The Scottish Esports Association (SEA) can direct members to various sources of legal information on specific subjects related to legal matters in Esports. We are unable to represent any member in court directly but can offer advisory legal information.
Public Liability Insurance
One example of the assitance we can provide is the legal requirement for Public Liability Insurance where events are being staged. This can be small-scale LAN events, larger local events, and all the way to stadium sized events.
Our carefully chosen partners provide our members with generous discounts. Other forms of insurance are also offered, including those associated with high value electrical equipment which every Scottish Esports player will be familiar with.
Portable Appliance Testing
Another area most often overlooked is the need for legal PAT Testing. This means Portable Appliance Testing and basically covers every electrical item that can be plugged in and run from mains electricity. The obvious need for this important safety measure is unfortunately often overlooked by event organisers and competitors.
Resulting damage from untested appliances can cause havoc to those affected. Insurance companies refuse payouts and the risk to life is one not to be taken lightly. Staying safe and legal should be on everyone’s checklist.
A fee is normally charged per item for PAT Testing, but our members can arrange for Certified PAT Testing to be done FREE OF CHARGE.
Child Protection
We support wholeheartedly the efforts by everyone involved in child protection, particularly Children 1st and sportscotland. The joint document “To Safeguard Children In Sport” has our unequivical backing and we go to great lengths to ensure all of our members develop their Esports connections with practical efforts to safeguard children in all aspects of development.
Here at the Scottish Esports Association (SEA) we have a Child Protection Officer whose job is to ensure we ourselves comply with all legislation and legal best practices, and by definition are thereby able to offer some guidance to our members in what is often a legal jungle filled with legal terms difficult to understand.
We do however recommend training in this area as it is not one to be taken lightly. Members can benefit from our guidance on approved training.
Disclosure Scotland Checks
Many industries require criminal record disclosure checks to be made, and where working with children is involved these checks are a necessity. Esports has many participants legally described as children and all those involved must have checks.
For applicants that will be working in Scotland, there are three levels of criminal record check.
Basic
Contains convictions considered unspent under The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. This level of disclosure can be applied for electronically through a new web based e-application route.
Standard
Contains details of all convictions held on the Police National Computer including current and ‘spent’ convictions as well as details of any cautions, reprimands or final warnings.
Enhanced
Contains all conviction information, spent and unspent, and any other non conviction information considered to be relevant by the police or other Government bodies.
The information included in the disclosure will depend on the level of disclosure applied for.
A full table of information is available at this link
Our members benefit from information regarding the type of legal checks required and other facts in this crucial area of legal operation.
LEGAL GAME LICENSING
Correct licensing agreements must be sought by any organisation wishing to use games to run online or offline tournaments. This holds true regardless of the size of the event.
Games manufacturers spend millions of pounds developing their products and it only reasonable that they expect to profit from their investments. Licensing is one way they seek to prevent unauthorised use of their products and Intellectual Property Rights.
Scottish Esports Association can assist any event organiser to see and obtain the relevant licences required for any event. We have established ongoing relationships with the industry’s major developers and manufacturers and work effectively with all of them.
We do not support or condone any form of software piracy. Contact us if you require information on licensing issues.