Ireland continues to be recognised as a world-leading hub for the Gaming and Entertainment sector. Atari was one of the first gaming companies to set up in Ireland when it opened a plant in Tipperary in 1978 and since then many of the biggest names in the gaming industry have established bases in Ireland and the industry continues to grow.
Ireland is particularly attractive for Gaming Tech as it has one of the best statutory frameworks for the protection of IP in the world, with robust, modern and sophisticated legislation underpinning Irish law. Under Irish law, copyright protection is automatic and does not require the registration of the copyrighted material. Irish patent protection can be obtained for 10 or 20 year periods. Irish trademark protection provides for domestic, EU and International patent registrations, and once granted patent protection lasts for 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely. Designs having new and individual character can be registered and protected for up to 25 years.
Ireland’s specialist Commercial Court, which deals only with major commercial cases, has gained an enviable reputation for the speed and effectiveness with which it hears and deals with IP infringement cases. Recent statistics demonstrate that most IP cases are dealt with within one year.
