LegalInteractive Games & Entertainment Association
IGEA Meeting Guidelines: Competition and Consumer Law Compliance
24 Feb 20264 pages~9 min full read
IGEA meetings are strictly governed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and the New Zealand Commerce and Fair Trading Acts to prevent anti-competitive behavior.
Discussions regarding price fixing, discount levels, market division, production quotas, or coordinated tendering are expressly prohibited at all IGEA-related gatherings.
Permissible meeting topics are limited to public relations, legislative advocacy, and general industry trends, with any price-related government lobbying required to be framed hypothetically.
The IGEA secretariat must oversee meeting preparation, including circulating an agenda at least two weeks in advance and recording formal minutes.
If prohibited topics arise, participants are required to protest the discussion, leave the meeting, document the incident, and escalate the matter to legal counsel.
Compliance obligations apply to all IGEA-related events, including board meetings, working groups, and social gatherings, effective since the policy's adoption on 7 December 2020.
Directors and members must act as representatives of the association rather than individual companies, while remaining personally and professionally subject to competition law.
The guidelines set out a compliance framework for all meetings of the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) and its subsidiaries, mandating adherence to the Australian Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and the New Zealand Commerce and Fair Trading Acts. Their central thesis is that any discussion that could influence pricing, market allocation, or other competitive parameters within the computer and video‑game sector is prohibited, and that meetings must be structured to prevent the formation of anti‑competitive arrangements.
Preparation of meetings is to be overseen by the IGEA secretariat, with at least two weeks’ notice and an agenda circulated in advance. The chair, normally the IGEA chairperson or vice‑chair, must be present; if absent, directors or members must elect an alternative. Minutes are to be recorded by the secretariat or an appointed director, and all participants must recognize that attendance at a meeting where price or related matters are raised creates legal risk. The document enumerates permissible topics—public relations, legislative advocacy, and general industry trends—while expressly forbidding any dialogue on price fixing, discount levels, market division, production quotas, or coordinated tendering. It also requires that any price‑related lobbying to government be framed hypothetically and not tied to specific members.
Procedures for raising concerns include protesting the discussion, leaving the meeting, documenting the incident in the minutes, and escalating the issue to senior executives and legal counsel. Confidentiality obligations extend to all personal or proprietary information shared during meetings. The guidelines apply to all IGEA‑related gatherings across Australia and New Zealand, covering board, member, working‑group, breakout, and social events, and they emphasize that directors act as representatives of the association, not as agents of their individual companies, while still remaining subject to competition law. Adoption of the policy on 7 December 2020 underscores IGEA’s commitment to lawful, competitive conduct in all its collaborative activities.
