Hello,
I’m wondering what should an indie developer do to protect her or his game rights, I’m about to publish a very basic game to the app store and I have no idea if I’m going to need any official copyrights documents for
my contributions and for the other artists that were involved in creating this game.
Any information about this field would be much appreciated especially from who already had experienced this situation before
Thank you for reading and for your time
Cheers
Your idea is worth nothing, and you can’t protect it. You can protect art etc. The code is also protected.
You should offcourse protect your IP (Logo etc) it’s done online for example
Commonly you get certain intellectual properties automatically, but there are international variations. Most countries include copyright (although you can register in USA). There is also other types of unregistered IP, such as EU unregistered design rights.
You can register different kinds of IP, but it usually only covers the countries or regions you register in, and the rights and kinds of rights vary enormously. There is little in the way of global standards. Types of rights include patents, trademarks, and registered design rights. Bear in mind software (and therefore video games) are generally not protectable by patent, although the mess of a system they have in USA means patents are often given, with challenges needing to go to court, which is expensive.
Although not universal, a general rule of thumb is unregistered rights are free, but you have to prove infringers copied you. Registered design rights are paid for, but you don’t have to prove you have been copied, only that the similarities are enough to infringe. However, in all cases it is up to you to chase up the cases, it is not up to the police, etc. to do it. Engaging lawyers to do that can get expensive.
in 5 of July 2018 EU parliament want to approve a draft different legislation.
[https://juliareda.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/copyright-juri.pdf](http://But if you read the copyright law is clearly simple.)
But if you read the copyright law and modifications is clearly simple.
In England is a tradition and for each country was different.
modifications
Clearly, need some updated improvement as for example to include chemistry in it.
In 1910 at BuenosAires there was a big convention in where almost al country applies Universal 1909 act.
So for all the countries, the law is the same.
Is simple to read.
You can make music, painting, game, idea invention, chemistry, etc
After some amount of time, that idea, song or paint past to be part of the humanity. This time depends on country and subject.
As the exception of a chemical, an antivirus or chemical formula will never become part of the human world heritage. Is a modification the low in a way (exception) that allow that industry to grow up as for example CocaCola not to loos the formula. This is the reason why some bad powerfull industry what to include code as a formula for achieving a perpetual licence.
You can also patent your invention, as I have done for the auto stable sail invented in the 88 but the ideas can be used for 20yr to make a review update of the patent you need 100.000$us more less. This lets you be more strong in front of a judge. But is not worth it. Was very expensive. Also, you need to know is that if your idea is good Military can use it and take from you the commercial right as it happens to me somehow with the “Ladron”. Is better to put the time and effort in the work itself. There are a lot of copies are difficult to win in court. Example If a chines factory copy you china courts do not care if there is just a 5% of modification. If is a fiscal product can be protected in your local space, but via the internet is clearly more difficult.
Is simple 35usd to trademark in a pay register. But is the same as making the work and posting the idea in detail publically as we do here in the forum. There is a Treehouse course about copyright.
If you are an employee you are the owner of your intellectual right and owner hire your work is the owner of your commercial right. As for example, I was sent as Pininfarina employee to make some Motorola phones, I make some new drawings and inventions: in this patent inventions, there is my name as intellectual property and Motorola as commercial use. Apple is using the idea but is too expensive to claim the rights.
If you are not the employer and you make a new invention or game is better to show what you are doing so that the divulgation by itself prove as a copyright. For example a publication. An example can be The Wright brothers invented the first successful powered airoplane because they publish the research and experiment. A secret research is more difficult to prove.
So in your case you are selling a license of use of your game that is about the commercial use. This license like the copyleft are like a special contract where the author of the licence is not asking the other side to sign. A contract instead is a license where the two-part is signing in an agreement. License and contract are different. Both must respect the “Ley de autor” copyright law. As for example in the contract with your employer, you can as to your employees to sign clauses that say: anyone needs to know, that you invented somthing but that clauses is wrong, because the law protects the intellectual right. Your employ can show his work as portfolio. But can’t make a museum and earn money with it.
Better to read the law. Is simple a short
Thank you everyone for this precious information and for your guidance about this blurry subject and complex subject