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Esports and the Law (LAWS90157)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Online
Please refer to the return to campus page for more information on these delivery modes and students who can enrol in each mode based on their location.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
February
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | February - Online |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Esports refers to competitive video gaming, often in the form of professional events (league competitions, tournaments, championships or battle/match) and typically between sponsored gamers or teams. In the past decade, esports’s business model has developed rapidly from one initially based on individual game publishers to the contemporary multi-stakeholder industry that is projected to have revenues of AUD$2 billion in 2022 and a fan base on over a 1 billion in the same year. Esports leagues and franchises are now aligned with leading global sports entities such as the NBA and FIFA and it is in line to be included in future Olympic Games. This rapid growth and investment from traditional sports has not always been accompanied by adequate governance structures or legal protections for investors, sponsors or players. Being the first of its kind and delivered by experts in the industry and in sports law, the subject reviews the legal challenges and opportunities ahead for esports as an innovative and important revenue stream of the sports industry domestically and abroad.
This subject provides a critical examination of the development and current scope of esports as an industry and with respect to its current and future governance and legal obligations both domestically and globally as informed by a comparative approach.
Principal topics include:
- An introduction to the esports ecosystem
- Stakeholder overview: publishers; event organisers; league operators; teams and organisations; players; talent and content creators; fans
- Governing control in esports: software IP and license agreements
- esports mega events
- Regulating the esports scene; gambling and integrity; player rights and unionisation; diversity and inclusion; pathways into pro gaming.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the historical evolution of esports as an industry and including the fundamental legal structures, principles and obligations of that industry
- Be able to critically examine, analyse, interpret and assess the effectiveness of the legal rules currently surrounding esports
- Be an engaged participant in debates regarding emerging and contemporary legal and governance issues as they relate to eSports generally and stakeholders specifically and including gambling and integrity; player rights and unionisation; diversity and inclusion; pathways into pro gaming
- Have an advanced understanding of situations in which issues relating to legal and governance obligations may arise in work relationships and management practices within esports currently
- Gain a detailed understanding of legal and governance issues in esports in an international context
- Develop the cognitive and technical skills to generate critical and creative ideas relating to the future evolution of esports, and to critically evaluate existing legal approaches, principles and concepts with creativity and autonomy
- Have the communication skills to clearly articulate and convey complex information regarding esports to relevant specialist and traditional/non-specialist audiences
- Be able to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgment and responsibility as a practitioner or administrator and learner in the field esports and the law
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Research paper on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
| 12 May | 100% |
Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- February - Online
Principal coordinator Jack Anderson Mode of delivery Online Contact hours Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 20 January 2021 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to the Reading Guide on the LMS subject page for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 17 February 2021 to 23 February 2021 Last self-enrol date 25 January 2021 Census date 18 February 2021 Last date to withdraw without fail 9 April 2021 Assessment period ends 12 May 2021 February contact information
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a 'first in' basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of waitlisted places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist materials will be made available via the LMS in the pre-teaching period.
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022