Sean F Kane

Sean F. Kane is a member of the firm's Intellectual Property practice and a member of the Virtual Worlds & Video Games team.   He counsels clients in the interactive entertainment, video game, virtual world, publishing, licensing, merchandising, sweepstakes and gaming industries.  His clients are engaged in all aspects of these industries and he regularly counsels them on various aspects of their business enterprises, including negotiation and completion of business agreements, counseling on the management and protection of intellectual property rights and other matters relating to their business operations, mergers and acquisitions, and representation in resolution of disputes.  Moreover, he is regularly involved in transactions ranging from development, financing, publication and distribution of interactive entertainment properties and related technology licensing and licensing & merchandising of brands, character, entertainment and sports properties.

He has substantial experience litigating complex business disputes in federal and state courts at trial, appellate levels and in ADR forums throughout the country.  These matters usually concerned either infringement issues or disputes over the contracts that licensed, assigned or otherwise dealt with Intellectual Property.  In addition to his work in Interactive Entertainment, his practice has also included negotiation, consultation and client representation in a broad range of other intellectual property transaction involving copyrights, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets and publicity/privacy rights.  While Mr. Kane has a special interest in Interactive Entertainment, video games and virtual worlds, he has represented clients engaged in various entertainment, communications and consumer products business segments, such as music publishing, records, motion picture (feature and independent films) and television production ­and distribution, computer software, video games, virtual worlds and the Internet.  Furthermore, his practice has encompassed many matters arising out of advertising, marketing and promotional issues, embracing contract disputes and litigation between competitors over claims of false and misleading comparative advertising.  Prior to founding Kane & Associates LLC, Mr. Kane practiced with Hall Dickler, LLP (f/k/a Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood LLP) from 1998 to 2004.

Mr. Kane is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Science & Technology Law, where he is the Chair of the Virtual Worlds and Multiuser Online Games Committee, as well as the Section of Intellectual Property Law, where he is the Chair of the Committee on Computer Games and Virtual Worlds.  He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, as well as a member of the American Arbitration Association IP Panel of Neutrals.  Mr. Kane is also a member of the Board of Editors of the LJN publication, Internet Law & Strategy.  Additionally, he is a Member of the International Game Developers Association (“IGDA”).

He earned his J.D. in 1998 from Fordham University School of Law, and his B.A. in 1995 from Villanova University.  He is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern District of New York.