A company makes a great game called "AwesomeGame" that costs 20€.
They sell thousands of copies of the game, but ultimately go bankrupt.
What is the status of the game at that point? Do any intellection-property rights or protections of it still exist?
A bankrupt company's assets are transferred to its creditors. This includes intangible assets such as trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property.
Whoever ends up with the rights to the game can continue to market and distribute it, or use legal means to prevent others from doing so.
My understanding (IANAL, but was told some of this by a lawyer) is that (at least in England) unclaimed assets after a liquidation vest in the state as bona vacantia and intellectual property that the liquidator can't sell (not unusual) is included in this.
I see the UK government now has a department that deals with this and will consider offers for such property: https://www.gov.uk/buy-intellectual-property-bvc8
No idea if France takes a similar approach.
