Say I''m floating my idea for a game and write a design doc. US Copyright Office, obviously, doesn''t copyright design documents because they''re simply well-thought out ideas. But couldn''t you just have the design document notarized as proof of when the idea was put into design doc form and what ideas were in there, giving you a chance if a company stole your idea?

There''s no point. Companies do not steal ideas. Unsolicited design docs usually get shredded without being opened, because it is simply not worth the hassle.

Snailmail a copy of the design doc to yourself, and never open it. It''ll be datestamped and sealed.

quote: Snailmail a copy of the design doc to yourself, and never open it. It''ll be datestamped and sealed.

Does that really work? I mean, I can send an envelope to myself without sealing that envelope. I guess the datestamp would have to be placed on the seal to make it valid.

Its not a legally binding.. er.. anything, by itself, but the key benefit is that if anyone ever tries to make a game out of your idea, and you suspect that they somehow stole the idea directly from you, then you can sue them, and use your unopened, postmarked envelope (with the Design Doc inside) as evidence in that lawsuit. If the company really did steal from you, there''ll likely be irrefutible evidence in the design doc comparison before the court.

Keep in mind that the reason this works, is because (unless I''m sorely mistaken) anything you write that is original IS copyrighted, including a comprehensive design document. I don''t know why you couldn''t register that copyright, although it may be pointless to do any of this since, as Sandman says, companies don''t steal ideas, copyrighted or otherwise.

Nevertheless, if your idea is valuable enough to you and you''re of the paranoid type, it may be worth considering.


Brian Lacy
Smoking Monkey Studios

Comments? Questions? Curious?
brian@smoking-monkey.org

"I create. Therefore I am."

I''ve heard from entertainment lawyers that this method is more of a myth than anything else, and that legally it bears no weight. So, I would consult with legal rep before trusting your IP to this method.

In any case, whoever you show your material to should be under NDA, and if a publisher is even considering viewing your design document (highly unlikely for reasons pointed out by Sandman), consider yourself lucky and don''t worry too much about the potential stealing of your ideas.



_________________________
The Idea Foundry

I know for sure that the "poor man''s copyright," sending a copy to yourself, cannot be used -- there''s been a court case where that form of a copyright was thrown out. And I''m also not talking about sending out design documents to companies; that isn''t fueling my fear about getting an idea stolen. My concern is a discussion over my design doc with the wrong person, but I like the NDA idea.

Discussing your game design is at your own discretion. When documents are involved, I''ve found the NDA to be the most effective means to ensure some level of protection and accountability.

quote: In any case, whoever you show your material to should be under NDA,

I could be wrong here. but from what I''ve read is that there is probably no hope that a publisher would sign your NDA. It''ll probably be the other way around if you want a publisher to look at your design doc. In that you''ll have to sign their NDA. There are a lot of ideas floating around so I dont think a publisher would bind themselves to anything by signing an NDA of ours. But if you''re showing your doc to people like us, then by all means an NDA is probably a good idea.


"I know sometimes I ask stupid questions...but i mean well "
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An ''NDA'' being... ?