On July 12, 2023, a seminar titled "The Development Prospects of Virtual Sports in the Olympic Games - What Sparks will Esports and the Olympics Create?" was held at the Shanghai Sports Science Research Institute, organized by the Information Commission of the Shanghai Sports Science Society and co-organized by the Journal of Sports Research. Mr. Wu Wei, partner of Llinks Law Offices, and Mr. Chu Ruoyu, senior associate of Llinks Law Offices, were invited. Following the inaugural Olympic Esports Week (OEW) held by the International Olympic Committee in Singapore in June 2023, the "interaction" between esports and traditional sports has once again cause widespread discussions.
The opening speech of this seminar was delivered by Ms. Zhang Bei, the director of the Shanghai Sports Science Society and the head of the Information Commission. She provided a comprehensive introduction to the history of the Shanghai Sports Science Research Institute and analyzed the development trends of traditional sports and esports both domestically and internationally, as well as the attitude of the Olympic Committee towards them. Furthermore, she discussed topics such as how the Olympics can embrace esports, what kind of esports traditional sports require, and the expansion of Shanghai's role as the "Global Esports Capital."
Mr. Wu Wei presented case studies from mainstream professional esports leagues and traditional mainstream sports to illustrate his points. Drawing on his extensive experience in sports law, he compared and analyzed various aspects of traditional sports and esports, including business models, intellectual properties, development trends, and investment environments. He provided a thorough analysis of the roles that international organizations such as the Olympic Committee can play in the development of esports. In addition, Mr. Chu Ruoyu discussed the feasibility of the integration and potential fusion of virtual reality technology products with traditional sports.
During the conference, various guest speakers and experts shared their views and engaged in lively discussions. Among them were Vice President/Secretary-General Mr. Zhu Qinqin from the Shanghai Esports Association, Professor Mr. Tang Tianjin from Taiwan Normal University, Associate Professor Mr. Shen Liang from Shanghai University, Director Ms. Yang Honghui from the Information Center of the Shanghai Sports Science Research Institute, and Director Ms. Yan Hui from the Editorial Department of the Shanghai Sports Science Research Institute. They respectively expressed their opinions on the development of the esports ecosystem, the integration of traditional sports and esports, and youth sports. The exchange of ideas was enthusiastic and fruitful.
Llinks Law Offices sports and entertainment law team has long been dedicated to providing professional legal services to international and domestic sports and entertainment industry organizations and practitioners, and has been the first to incorporate traditional sports law experience into the e-sports sector to facilitate the rapid emergence and orderly expansion of the e-sports and external entertainment industry. The team partner in charge, Mr. Wu Wei (David), was also named by LEGALBAND as one of the top 10 e-sports lawyers in China. In the future, Llinks Law Offices will continue to follow the global trend of e-sports industry and assist in creating a new culture of e-sports.
