🎮 When is a video game more than just a game – at least in the eyes of copyright law?
This question brought “i-Game” into the conversation at the 21st Annual Conference of the European Policy for Intellectual Property Association (EPIP2026), held in Turin, Italy, on 9–11 September 2026.
Representing the KU Leuven Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP), Elie Dessy, Research Associate, presented his research “Towards a unified definition of video games as a sui generis category of works under EU intellectual property law?” during the session “Creators, Culture, and Fair Remuneration in Copyright.”
💡 Drawing on insights also explored through the i-Game project, the presentation highlighted some of the complex IP questions emerging across the video game ecosystem; from authorship and ownership throughout the development value chain to creators’ remuneration, user-generated content, ownership of in-game items and even the copyright implications of live streaming.
As games become increasingly collaborative, interactive and shaped by multiple creators and users, are existing copyright categories still enough?
The research points towards the need for an EU legal approach that can balance legal certainty with flexibility protecting creators fairly while leaving room for innovation and supporting the competitiveness of Europe’s gaming ecosystem.
Under this year’s EPIP theme, “Intellectual Property and Innovation Policy in the New Global Economy,” the conference brought together scholars and practitioners to explore the economic, legal, political and managerial dimensions of intellectual property.
For i-Game, participation in such discussions is another important step in looking beyond game creation itself and exploring the wider conditions needed for a fair, innovative and sustainable game co-creation ecosystem in Europe 🌍
