Is it possible to find out who owns the IP for a specific game that was created long ago. I am working on my first full build and it is an enhanced version of a game that was published in the 80's. How would I go about finding out who owns the IP so I can approach them about permission to use it or publishing the game? Thank you in advance.

Network with the game industry executives at the next DICE convention. See http://www.interactive.org/ - ask around, somebody might know who owns it. But why don't you just create something new, instead? If the owner is that hard to find, it can't be all that great. Oh, just had another thought. You could go to the Classic Gaming Expo last week in Las Vegas. http://www.cgexpo.com/ - someone there might know how to find the owners of that old IP.

Tom,
Thank you for the response. The game I am making is an updated version of breakout. The reason I am making it is just to go through all the steps of making a complete game end to end. I feel that this will give me a good understanding of all the steps required to create a finished game. I am working on some concepts for original IP's and will start working on them as time permits.

Thank you.

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Original post by sosa222 The game I am making is an updated version of breakout....

Hardly difficult to track down. Google throws up a link to Wikipedia, which in turn reveals that the game is by Atari Inc, so they will be the ones to talk to. (You will need to phone and ask for their legal/licensing dept).

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The reason I am making it is just to go through all the steps of making a complete game end to end. I feel that this will give me a good understanding of all the steps required to create a finished game.

If this is just a learning exercise and you won't be releasing it then you don't need to worry about the rights. If you want to release it commercially then you need a license from Atari and that will cost money.

Of course there are lots of unofficial breakout clones out there and you could go that route. This would be a breach of Atari's copyright (and possibly trademark infringement) but many people do this on the basis that Atari will not find them and won't bother to sue. That is a decision you have to make.

Personally I am with Tom. If your going to invest the time and effort to make a game, make something original that you own.

Good luck.

[Edited by - Obscure on August 1, 2007 10:53:39 AM]

Originally:
>How would I go about finding out who owns the IP so I can approach them about permission to use it or publishing the game?

Then, later:
>The reason I am making it is just to go through all the steps of making a complete game end to end.

I love it when the story changes. First you wanted publishing rights. Now you're just doing it as a learning exercise. Which is it? That's an important difference.
See http://www.sloperama.com/advice/faq61.htm

And as Dan said, you could have just looked up Breakout on Wikipedia and found the original IP owner. Thought you were talking about some obscure old game most people have forgotten. For the most well-known old games, it's very easy to find out who created it, and then follow the corporate trail from there - it's called "Google."

If this isn't getting flamed, I don't know what is. The story did not change. I am creating this game to be a via commercial product as well as going through all the steps in building a complete game. As far as google is concerned, I should have checked there first before posting, that I will readily admit. As for your downtalking to me regarding my first attempt at making a complete game and enhancing a classic, I have to say I don't ask for your opinion so I really don't give a crap what you think.

thank you

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Original post by sosa222 If this isn't getting flamed, I don't know what is.

Then you don't know what is.

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I am creating this game to be a via commercial product as well as going through all the steps in building a complete game.

But that ISN'T what your previous posts said. You first stated it was a commercial game then stated "The reason I am making it is just to go through all the steps of making a complete game end to end." Just means "only" and you can't be only making it to go through the steps AND releasing it as a commercial product.

The error was yours and Tom merely sought clarification.

Quote:

I have to say I don't ask for your opinion so I really don't give a crap what you think.

This isn't the Lounge. Post in a professional manner or don't post at all.

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Back to your original question - as it is a commercial venture my answer above applies. You will need to phone Atari's legal/licensing dept. However the license see for a classic arcade game will likely be upwards of $30,000 and might be even more if the owner believes it is more valuable.

Dan,
You are right on both issues. My apologies to you and Tom. I misspoke in my posts. I do not want to make enemies here. Thank you for the information regarding licensing.

Thank you.

Welcome to the Business forum,

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Original post by sosa222 Thank you for the information regarding licensing.

Glad we could be of help. Do go ahead and call them, if only for the experience, but it will most likely be too expansive to be worth pursuing. Licensing IP like that isn't financially viable for small Indies. Companies like Atari need a deal to be of a minimum size to cover their overheads. The legal fees alone on a licensing deal can easily top $10,000 (for each party).

When you say "updated version of breakout", do you mean a direct copy, using their name and IP and so on? Or you just mean a clone where you bounce a ball against bricks with a bat?

As you say, starting with simple game ideas like Tetris, Space Invaders and so on is a good choice, and highly recommended on other parts of the forum (certainly better than "I want to write MyFirstMMORG"...), but there seems to be a popular idea on this part of the forum that ideas can be copyrighted, and any clones that exist out there are unofficial copies, and you'd be a fool to risk releasing anything. Given how many commercial clones there are of games out there (not just old ones too - consider FPS games, for example), this seems unlikely.

So to answer your question, we'd have to know more about what your game is actually copying?

(And yes, this isn't legal advice, you can never be 100% sure that someone won't sue you for copying an idea they had - but if you worry about that, then it's probably best not to ever release anything, in case you might get sued...)