I want to create, market, and sell a PC-based logic/puzzle game via shareware. The idea is BASED on an established card game called "SET". You can look up info from that game at setgame.com. Anyway, the objective of the card game is to create these matching sets of cards. So the fact that you're matching up the sets in the same way (so that each characteristic is either the same across all 3, or different) is going to be the only similarity. The similarities end there. My PC game will use different objects rather than cards, and the characteristics will be different. Also the scoring will be different. I could probably going on listing other differences, but I'll get to my question... Since it is based on the same basic gameplay as it's core, am I violating copyright laws? I know that there are SEVERAL games out there, that are copyrighted and obviously inspired by eachother and have the same basic gameplay with different tweaks. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Mike

no

I am not a lawyer, but to my knowledge gameplay mechanics are not copyrightable.

No you're not. The concept isn't protected by copyright/trademark/patent.

Three quick replies, and all responses I liked hearing :)

Thanks so much for the helpful insight. Much appreciated.

Mike

Keep in mind that you can still be sued. Hasbro does this all the time. If you can't pay the $2000 to defend yourself, you're still dead even though you're "right."

If they have a patent, you could be in trouble. Check out the following lawsuit:

http://www.game-machines.com/news/120603/sega-road-rage.php

Yup, gameplay can be patented like this:

United States Patent 6,652,376

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,652,376.WKU.&OS=PN/6,652,376&RS=PN/6,652,376

In addition, Wizards of the Coast has a patent on collectable card games. Any new one that comes out has to pay them licensing.