Summary. The working documents of a game studio, annotated.

Template 1 — Rights register

The most valuable document a studio maintains. Build it at the start of production.

Field Entry
Component
Category Engine / middleware / open source / asset / music / talent / brand / font / platform
Licensor
Agreement reference and date
Permitted uses Enumerate; do not summarize
Territory
Term
Platforms covered
Products covered One product? Sequels? Ports? Companion apps?
Marketing use permitted?
End-user streaming permitted? ← the music question
Threshold triggers Revenue, units, users
Attribution or notice obligations
Source disclosure obligations Open source
Sublicensing permitted
Assignment on change of control
Owner
Last verified

The four bolded rows account for most launch emergencies.

Template 2 — Music clearance rider

The single clause that prevents the most common launch-week crisis.

End-user gameplay video. Licensor grants Licensee, and each end user of the Game, a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to record, reproduce, transmit, publicly perform, and publicly display audiovisual recordings of Game play containing the Composition and the Master, including on user-generated content platforms, whether or not such recordings are monetized by the end user.

Administration. Licensor will, within [15] days of execution, notify each of its rights administrators, collection societies, and content identification service providers that recordings described above are authorized, and will instruct them not to assert claims against such recordings. Licensor will provide Licensee with written confirmation. If a claim is nonetheless asserted, Licensor will secure its release within [5] business days of notice.

No further payment. No additional royalty, license fee, or payment is due in respect of end-user recordings.

Why the administration paragraph matters more than the grant: a label's agreement is ineffective if its distributor's content identification system has not been told. Studios that obtain the grant without the instruction still face claims against players.

Ask this question during the original negotiation. It is granted routinely then and expensively afterward.

Template 3 — Digital replica consent (performer)

Standalone. Never fold into a general likeness clause.

DIGITAL REPLICA CONSENT

1. DEFINITION
   "Replica" means any digital representation of my voice, face,
   body, or performance generated in whole or in part by
   computational means, whether or not derived from recordings of me.

2. SOURCE MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUE
   Recordings to be used: ______________________
   Process, in plain language: ______________________

3. CREATION
   [ ] I consent to creation of a Replica.
   Compensation for creation: $__________

4. PERMITTED USES — each requires separate written approval
   Project / character / medium / territory / term
   Compensation per use: $__________
   Approval process and review period: __________

5. PROHIBITED USES
   No use in: sexual content; content depicting unlawful acts;
   political content; endorsement of products; statements I have
   not approved; any context implying views I do not hold.

6. TERM AND POST-TERM
   No use after: __________
   [ ] No use after my death.
   Source data and model artifacts deleted within ____ days of
   termination, with written certification.

7. NO TRAINING
   No material provided may be used to train, fine-tune, or
   evaluate any model except the Replica authorized above.

8. NO SUBLICENSING without separate written consent.

9. REPRESENTATION
   [ ] I was represented by counsel or a designated representative.
   Name: ______________
   [Required by some state statutes and by collective agreements.]

Template 4 — EULA: the provisions that matter

License. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the Game for personal, non-commercial entertainment. You do not acquire ownership of the Game or of any content within it.

Virtual Items. Items, currency, and other content purchased or earned within the Game ("Virtual Items") are a limited, revocable license to use them within the Game. You do not own them, they have no monetary value outside the Game, and they may not be sold, transferred, or exchanged for anything of value except as we expressly permit. We may modify, replace, or remove Virtual Items, including in connection with balance changes, seasonal transitions, or discontinuation of features. If we permanently discontinue the Game or a mode, we will [describe: give at least ___ days' notice; cease selling Virtual Items ___ days before shutdown; offer ___].

Accounts. You are responsible for your account. We may suspend or terminate an account that violates these Terms or our Community Guidelines. On termination, access to the Game and to Virtual Items ends. [Describe any appeal.]

Prohibited conduct. No cheating, exploitation, unauthorized third-party software, automation, account sharing or sale, or interference with other players' use.

Refunds. [Coordinate with each platform's policy and with statutory withdrawal rights in applicable markets.]

Changes. We may modify these Terms; material changes take effect [30] days after notice, and continued play constitutes acceptance.

Disputes. [Arbitration and class waiver, with the acceptance record to support enforcement, or court and venue.]

The shutdown sentence is the one studios resist and need. The alternative is deciding it during a shutdown, publicly, without a stated commitment.

Template 5 — User content license

Your content. You retain ownership of content you create and share through the Game ("Your Content"). You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, adapt for technical purposes, publish, distribute, and display Your Content: (a) within the Game and our related services, to you and to other players; (b) in marketing and promotional materials for the Game, with attribution to your player name where reasonably practicable; and (c) sublicensed to our service providers solely to operate the Game.

This license ends when you delete Your Content, except for copies already distributed to other players, copies in backups, and copies used in marketing materials already published.

We do not acquire the right to incorporate Your Content into the Game itself or into other products without your separate agreement.

Your representations. You have the rights necessary to grant this license, and Your Content does not infringe any third-party right or violate our Community Guidelines.

Moderation. We may review, remove, or restrict Your Content. [Describe appeal.]

The narrow version above supports every use a studio typically identifies. The broad "irrevocable, perpetual, commercialize anything" version is legally fine and will be read aloud in a community forum within an hour of publication.

Template 6 — Modding policy

MODDING POLICY

WHAT YOU MAY DO
  Create and share modifications for personal, non-commercial use
  Distribute mods through [approved channels]
  Use our published modding tools and documented interfaces

WHAT YOU MAY NOT DO
  Distribute any part of the Game itself
  Circumvent technical protection measures or anti-cheat
  Include third-party intellectual property you lack rights to
  Charge for mods [or: charge only through approved channels]
  Represent that a mod is official or endorsed
  Create mods that harass, or that add content violating our
  Community Guidelines

MULTIPLAYER AND ANTI-CHEAT
  Mods are permitted in [single-player / private servers] only.
  Modified clients in [ranked / official] play will be treated as
  cheating.

OUR RIGHTS
  We may remove mods, revoke access to modding tools, and update
  the Game in ways that break mods.
  We do not claim ownership of your mod, but you grant us a license
  to [host / display / feature] it where you distribute through our
  channels.
  We may implement similar features independently.

CHANGES
  We may change this policy. Existing mods [will / will not] be
  grandfathered.

Publish something. Informal tolerance is the source of most modding disputes, because a community built on unwritten permission reacts badly when the permission narrows.

Template 7 — Video and streaming policy

You may record, stream, and publish video of gameplay, including on monetized channels, subject to this policy.

You may not distribute the Game itself or any part of its files; use pre-release or unreleased builds without our written permission; misrepresent that your channel is official or endorsed; or publish content violating our Community Guidelines.

Embargoes. [State any spoiler or release embargo, with dates.]

Music. [Where applicable:] Some music in the Game is licensed for the Game but not for third-party video platforms. Enable Streamer Mode in Settings before recording to substitute cleared audio.

Our marks. You may use the Game's name and imagery to identify the content of your video. You may not use our logos as your channel branding or in a way suggesting official status.

We may ask you to remove specific content, and we reserve all rights not expressly granted.

Template 8 — Item shop review sheet

Walk the actual flow on a real device. Complete before certification.

Check Result
Real-money cost displayed alongside premium currency?
Currency bundles divide evenly into item prices?
Residual currency engineered?
Odds disclosed for randomized items? Where?
Odds disclosure meets platform certification requirements?
Odds disclosure meets each shipped market's legal requirement?
Any cash-out path or tolerated secondary market?
Purchase requires confirmation?
Second confirmation above a threshold?
Parental controls tested with an actual child account?
Spending limits available and discoverable?
Subscription auto-renewal disclosure compliant?
Cancellation flow as easy as signup?
Any pre-selected purchase option?
Decline option equally prominent?
Time-limited pressure mechanics reviewed?
Flow reviewed as a ten-year-old would experience it?

Escalate any "yes" in the cash-out row. It changes the gambling analysis under 31 U.S.C. § 5362 and state definitions materially.

Template 9 — Ban and appeal process

ENFORCEMENT AND APPEAL

1. DETECTION
   Source: automated / player report / manual review
   Evidence retained: ______________

2. STANDARD
   [Define: what evidence supports each action level]

3. ACTION LEVELS
   Warning -> temporary restriction -> suspension (___ days) ->
   permanent termination

4. NOTICE TO PLAYER
   Policy violated / action taken / duration / appeal instructions
   (Do not disclose detection methods.)

5. PURCHASED CONTENT
   [State the policy. Publish it.]

6. APPEAL
   Channel: ______   Deadline to file: ______
   Reviewed by: ______ (not the original decision maker)
   Target response: ______
   Outcome recorded: ______

7. CHARGEBACK COORDINATION
   Platform notified / payments notified / account flagged

Publish the purchased-content policy in advance. Deciding it case by case during a ban wave creates precedent nobody chose.

Template 10 — Performer and voice agreement (key terms)

Term Position
Services Sessions, retakes, pickups, and the notice required
Work product Present assignment — "hereby assigns"
Likeness Scope, media, term, territory
Digital replica Separate consent — cross-reference Template 3
Credit Where and how
Compensation Session fee, use fees, residuals if applicable
Sequels and ports Whether covered; additional compensation
Marketing use Permitted uses of recordings and images
Union coverage Whether the production is covered; which terms control
Minors Guardian signature; court approval and trust where required
Confidentiality Pre-release
Termination Effect on delivered performances

Template 11 — Publishing agreement key terms

Term Developer position Publisher position
IP ownership Developer owns; publisher licenses Work for hire
Reversion Rights return if publisher stops exploiting None
Recoupment Advance only Advance plus marketing
Royalty base Net receipts, deductions enumerated Broad deductions
Approval rights Limited to defined milestones Content and schedule control
Milestone acceptance Objective criteria; cure period Publisher's satisfaction
Sequels and derivatives Developer retains, or option on defined terms Publisher holds
Change of control Mutual consent Publisher consent only
Termination Work in progress returns; accrued royalties survive Publisher retains build
Audit Annual, cost-shifting at a threshold Limited

The ownership row determines whether the studio is building its own asset or someone else's. It is worth more attention than the advance.

Template 12 — Shutdown notice and plan

GAME SERVICE DISCONTINUATION PLAN

T-minus 180 days   Internal decision; legal and community review
T-minus 120 days   PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
                   - Date service ends
                   - What players can still do until then
                   - What happens to purchased items
                   - Refund position, stated plainly
T-minus 120 days   CEASE SELLING virtual items and currency
T-minus 90 days    Offer [refunds / conversion / offline mode /
                   data export for player creations]
T-minus 30 days    Reminder communications
T-minus 7 days     Final reminder
T-0                Service ends
T-plus 30 days     Support window for outstanding issues
T-plus 90 days     Data deletion per privacy commitments

DECISIONS TO MAKE IN ADVANCE
  Refunds: which purchases, what period, what mechanism
  Offline mode: feasible? at what cost?
  Player creations: export format and window
  Regulatory: notice obligations in any market
  Terms: what did we commit to? Honor it.

Regulators in several jurisdictions have asked whether selling items shortly before a shutdown is unfair. Ceasing sales at announcement is the defensible practice.

Template 13 — Certification legal checklist

Run two weeks before submission, not during it.

  • Rating obtained; content matches; re-rating plan for updates
  • Third-party notices file complete, correctly formatted, and included in the build
  • Open source obligations satisfied; no copyleft reaching proprietary code
  • Store data declaration matches actual SDK behavior — verify by capture, not by asking
  • Age gating consistent with platform requirements
  • Purchase flow meets platform disclosure and odds requirements
  • Accessibility requirements met
  • Prohibited content standards reviewed (differ from ratings and from law)
  • Branding and trademark usage compliant
  • Regional legal text present and accurate for each shipped locale
  • EULA, privacy notice, and policies linked from in-game and store listing
  • Rights confirmed for all marketing assets in the store listing

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