The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a specialised agency of the UN, and the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) announced a landmark collaboration aimed at enhancing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms within the global esports and video games industries. This partnership symbolises a pioneering step towards providing the necessary, fit-for-purpose infrastructure suited to addressing and mitigating disputes in these rapidly growing industries.
The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre, renowned for its leadership in intellectual property (IP) dispute resolution, will work alongside ESIC, the standard-bearer for integrity in esports, to enhance and implement state-of-the-art ADR mechanisms to resolve disputes in video games and esports with expertise and fairness.
The collaboration will focus on several key areas, including joint awareness-raising activities, identifying and training specialised neutral dispute resolution experts for video games and esports disputes and more. Both organisations will share their knowledge and expertise in their respective fields to support and guide the collaboration with the aim of optimising the efficiency and just resolution of esports and video games disputes.
“At WIPO, we recognize the growing importance of ADR mechanisms in emerging sectors like videogames and esports. Our collaboration with ESIC signifies a commitment to providing the necessary infrastructure for fair and efficient dispute resolution within the video game industry and esports community,” said Mr. Marco M. Alemán, Assistant Director General, who is leading the IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector at WIPO.
“This collaboration with WIPO marks the start of an unprecedented program of work for the global esports and video games industries. We are looking forward to collaborating to build new standards for integrity, dispute resolution, and IP protection in esports and video games. This initiative is a monumental step forward, reflective of our commitment to innovation and the long-term health of the global ecosystem,” Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said.
