Copyright knowledge anyone?

Thread Starter

Jorginho

Joined Sep 20, 2018
6
Ok, so, yes I know that this is a forum created with the idea of helping each other by providing tips and advice regarding the wonderful world of electronics but...
I developed (with God's help and inspired by Him,) a couple of board games, I really don't know how to copyright them. some websites say some things and others, something different, the actual government website doesn't clarify if a board game can be copyrighted.
anyone?

BTW, I did try to get it done here but it's so expensive. China, however, has excellent prices but I haven't done anything because I haven't done the copyright process.

thanks everybody.

sorry I can't show you the prototypes but I hope once I do what I need to do, I will let you know.
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,152
I can only comment on U.S. copyright law. When you create a work of authorship the copyright is created by that act. You do not need to file with the Library of Congress or even include a copyright statement with your work, but adding a copyright statement is a good way to put others on notice that you care about protecting your rights.

For the U.S. the online authority for copyright practices and law is this government website.
https://www.copyright.gov/

Edit: Fixed broken link.
 
Last edited:

Hymie

Joined Mar 30, 2018
1,277
Maybe things have changed, but when I worked for a large multinational company (with headquarters based in the USA), they regularly published what they called a ‘disclosure document’ which contained potential patentable ideas which they did not deem worthy of spending money on, patenting. But they did not want the competition getting hold of the idea, patenting it and then charging my employer a licensing fee (for use of the patent idea).

By disclosing/publishing the idea in their disclosure document – it was then in the public domain, and therefore disqualified it from being a patentable idea.
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
When you create a work of authorship the copyright is created by that act. You do not need to file with the Library of Congress or even include a copyright statement with your work, but adding a copyright statement is a good way to put others on notice that you care about protecting your rights.
The same applies in the European Union.
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
Ok, so, yes I know that this is a forum created with the idea of helping each other by providing tips and advice regarding the wonderful world of electronics but...
I developed (with God's help and inspired by Him,) a couple of board games, I really don't know how to copyright them. some websites say some things and others, something different, the actual government website doesn't clarify if a board game can be copyrighted.
anyone?

BTW, I did try to get it done here but it's so expensive. China, however, has excellent prices but I haven't done anything because I haven't done the copyright process.

thanks everybody.

sorry I can't show you the prototypes but I hope once I do what I need to do, I will let you know.
Where are you from? Brazil? Portugal?
 

malvarez10

Joined Sep 24, 2018
3
I'm curious what you are planning to do with the game. Sell it to a game mfgr? License it to a mfgr? Manufacturer it yourself? Im asking because it might depend on what you ultimately want. I have a game prototype as well (4 projects from now ill make some headway on) but when I do finish development on it I plan on either selling or licensing. I don't plan on purchasing any protection. This advice is based on my loose following of Stephen Key.
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,152
Perhaps you will to patent it instead. You can write a U.S. Provisional Patent Application yourself and file it inexpensively ($130 from memory). That establishes your priority so you can safely show the game to prospective buyers/backers. If you don't tile the formal Utility Patent Application within one year of filing the Provisional you loose the right to patent it. Part of the trade-off is the cost -$130 (from memory) for nearly a year's free coverage vs thousands to have a formal patent application drawn up and filed by a patent firm.

https://info.legalzoom.com/receive-patent-board-game-20529.html
 

Thread Starter

Jorginho

Joined Sep 20, 2018
6
I'm curious what you are planning to do with the game. Sell it to a game mfgr? License it to a mfgr? Manufacturer it yourself? Im asking because it might depend on what you ultimately want. I have a game prototype as well (4 projects from now ill make some headway on) but when I do finish development on it I plan on either selling or licensing. I don't plan on purchasing any protection. This advice is based on my loose following of Stephen Key.
I'm going to go all the way. whether it becomes the best seller of all time or not, I will have the pleasure of looking at it and say "With God's help and inspiration, I did it"
 
I'm going to go all the way. "
Just curious what all the way is to you. To me, making a prototype and selling to a game company for $X is "all the way", done, finished, lets make that other new invention....But to you it might be "I want to sell 10 games a week out of my basement. Then sell 100 a week next year". Two very different paths, both are rewarding.
 
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