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Alexandre Rudoni

Partner

Email

alexandre.rudoni@aoshearman.com

Phone

+33 (0)1 40 06 50 34

Offices

Paris

V-CARD
Alexandre is Head of France Copyright & Trademark and Video Games.

For more than 20 years, Alexandre has represented clients in the tech, media and entertainment industries in copyright, trademark, design and unfair competition litigation and in connection with their most strategic IP transactions.

As head of the Global Video Games practice, Alexandre has become the trusted advisor of some of the leading businesses in the games sector.

Experience

Representative matters

  • Represent Valve in a case brought by UFC Que Choisir in relation to Valve’s right to prohibit the resale of Steam subscriptions. Secured a ruling in favour of Valve before the Paris Court of Appeals. Case awarded “Copyright Impact case of the year” at MIP EMEA Awards 2023. French Supreme Court appeal pending.
  • Represented Nintendo successfully in multiple criminal actions against the sellers of circumvention devices. Also represent successfully Nintendo in an intermediary liability action against hosting provider Dstorage (1fichier.com) for hosting unlawful copies of Nintendo video games before the Paris Court of Appeals. French Supreme Court appeal pending.
  • Represented Fujifilm successfully in the context of a global unfair competition/free-riding action brought by Polaroid in relation to the use of a square photographic format. Secured Paris Court of Appeals dismissing all claims of infringement against Fujifilm. French Supreme Court appeal by Polaroid was rejected.
  • Represented mobile game publisher Homa Games in the context of unfair competition/free-riding action against Voodoo who was seeking for the global ban of a mobile video game published by Homa Games. Secured several decisions before the Paris Commercial court and the Paris Court of Appeals dismissing all claims of infringement.
  • Represented Carlsberg in the context of complex trademark infringement matter against its competitor Heineken. Secured multiple decisions in favour of Carlsberg before the French trademark office and the Nanterre Judiciary Court.

Pro bono

  • Advising French non profit organizations "Reporters Sans Frontières" & "Autistes Sans Frontières" ("Autistics Without Borders").

Published Work

  • GDPR will hinder luxury’s fight against fakes, say executives, Financial Times, May 2018 
  • INTA paper, Legal-Up! Implications of Video Games in the 21st Century, May 2018 
  • Interview on French national radio about an on-going copyright infringement matter, 7/9 de France Inter Radio Show, September 2017 
  • The DADVSI law regarding television: three steps backward for right owners?, Legipresse – May 2007, co-authored with Laëtitia Bénard 
  • Rights owners and users fail to agree on reform, Managing Intellectual Property June 2006, co-authored with Laëtitia Bénard
  • How to prepare the businessmen in the biotechnology sector for the cession of their firm, Bio Futur - October 2005, co-authored with Laëtitia Bénard

Speaking Engagements

  • More Than Just A Game, London (2024).
  • Games Industry Law Summit, Cyprus, on litigating clones (2024).
  • ALAI meeting, Paris, France, on game emulators (2024).
  • Video Game Law Conference, Tokyo, Japan, on European law update (2023).
  • Games Industry Law Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on legal Services in the games industry (2023).
  • Games Industry Conference, Poznan, Poland, on multi-jurisdictional copyright lawsuits (2023).
  • Games Industry Law Summit in Warsaw, Poland, on contracts in the games industry (2023).
  • Games Industry Law Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, French update (2022).
  • Games Industry Law Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, French update (2021).
  • Games Industry Law Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania (2019).
  • Video Game Law Conference, Tokyo, Japan, on Consumer and Youth Protection (2019).
  • INTA Annual Meeting in Seattle, USA. Alexandre was (i) a panel speaker at a plenary session at on video games and the law and (ii) a table topic leader on virtual reality and its IP implications (2018).
  • Games Industry Law Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on lootboxes and esports (2018).
  • More Than Just A Game, London edition, on the use of IP assets in video games (2018).
  • More Than Just A Game, Paris edition, on esports (2018).
  • Mastering the Game, Warsaw, Poland, on esports (2017).
  • Video Game Bar Association (VGBA) Summit in Koln, Germany: “A brand new World? Emerging legal issues in esports” (2017).
  • International Association of Entertainment Lawyers event at MIDEM 2017, Cannes, France on “Virtual, augmented and mixed reality - Legal and regulatory challenges” (2017).
  • Games Industry Law Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania (2017).
  • Games Industry Law Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania (2016).

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Member of APRAM (Association of trademark and design practitioners) 
  • Member of IAEL (International Association of Entertainment Lawyers)

Recognition

“Exceptional service, great commercial awareness and always puts the client first”
Chambers Global/Europe, Intellectual Property, France, 2023
“The lawyer we choose for our most strategic matters”
Chambers Global/Europe, Intellectual Property, France, 2023

Awards

  • Leading Individual, Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - France (Copyright, Trademark & Designs) 
  • Tier 1 Copyright Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - France (Copyright) 
  • Tier 1 IP team in Intellectual Property, Chambers Europe 2024 
  • Tier 1 IP team in Intellectual Property, Chambers Europe, 2023 
  • Copyright Impact case of the year for France (Valve/UFC Que Choisir), MIP EMEA Awards 2023 
  • Copyright and Trademark Star - IP Stars 2023 

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted to the Bar, Paris, 2004

Admitted to the Bar, New York, 2002

Academic

LL.M, U.S. Legal Studies,Whittier Law School California, 2001

Master's Degree, French Business Law, Paris West University (Nanterre – La Défense), 2000

Master's Degree, US and UK Business Laws, Paris West University (Nanterre – La Défense), 2000

Languages

English, French
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.