getting copyright or some form of Legal protection?

Null-Z

Member
I am getting close to releasing my first game, and while I have no worry of this, I've been pestered by close individuals who insist I get some form of copyright on my product before some whoohaa steals it.(a game from a completely new developer as if someone is specifically waiting to steal it.)

what would I do about protecting my intellectual property?
links to more information?
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
I'm no lawyer and the typical disclaimer is in force...don't take my post as law, and I'm not responsible if you suffer damages due to my post :)

First Product? I wouldn't worry about it much. Some of the protection is kinda automatic as you as you have proof that you created it, though by having created it you kinda have proof in the form of sources, sprites, whatever all you used when creating it. I don't see anyone stealing your game itself...and if someone wanted to clone it, you can't stop that in any case no matter what legal action you take. If you have something worth actual trademark, such as a specific character, world, etc...(think Mario and the mushroom kingdom or something), then they can't clone that specifically, but there is nothing stopping them from make a game about a fat plumber that jumps on stuff.
 

DaDonMike

Member
look at flappy bird that was cloned right after it was taken down from the play store and apple store.. i don't think you can copyright anything in today's world.
 

Khao

Member
Copyright is a legal right, not something you "get". You can do a copyright registration which can make things easier, but as the author, you have legal ownership of your work by default as long as you can prove you are indeed the creator.

If someone steals your art, evidence that you created it is enough to protect it. Assuming you can afford lawyers and 💩💩💩💩.

Also, not everything falls under copyright. Your characters, world, names, specific assets/codes and music and things like that would be protected. If someone makes a game that plays the same as yours but has its own code, its own characters, its own music, it's own "identity"... Welp, that's not covered by copyright (and it shouldn't, otherwise we wouldn't have "genres" in gaming and creativity would be dead).
 
Last edited:

YanBG

Member
My nephew was showing me games on his phone the other day. He had a few Royale something(Grand, Great whatever) and thought that the same guy made them. I was like lol no.
 

Tsa05

Member
You *can* register the name of your game as a trademark if you're looking for a bit of extra protection. It costs money, and you've got to have something unique to your product area, but it provides you with legal recourse if someone tries to steal your game's name. This is something that happens quite frequently across app stores (eg, you release a successful app on Android, and when you go to release an iOS version a few months later you discover that your game's name is already taken by another publisher who is sitting on the name--or even worse, has published a knocked-off copy of your Android game).

As others have said, though, the copyright itself--the protection over the characters and content of your game--is automatic (given, of course, that you have the finances to pursue legal action ;) )
 
Top