Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Acknowledgments -- About the Author -- Contents at a Glance -- Contents -- Introduction -- How to Use This Book -- CHAPTER 1 118 Things to Know about Running a Game Development Company -- 3 Things to Know about Your Publisher -- #1 What Being a Public Company Means -- #2 What Dealing with the Console Manufacturer Means -- #3 What They Have to do to Get Onto a Shelf -- 115 Things To Know about Running Your Company -- Getting Started -- Finance -- Human Resources -- Publisher Relations -- Production -- Licensing -- Wireless -- CHAPTER 2 First Steps -- Decide Ownership Stakes -- Choose an Entity for Your Business -- Issue the Ownership Stakes -- DECIDING OWNERSHIP STAKES -- Who Deserves What? -- When Should They Get It? -- Why Use Vesting Schedules? -- Scenario One: A founder-employee leaves the company earlier than anticipated -- Scenario Two: A founder wants to prove himself and gradually earn more control of the company -- Who Has the Final Word? -- CHOOSE A BUSINESS ENTITY -- The Corporation -- C-Corporations -- Ownership and Restrictions -- Management -- Taxation -- Liability -- Documents Required -- Certificate of Incorporation/Articles of Incorporation -- Bylaws -- Action by Incorporator -- Shareholders' Agreement -- Employment Agreements -- S-Corporations -- Ownership Restrictions -- Management -- Taxation -- Liability -- Documents Required -- Certificate of Incorporation/Articles of Incorporation -- Bylaws -- Action by Incorporator -- Shareholders' Agreement -- IRS election -- Where to Incorporate -- Limited Liability Company -- Ownership Restrictions -- Management -- Taxation -- Liability -- Documents Required -- Partnership -- Ownership Restrictions -- Management -- Taxation -- Liability -- Documents Required -- Other Considerations -- Licenses -- Insurance -- Name -- ISSUING OWNERSHIP STAKES.

Ownership of a Corporation: Equity -- Tax Rules Regarding Stock and Stock Option Grants -- To Founders -- Stock Versus Options -- Vesting -- 83(b) Election -- Acceptable Consideration -- To Investors -- To Employees -- Ownership Agreements -- Transferability of Ownership -- Partnership and LLC Considerations -- SUMMARY -- CHAPTER 3 Financing a Game Development Venture -- INTRODUCTION -- HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU NEED TO RAISE? -- What You Will Need to Build to Get a Deal -- How to Budget for a Product -- Scalability -- RAISING MONEY/FINANCING THE EARLY STAGE VENTURE -- Sources of Funding -- Friends and Family -- Publishers -- Angel Investors -- Industry-Specific Financiers -- Production Companies -- Completion Bonding -- Pitch Materials -- Business Plan -- Market -- Product -- Team -- Competition -- Costs -- Revenue -- Pre-Production Documents -- Pitch Build -- Financing Vehicles -- Equity -- Equity Investment Term Sheets -- Debt -- Regulation of Investments -- SELLING THE COMPANY -- Valuation -- Comparables -- Multiples -- IRR -- NPV -- Letter of Intent -- Due Diligence -- Purchase Agreement -- GETTING INTO AND OUT OF TROUBLE -- Preventive Measures -- Remedial Actions -- Prioritize Your Creditors -- Options -- Workouts -- Publisher Assistance -- Investor Assistance -- Chapter 11 -- Closing up Shop -- Chapter 7 Versus DIY -- Advantages of Chapter 7 -- Disadvantages of Chapter 7 -- Advantages of a DIY -- Disadvantages of a DIY -- How to Liquidate Your Company -- SUMMARY -- CHAPTER 4 Staffing Up -- INTRODUCTION -- SEE THINGS FROM YOUR EMPLOYEES' POINT OF VIEW -- Challenges Peculiar to the Industry -- Good Management Practices -- Communicate -- Define Expectations -- Respond -- EMPLOY PEOPLE WITHOUT GETTING SUED OR SCREWED -- Why Have an Employee Handbook? -- What to Include in an Employee Handbook -- STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- Sexual Harassment -- Age Discrimination -- Disability Discrimination -- DO'S AND DON'TS -- Solicitation (Want Ads) -- Applications and Interviews -- How Federal Discrimination Statutes Are Enforced -- Other Important Federal Laws -- Family and Medical Leave Act -- Fair Labor Standards Act -- Worker's Compensation -- ANATOMY OF AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT-INCLUDING STOCK COMPENSATION -- Compensation -- Salary -- Benefits -- Health Insurance -- Retirement Plans -- Performance-Based Compensation -- Other Key Terms of the Employment Agreement -- Verification of Immigration Status -- Termination -- Ownership of Intellectual Property -- Works Made for Hire -- Assignment of Inventions -- Non-Disclosure Agreement, AKA the NDA -- Non-Compete -- Non-Solicit -- Integration -- Arbitration -- INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS -- Successful Use of the Independent Contractor, Part One: Is the Worker an Employee or an Independent Contractor? -- Successful Use of the Independent Contractor, Part Two: The Contract -- Successful Use of the Independent Contractor, Part Three: Intellectual Property and Information Control Concerns -- AVOIDING LAWSUITS -- Discrimination -- How to Fire Someone Politely and Effectively -- SUMMARY -- CHAPTER 5 A Primer on Intellectual Property -- IP 101 -- Trade Secrets -- What Is a Trade Secret -- Competitive Advantage -- Not Publicly Known -- Efforts to Maintain Secrecy -- How Do I Qualify for and Obtain Trade Secret Protection? -- Creating the Legal Duty of Confidentiality -- Employees -- Agreements -- Post-Employment Protection -- Articulate and Reinforce -- Third Parties -- Physical Protection of Trade Secrets -- Enforcing Trade Secret Rights -- Strengths and Weaknesses of Trade Secrets -- What Assets Can a Trade Secret Protect? -- Basic Principles of Keeping Trade Secrets -- Copyright.

What Is a Copyright? -- Control Over Use of Work -- Duplication -- Sale, License, and Distribution -- Derivative Works -- Infringement -- Idea Versus Expression -- How Do I Qualify For and Obtain Copyright Protection? -- Ensuring Company Ownership of Copyrights -- Employees -- Contractors -- Licensees -- Federal Registration -- Software Registration -- Screen Displays -- Notice -- Enforcing Copyrights -- Strengths and Weaknesses of Copyrights -- What Assets Can a Copyright Protect? -- Trademark -- What Is a Trademark? -- What a Trademark Does and Does Not Protect -- How Do I Qualify for and Obtain Trademark Protection? -- Rights Gained from Use -- Federal Registration Process and Benefits -- Registration -- Rejected?! -- Enforcing Trademarks -- Strengths and Weaknesses of Trademarks -- What Assets Can a Trademark Protect? -- Patent -- What Is a Patent? -- How Do I Qualify for and Obtain Patent Protection? -- The USPTO Patent Application -- Searching for Prior Art -- Prosecution -- Publication -- Competing Claims -- Enforcing Patents -- Strengths and Weaknesses of Patents -- What Assets Can a Patent Protect? -- PROTECTING YOUR ASSETS -- Identify Eligible Assets -- How Do You Protect Your Assets? -- Registration -- Enforcement -- Notices -- Software -- Documents -- Content -- Mods -- International Considerations -- Trade Secrets -- Copyrights -- Trademarks -- Patents -- SUMMARY -- CHAPTER 6 The Publishing Contract -- INTRODUCTION -- LONG-FORM VERSUS SHORT-FORM -- TIPS FOR READING AND NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT -- Hire an Experienced Lawyer -- Know the Basics of Contract Structure -- Read the Contract. All of It -- Itemize and Prioritize -- Size Up the Publisher -- Maintain Parity -- WORK FOR HIRE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT -- Time -- Parties -- Property -- Additions to the property -- Term -- Territory -- Development Fees.

Tier One: Development Fee/Advance Against Royalties -- Tier Two: Royalties -- Recouping -- Cross-Collateralization -- Royalty Rates -- Definitions of Gross and Net Sales -- Gross Sales -- Net Sales -- Sequels -- Development Procedures -- Milestone Definitions -- Publisher Acceptance -- Modifications -- Delay -- Third-Party Licenses, Engine/Underlying Technology -- Localization -- Creative Approvals -- Key Man Clause -- Annotated Source Code -- Options -- Publishing Contract with Developer-Owned IP -- Definition of Property -- FOR CONTENT -- Subsequent Additions and Developments -- Rights Being Licensed -- Games -- How Many? -- How long? -- Merchandise/Ancillary Products -- Non-Software Entertainment -- Engine/Underlying Technology -- Term -- Games -- Ancillary Products -- Entertainment -- Territory -- Sequels -- Reversion -- Notice -- Third-Party-Developed Sequels -- Royalties -- Control/Approvals -- Developer Obligations -- Additional Compensation -- Intellectual Property Ownership and Control -- Related Issues -- Sublicensing Rights -- Credits -- Creative Rights -- Business Approvals -- Costs -- Credits and Notices -- Termination -- For Material Breach -- Publisher's Material Breach -- Developer's Material Breach -- At Will -- Bankruptcy -- Rights After Termination -- Sell-Off Period -- Rights Reversion -- Clauses Added to Most Long Form Contracts -- Representations, Warranties, and Indemnifications -- Common Representations and Warranties -- Developer Warranties -- Publisher Warranties -- Indemnifications -- From Developer -- From Publisher -- Accounting -- Audits -- Marketing/Advertising Expenditure -- Relationship among the Parties -- Force Majeure -- Governing Law and Dispute Resolution -- Assignment -- Confidentiality -- Severability -- Proprietary Platform Owner/Manufacturer's Consent -- Notices -- Modification -- Survival -- No Waiver.

Entire Agreement.