Rights on game concepts?
by cybshadow · in General Discussion · 07/29/2008 (2:39 pm) · 12 replies
I am thinking about making a few games for the iPhone... and my problem is, how can i be sure that i am abel to publish a game without knowing if somebody already owns the rights on such kind of games?!
Is there any way to find out if somebody already own the rights on a conpect like Tetris?!
I really don't want to copy games... but I also don't know all the games out there.. what if I had a great idea, and make a games... and somebody sue me because they own the right of this kind of games?!
I definitely don't have the money to pay a lawyer to find out if a game has a patent on it or not.
I am sorry for my broken english :) I Hope you guys understand all this... if not, just ask, ill try to explain it better.
Is there any way to find out if somebody already own the rights on a conpect like Tetris?!
I really don't want to copy games... but I also don't know all the games out there.. what if I had a great idea, and make a games... and somebody sue me because they own the right of this kind of games?!
I definitely don't have the money to pay a lawyer to find out if a game has a patent on it or not.
I am sorry for my broken english :) I Hope you guys understand all this... if not, just ask, ill try to explain it better.
#2
All this puzzle games and arcade stuff?
07/29/2008 (3:04 pm)
Non of this games our there is copyrighted?All this puzzle games and arcade stuff?
#3
07/29/2008 (3:05 pm)
All of the games are copyrighted, but gameplay itself is not copyrightable. Some gameplay aspects can be patented. And game names like Tetris are often trademarked.
#4
*Note: I'm not a lawyer, however, so there may be an extremely rare and bizarre case I am wrong.
07/29/2008 (3:06 pm)
Basically don't directly rip off some one's game exactly on purpose and you should be fine*. My advice is to just worry about making the game first.*Note: I'm not a lawyer, however, so there may be an extremely rare and bizarre case I am wrong.
#5
But you also cannot really make a complete new type of game because, in some way, everything was made once... in one way or another... so basically you alway's copy a game. :)
but anyway... so if I make my game, even if its "maybe" similar to another game (like rolling a ball on a path :p {just an example} ) I will not get any trouble... right?
07/29/2008 (3:13 pm)
I don't want to copy a game :) But you also cannot really make a complete new type of game because, in some way, everything was made once... in one way or another... so basically you alway's copy a game. :)
but anyway... so if I make my game, even if its "maybe" similar to another game (like rolling a ball on a path :p {just an example} ) I will not get any trouble... right?
#6
07/29/2008 (3:20 pm)
It depends on your execution of the design. But, the vast majority of the time, you won't get in trouble for utilizing a similar concept. 
#7
Likewise, making a game that gameplay-wise is exactly like pacman is fine, as long as the artwork is not also identical. For example, pacman becomes a bird, dots become seeds, and ghosts become cats (or something less lame that that), and your game will not be infringing on anything.
07/29/2008 (3:25 pm)
Right. You can't copyright the idea of a game with balls rolling on paths. Just don't name your game Marble Blast or have identical levels to it '-)Likewise, making a game that gameplay-wise is exactly like pacman is fine, as long as the artwork is not also identical. For example, pacman becomes a bird, dots become seeds, and ghosts become cats (or something less lame that that), and your game will not be infringing on anything.
#9
07/29/2008 (10:06 pm)
I seem to recall that Tetris clones were removed from the Great Games Experiment not too long ago. While I agree in that you can't copyright an idea, you can copyright and patent particular attributes. I think the in the case of Tetris, things like grid size and the shape of the falling blocks were the main points of concern. 
#10
07/30/2008 (12:22 am)
You can copyright one implementation of the rules (for boardgames etc.), and an implementation of the actual game. If your game looks too similar, it may infringe. People are tied up in court over these sort of things all the time. See the recent Scrabulous thing, where I actually think Hasbro are not 100% right, as far as my understanding of the law stretches. 
#11
07/30/2008 (5:30 am)
Just remember... as an Indie, the point is less about being right and more about not getting sued :P
Torque Owner BlueRaja
It's a good thing, too, or most games wouldn't exist.