companies, as well as legal and senior executives from top global game companies. 📹Event Recap: You can experience the highlights of VGLS 2024 in Shanghai by clicking the following link: https://lnkd.in/g9Wh4NZb 🗓️✨ Mark your calendars and get ready to join us for an unforgettable experience! Follow Pillar Legal, P.C. and Video Game Bar Association on LinkedIn for updates on VGLS 2025 and stay tuned for details like the venue and our lineup of speakers and special guests. 🎤 #EventAnnouncement #VideoGameLawSummit #VideoGame #VGBASummit #GamesIndustry

🎉China's Game Approvals Reach a New High: December 2024 Update🎉 On December 24, 2024, China’s National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) released its final batch of game approvals for the year, marking a significant milestone for the video game industry. 🎮🇨🇳 Key Highlights: ✅ December Approvals: 135 games received approval, including 122 domestic games and 13 imported foreign games. 📈Record Year: In 2024, NPPA approved a total of 1,416 games (1,306 domestic and 110 imported games), surpassing 2020’s total of 1,316 approvals (1,219 domestic and 97 imported games), the year before the second suspension of game approvals in 2021. 🚀Year-on-Year Growth: 2024 saw a 30% increase compared to 2023’s total of 1,075 approvals (977 domestic and 98 imported games), with notable growth in both domestic and imported game licenses. 🏆New Normal: December marks the third consecutive month where both domestic and imported games were approved simultaneously, suggesting a more predictable pattern heading into 2025. What’s Next? 2024’s game approvals exceeding pre-suspension levels suggests a more stable regulatory environment and expanding opportunities for game developers in China. 🌟 💬What’s your take on this upward trend? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇 #GameIndustry #ChinaGameMarket #GameApprovals

🌟 This past semester, Pillar Legal, P.C. had the pleasure of hosting another outstanding cohort at the Startup Legal Garage University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). We were excited to be part of the remarkable journey together with students William Riordan and Gökçe Naz Tandoğdu, as well as the founder of HousingHelper, Inc., Damon Dvorson, and Chief Market Officer Mason Watters. 🏠 From August to November 2024, our team had the opportunity to help Damon and Mason, both students, in their mission to address the challenges UC Santa Barbara students face when searching for housing or roommates. 🧑🎓 This fall’s Startup Legal Garage is truly unique. The participants in the program are students, their client— a startup founded by students—is working to help other students. It’s a strong, interconnected cycle that reflects the spirit of a student community built on mutual support. 🤝 We’d also like to take the opportunity to thank our previous Startup Legal Garage clients, who graciously provided law school students the opportunity to help realize their startups’ visions, including Andrew Ow at Haiku Games, Meghan Freebeck at Givdo, Colin Bogar at Property Passbook, David 'DC' Collier at RIKAI Labs , Cortney Woodruff at TrainersVault Inc, APURVA KUMAR at CITYDATA.ai, Ashwini Rao, PhD and Birendra Jha at Eydle, Regina Jaslow and Noam (Saradyah) R. at Innocuous AI, David Michael at Beacon Coliving., and Dr. Lola Omishore PT, DPT, OCS, ATC at TheraMotive. 🎓 We also want to express special thanks to Professor Paul Belonick. Startup Legal Garage is an extraordinary program at UC College of the Law SF’s Center for Innovation designed to provide law students with needed practical experience and fledgling startups with free legal assistance. On average, participant companies receive approximately 💰 US$50,000 worth of free legal services. 🚀 Ready to take your startup to the next level? Applications for the Spring 2025 Cohort (January - April) are now open. Learn more about Startup Legal Garage, including your eligibility and how to apply, here: 💻 https://lnkd.in/gtsz2M3t. #startuplegalgarage #entrepreneurship #legalservices #startupsupport #innovation