In general, talented and experienced lawyers use three types of billing arrangements: hourly billing, flat fee, and contingency fee. These are the three “pure” billing arrangements, although some Law Firms might negotiate a “blended” fee arrangement.
Hourly billing entails your attorneys tracking their time and invoicing you for legal services based on tenths or quarters of an hour. Video game lawyers will typically charge from $300 to $600 an hour depending on the complexity of the legal issues, location, and experience of the given attorneys handling the matter. Sometimes, hourly billing will be negotiated at two rates: a higher rate for senior attorneys and a lower rate for less experienced attorneys. This is common for litigation cases since some tasks — like writing pleadings or issuing written discovery — do not require extensive legal knowledge and expertise.
Flat fee billing arrangements are typically used for “bulk repeat” tasks and for what might be called “project” legal services. For example, bankruptcy attorneys often charge a flat fee for a simple personal bankruptcy “project,” which involves consultation with the client, filing the bankruptcy petition, interacting with the Trustee and court, etc. Examples of bulk repeat services include sending out letters regarding debt collection or sending notices of copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property infringement (such as sending DMCA take-down notices to online web platforms).
Contingency fee arrangements are most often used in personal injury cases and other types of litigation. With a contingency fee arrangement, there is no fee for the attorney unless there is a settlement of the case/claim or a successful verdict in litigation. Copyright and trademark infringement claims/cases are sometimes handled on a contingency fee basis.
As for the cost of hiring a Copyright Law Firm — like Revision Legal — to register a copyright for a Video Game Name, customarily, the billing arrangement is either hourly or flat fee. If the arrangement is a flat fee, then, generally, the cost ranges from $500 to $900 based on the type of registration needed. The options include:
- A work by one author
- A joint work
- A work made for hire
- A derivative work
- A compilation
- A collective work
- A unit of publication
- And more
Registering a copyright for a Video Game Name is likely on the “less-complex” end of the spectrum. Thus, the fees will likely be on the lower end of the range. Although, in truth, you want to trademark a video game name and seek copyright for the game itself — including the story, art, and other artistic features. Registering the game and its parts is more complex and will entail higher fees. For a consultation, call Revision Legal at 231-714-0100 or 855-473-8474.
As for drafting employee contracts, such legal work is generally done via hourly billing. This is particularly true for executive and senior management employee contracts. This is a function of the skill, experience, and depth of legal knowledge necessary to draft a solid and enforceable employment contract. For example, the attorney drafting the employment contract must have knowledge of both federal and State labor laws and, indeed, legal knowledge specific to the State where the employment relationship exists.
Contact the Video Game Copyright Attorneys at Revision Legal
For more information, contact the experienced video game copyright Lawyers at Revision Legal. You can contact us through the form on this page or call (855) 473-8474.