The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Center (WIPO AMC) announced the International Games and Esports Tribunal (IGET), a non-profit worldwide dispute resolution body for the esports industry.
ESIC and WIP AMC explained that esports offer unique challenges in global settings that other legal bodies struggle to judge. IGET is supposed to fill this gap.
In the past, ESIC had an Independent Appeals Panel to help. With the launch of IGET, the Independent Appeals Panel’s functions are being ceded to the new legal body. IGET will also be the exclusive jurisdiction for all of ESIC’s appeals.
IGET will be made up of mediators and arbitrators who are professionals in the industry. The panel will know and be intimately aware of esports’ challenges and be best equipped for resolving them.
The group also has an accelerated ADR process to keep things moving quickly. This is especially useful considering esports tends to move rapidly.
As for what IGET will preside over, it’s really a bit of everything. The examples used include match-fixing, cheating, IP disputes, player contracts, and sponsorship agreements.
A series of public webinars will be released in the near future that go through IGET’s processes. This is partly for stakeholders and partly for esports organizations that want to know how to incorporate IGET into contracts.
The CEO of ESIC, Stephen Hanna, is proud of what the International Games and Esports Tribunal stands for:
“The launch of IGET is a significant and important milestone for the global video games and esports industries. By combining ESIC’s expertise in maintaining integrity with WIPO’s authority in intellectual property dispute resolution, this initiative will ensure that disputes are handled professionally and swiftly, maintaining the integrity that underpins these industries’ growth and credibility. IGET is a critical step towards fostering trust, professionalism, and fairness across our industries.”
Similarly, Marco M. Alemán, the Assistant Director General of WIPO’s IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector, also had great things to share:
“At WIPO, we understand the increasing relevance of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms in evolving sectors such as video games and esports. Our partnership with ESIC to establish IGET highlights our dedication to providing the essential infrastructure for impartial and effective dispute resolution within the esports and video gaming communities.”
For more news on esports, check out the embezzlement scandal from esports org Into the Breach as well as the latest updates on the Saudi esports and gaming-focused city Qiddiya.
