Am I looking at trouble with my game? edited: to remove specific details on advice on console. [Edited by - fr8 on July 17, 2006 10:26:38 PM]

From what I've heared, as long as you don't use their code/artwork/story/trademarks, there is no problem. Of course, (say) Hasbro can sue you any day, for any reason (not necesarilly a game, not necesarilly fair), and make your life a hell anyways...

One thing you will read frequently in these forums is that ideas can't be copirighted, only the product from that idea.

You have nothing to worry about. Look at the FPS genre. The only difference in those games is storyline and presentation, the games are all essentially the same.

Or the various Civilization clones such as FreeCiv.

This is all good news. Thanks to everyone that took the time to reply.

:Hijack:

Here's a question, what is a derivative /clone and what is different /original? I see a ton of question on how close or how much of this game can I copy and not get sued questions. With the same answers over and over but here's a new one.

Is chess a derivative of checkers (or vis's)? They both use the same board have the same number of pieces, both allow one move per turn, both can be won by capturing pieces from the other side. The differences are, pieces move differently, game can be won by capturing a single piece.

So copyright expiration aside how would this be handled?

Quote: Original post by Torvald
:Hijack:

Here's a question, what is a derivative /clone and what is different /original? I see a ton of question on how close or how much of this game can I copy and not get sued questions. With the same answers over and over but here's a new one.

Is chess a derivative of checkers (or vis's)? They both use the same board have the same number of pieces, both allow one move per turn, both can be won by capturing pieces from the other side. The differences are, pieces move differently, game can be won by capturing a single piece.

So copyright expiration aside how would this be handled?

These are different games. It is the same with an 2d Tile Based RTS Game. They are mostly equal.

2 Armies, tile based map like a big chess field and you win by beating the other army (using different moves etc.)

Most books have nearly the same story too. Someone kills a man. Someone else tries to find out who was the bad guy and in the end the gardener is a princess killing dragons... or something like this :)

So its not something special you may have a copyright on.

What you are asking is, can rules to a game be copyrighted? The general consensus appears to be No. I've never heard of a case where they were.

Quote: Original post by mdwh
What you are asking is, can rules to a game be copyrighted? The general consensus appears to be No. I've never heard of a case where they were.

Wrong form of IP law. Copyright protects "the expression of an idea." If you write the rules for your game, that written expression of those rules is your copyright - nobody else may use your words without your permission.
The concept of a game, however (the actual play process itself) could be protected by a different form of IP law - patent.
Most people and companies who create games don't try to get patents on their gameplay, though, precisely because so many games are similar to each other. Chess and checkers were never patented, and even if they had been, their protection would have expired long ago - so those games' play processes are in the public domain.

Quote: Original post by Torvald
:Hijack:

Here's a question, what is a derivative /clone and what is different /original? I see a ton of question on how close or how much of this game can I copy and not get sued questions. With the same answers over and over but here's a new one.

Is chess a derivative of checkers (or vis's)? They both use the same board have the same number of pieces, both allow one move per turn, both can be won by capturing pieces from the other side. The differences are, pieces move differently, game can be won by capturing a single piece.

So copyright expiration aside how would this be handled?

Qouted myself here because I don't think it's been clearly answered. Given that any protection has expired if both of these were created today how would this be handled in a leagl manner? are they diffrent enough to avoid conflict? Is it mainly look or process that is of concern?