# Amy Thomas, "Copyright, Contract, and Video Games: Terms of Play" (Hart Publishing, 2026)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-law-435148/amy-thomas-copyright-contract-and-video-games-terms-of-play-hart-publishing-2026
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-law-435148/amy-thomas-copyright-contract-and-video-games-terms-of-play-hart-publishing-2026.md
Podcast: [New Books in Law](https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-law-435148)
Published: 2026-05-29T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK4646771874.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK4646771874.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-law-435148/episodes/amy-thomas-copyright-contract-and-video-games-terms-of-play-hart-publishing-2026
Duration seconds: 1609

## Resource

Copyright, Contract, and Video Games: Terms of Play (Hart Publishing, 2026) uncovers how video game contracts act as monologues of power, moulding players to align with proprietary ideologies. In the era of interactive technologies, the player emerges as a vital yet curiously overlooked figure. While copyright law governs the creation and distribution of these technologies, it sidesteps the player, leaving private contracts to define their role and obligations. Using video games as a case study, this book fills the gap left by copyright law, offering an innovative socio-legal methodology to interrogate and challenge harmful contractual norms. By analysing contracts as a form of critical discourse, the book exposes the contradictions and idealisations embedded in these agreements, which often serve to reinforce industry priorities. It is an essential resource for scholars in intellectual property law, video game studies, and socio-legal research, contributing to pressing debates on user rights and the shifting balance of power in interactive industries. With its fresh perspective on the interplay of copyright, contract, and cultural participation, the book redefines the player's role in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, offering new tools to understand and critique the legal frameworks shaping this most interactive of industries. Amy Thomas is Lecturer in Intellectual Property and Information Law at the University of Glasgow, UK. Rudolf Thomas Inderst (*1978) enjoys video games since 1985. He received a master’s degree in political science, American cultural studies as well as contemporary and recent history from Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich and holds two PhDs in game studies (LMU & University of Passau). Currently, he's teaching as a professor for game de…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-law-435148/episodes/amy-thomas-copyright-contract-and-video-games-terms-of-play-hart-publishing-2026/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-law-435148/amy-thomas-copyright-contract-and-video-games-terms-of-play-hart-publishing-2026.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.