Eric Zimmerman over at Gamasutra has written
up a Bill of Rights for game developers. The list is a work-in-progress, but it is a comprehensive and
thought-provoking piece, with each point given a detailed explanation. Many of the rights seem pretty obvious (full
creative control over the game, for example), but still need to be said, as common sense does not always run alongside
business practices.
The list goes as follows:
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The right to full ownership of what we fully create.
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he right to be billed as the game creator in marketing and on game packaging at least as prominently as any mention of the game publisher.
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The right for every individual involved in creating the project to be given accurate and prominent credit within the game.
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The right to move freely between publishers on new game projects.
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The right to a fair and equitable share of profits derived from a game.
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The right to full and accurate accounting of any and all income and disbursements relative to our work.
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The right to promote and the right of approval over any and all promotion of our games and ourselves.
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The right of approval over means for distribution, as well as for licensing, merchandizing, and other derivative versions of our games.
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The right to a publishing arrangement that reflects the iterative nature of game development; one that recognizes that changing a game as it is developed is part of creating a game.
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The right to a publishing arrangement that results in a process that conforms to accepted standards regarding work hours, compensation, and labor practices.
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The right to acquire publishing rights to a game if the publisher has stopped distributing the game.
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The right to employ legal representation in any and all business transactions.
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The right to final say in creative disputes regarding the game.
Call us superstitious, but 13 is an unlucky number for a Bill of Rights - also a bit long, too. How would you condense the list to, say, 10 entries? Or maybe even just two - if George Carlin can do it for the Ten Commandments, so can we.
