LONDON, March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

TIGA Publishes Free Guides to Help Games Businesses Comply with OFT's Principles for Online and App-based Games by April 1st 

TIGA, the trade association representing the UK video game industry, today urged all game developers, digital publishers and platform holders that make games available to UK consumers to comply with the Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) final set of industry-wide principles for online and app-based games which come into force on April 1^st 2014.

Crucially, any company making games that are available in the UK will have to adhere to the principles, irrespective of their country origin.

TIGA has worked with lawyers at Stevens & Bolton LLP and Weightman's LLP to produce two free guides to enable developers, publishers and platform holders to comply with the industry-wide principles for online and app-based games. To request a download link, visit TIGA's site here.

The principles resulted from an investigation by the OFT in 2013 into the ways in which on-line and app-based games encourage children and other users to make purchases. The OFT investigation was concerned with industry-wide practices that are potentially misleading, commercially aggressive or otherwise unfair. The OFT, after consulting with TIGA, games businesses and other interested parties, has addressed this issue with a set of eight principles, providing guidance on what the industry might do to avoid being the subject of targeted enforcement action.  

From April 1^st 2014, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority will enforce consumer rights, including these eight principles. It has the power to take civil and criminal enforcement procedures against businesses that violate the principles.

Dr. Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, stated:  

"TIGA is focused on strengthening the UK video games industry and working with our international partners towards this goal too. We have worked closely with the OFT and now want to help our members in particular and games businesses in general to comply with the OFT's principles, hence the production of these two guides. TIGA would like to thank Stevens & Bolton LLP and Weightman's LLP - two first-class law firms - for working with TIGA to develop these excellent guides.

"It's essential that all games developers, digital publishers and platform operators who supply games to UK consumers review their products and service offering to make sure that they are in compliance with UK consumer protection law prior to 1^st April 2014."

About TIGA

TIGA is the trade association representing the UK video game industry. We help developers and digital publishers build successful studios, network with the right people, save money and access professional business advice. We also have traditional publishers, outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership.

TIGA is 90% funded by independent UK businesses. 80% of our board members are developers and/or from UK-owned businesses, and 50% of our board are UK business owners themselves. Since 2010, TIGA has won 16 business awards. TIGA focuses on three sets of activities:

• Political representation
• Media representation
• Business services

This enhances the competitiveness of our members by providing benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities. It also means our members' voices are heard in the corridors of power and positively represented in national, broadcast and UK video game trade media.

Get in touch:
Tel: 0845-468-2330
Email: info@tiga.org  
Web: http://www.tiga.org 
Twitter: @TIGAMovement
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TIGAMovement 
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/tiga

For further information, you can also contact:  
Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO on: +44(0)7875-939-643, or email: richard.wilson@tiga.org
Drew Field, TIGA Communications Director on: +44(0)7720-643-344, or email drew.field@tiga.org 

SOURCE TIGA, the trade association representing the UK video game industry