Model License Agreement "Games": fair conditions for game authors!
The board of SAZ has decided to make its new model License Agreement for games available not only to SAZ members, but to all interested game authors/designers and publishers. In this way, we, as an interest group, want to help ensure that fair conditions for game authors are enforced as widely as possible. This model License Agreement has been completely revised in cooperation with our legal advisor and on the basis of our experience and updated again in April 2024.
Game authors demand a defined participation in the editing of their works by publishers
The Model License Agreement published by the SAZ in 2020 led to discussions among publishers and a request for clarification. Our position paper on the participation of game authors responds to this request, explains in detail the author rights and content-related reasons, and provides practical examples.
Transparency and fairness in the calculation of licence fees for game authors!
The Game Designers Association (SAZ) has presented in March 2024 a position paper that analyses the non-transparent and questionable practice of a whole range of game publishers when calculating royalties and outlines alternatives. On the one hand, game authors should be given a basis for contract negotiations and will certainly pay more attention to these points when choosing their publishers. On the other hand, we expect publishers to engage in a thought process in favour of fair and cooperative partnerships. We are happy to discuss alternative, fair and transparent calculation bases.
Link to the position paper about calculation of licence fees for game authors
Further documents on the subject of license agreements
A whole series of further guidelines and documents are available for our members in the download archive, for example:
- SAZ Points No. 4: Collaboration and Agreements with publishers
- SAZ Points No. 4A: Mirror of Royalties and Contract Terms
- Guide: Better contracts due to contract review – 3 x 5 points to success
- Checklist for contract review