[OT] Copyrighting games?

[Richmond]

On 19/08/15 20:47, Rick Harrison wrote:
> Hi Richmond & Roger,
>
> You are referring to some kind of DRM (Digital Rights Management).  While
> in theory it sounds great, very often products that do this are boycotted
> by users who find out about it, and it can ruin one's product sales.

No, I'm not.

I have designed a tiling game something a bit like this: 
http://picklebums.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/hexi-card-pattern.jpg

although, frankly, it is a bit more complex.

I would like, initially to market it in the form of either plastic or 
card tiles in a box.

Later on I might make a LiveCode game with it, using a commercial 
version of LiveCode.

In the latter case I would want to make sure that another company would 
be discouraged from
making a clone of the game - i.e. ripping off the idea rather than 
stealing the code.

>
> Years ago I had a shareware game that I asked people to register for
> when trying out the game so that when it came time for them to actually
> purchase the product if they liked it, it would make the process easy and
> painless.  It also provided me with information on how many people downloaded
> the product and used it.  It seemed like a great idea at the time.  All I got
> were complaints about how I was invading their privacy by asking them to
> register to use my free to try game.  Over 600 people downloaded the game
> and played it.  Only 1 of them was honest enough to actually pay me $5.00
> for what he described as an absolutely fantastic game which was way ahead
> of its time.
>
> You will probably want to produce some prototype physical games on your
> own if possible.  You could consider 3-D printing some of your plastic parts etc.
> Find a manufacturer who can ramp up your production if you need it.  Just get
> the costs figured out for this first, so youll know what you are up against.

I have made contact with a plastics factory here in Bulgaria. Their 
lawyer suggested to me that
I should get some sort of legal protection even before I show them my 
prototype pieces.

>
> Patenting is not an inexpensive process.  Once you have a successful patent
> you will have to be prepared to defend it with lots of cash for lawyers fees.
> This is why many products are released with Patent Pending on them which
> means a patent application has been filed but not yet granted so the product
> was able to be rushed to market before any copycats got into the act.
>
> Copyright is easiest and you should see how well your electronic software
> sales go first before attempting to sell a physical board game version as
> that will be way more expensive to manage and produce.

I am not really interested in patenting, as I am sure that unless the 
game in a howling success it is
unlikely that anybody is going to rip it off - I would like, for the 
sake of argument, to sell a few hundred
copies . . .
>
> Good luck with your product!

Thanks.
>
> Rick

Richmond.
>
>> On Aug 19, 2015, at 12:56 PM, Roger Eller <roger.e.eller at sealedair.com> wrote:
>>
>> You could have your software log first-time app launches to a LC server
>> database just to inform you that it has been installed somewhere, and
>> include some kind of trace code to the purchaser.  When you see 1000+
>> launches from different IP Addresses, you'll know it has gotten out into
>> the wilderness (the interwebs).
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 19, 2015 at 12:49 PM, Richmond <richmondmathewson at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 19/08/15 19:39, Peter TB Brett wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 2015-08-19 18:25, Richmond wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have recently invented a tiling game that can be produced as a
>>>>> physical game and as a computer game.
>>>>> This involved a lot of thought and a lot of work, and as a result I
>>>>> would like to try and make some money
>>>>> out of it rather than just "give it to the world".
>>>>>
>>>>> However, never having copyrighted anything except a book in 1985, I
>>>>> don't know how to go about this.
>>>>>
>>>>> My main concern would be, initially at least, within the European
>>>>> Community.
>>>>>
>>>>> I would be grateful for any advice anyone can give me.
>>>>>
>>>> Since quite a long time ago now, every creative work automatically has
>>>> copyright protection from the moment of creation -- and, by treaty, this
>>>> protection extends worldwide.
>>>>
>>>> There is no need to register your copyright any more in order to receive
>>>> protection (although it may assist in enforcement).
>>>>
>>>> On the other hand, whether you have copyright on something and whether
>>>> you can make money out of it are usually uncorrelated.
>>>>
>>> Ha, Ha, Ha . . . of course.
>>>
>>> However, before I roll along to the local plastic moulding factory I want
>>> to try to ensure that the owner of the factory doesn't
>>> merrily steal my product or start selling copies out the back door.
>>>
>>> I am tempted to register here: https://www.workscopyright.com/ as it is
>>> quick and inexpensive.
>>>
>>> Money is as money does, and I am notoriously bad with money. But I am
>>> aware that if I want to *try* and sell my product rather
>>> than just give it away (at which point somebody else can make money from
>>> my bright idea) I need a bit of what Gene Wilder was talking about
>>> in the first version of /Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/.
>>>
>>> Richmond.
>>>
>>>
>>>>                                     Peter
>>>>
>>>>
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