I''ve recently entertained the idea of porting some of the classics (space invaders, breakout, pacman etc.) to handheld devices such as PDAs and mobile phones and then selling them. Does anyone know whether I need to obtain licenses or something before proceeding (I know, for example, that one needs to do something like this with tetris)? Also, I''m sort of curious as to how there could be a gazillion tetris clones out there when it is very clearly copyrighted and when it appears as if they (the tetris company) are enforcing that copyright quite vigorously. I know this perhaps isn''t the place to get real legal advice, but I just want some pointers, and most people in here must have thought about these things at some point. I''m glad for any response, no matter how awkward. -bgy

quote: Original post by bgy
I''ve recently entertained the idea of porting some of the classics (space invaders, breakout, pacman etc.) to handheld devices such as PDAs and mobile phones and then selling them. Does anyone know whether I need to obtain licenses or something before proceeding (I know, for example, that one needs to do something like this with tetris)?

Also, I''m sort of curious as to how there could be a gazillion tetris clones out there when it is very clearly copyrighted and when it appears as if they (the tetris company) are enforcing that copyright quite vigorously.

I know this perhaps isn''t the place to get real legal advice, but I just want some pointers, and most people in here must have thought about these things at some point. I''m glad for any response, no matter how awkward.

-bgy

THey are copyrigted. Don''t use them.



-~-The Cow of Darkness-~-

The name "Tetris" is trademarked, and trademark law does not allow you to make similar products with similar trademarks ("Detris", "Tritris", "Hextris", etc.) However, gameplay cannot be copyrighted, so feel free to make any clones you want. Just call them something different.

How appropriate. You fight like a cow.

If memory serves me correctly, there was a lawsuit against a commercial asteroids-ish game a few years ago... i don''t think they won though. If it is a direct port, i would say that it''s off limits... based off of it, i''d say that''s a bit risky..