Copyright issues?

[Hyrage]

Hi guys,

You probably know a lot more about this than I do but...
If you are planning to create a MOD, but you also plan it to become some kind of Public Prototype for a Next real Game. Is this possible, if you Copyright the Game Design of the Project?
(the universe of the game, the singleplayer story, the characters, the weapons, the gametypes... well the whole game is already on the Game Design)

Will it have any problem doing this?
Create a MOD (becoming a prototype) & than if it's as succesful as it was supposed to be... make a Complete Game.

Because this is exactly what I'm planning to do in a few months(maybe years) and I'll probably want to gain some experience by helping you with PS, because I can spot a few similiraties in the level design.

[frvge]

Of course, we'll have copyright on PS. As long as you make your own implementation, it should be ok.

[Hyrage]

Thx  ;D

The thing is that I'm planning to enter maybe at Ubisoft or Eidos Montreal. The point is that I'm actually working on a Game Design (personal project) for a new Franchise that would be an Action FPS game. So, all the universe of the game would be created, the story part of the multiplayer would be already done and the whole Game Design too.

It's hard to come with your High Level Design Concept (HLC) and see it accepted and this is why I would try first to make a MOD (prototype) to prove it would just be an awesome. Plus, this would also create a Fanbase for the real game. I'm fed up of all these FPS who are just all the same, but not looking the same. So I'll shake things up. I'm doing this project for all the action game fans.

I think it's a good plan, but for Copyright issues I wasn't sure.

[MacBryce]

Maybe this is useful to you:

A copyright is one form of the intellectual property rights, which applies to any particular expression of an idea or information, which is substantial and self-contained in a fixed form (see Wikipedia for more details).

The important part here, which goes for any form of intellectual property, is that you cannot protect an idea. You can only protect a particular expression. So if you've got a great idea for a game, be careful what you do with it. Anybody can just rip it off, since you can only protect the particular expression of it.

If you want to make sure that your work is protected by copyright, then you can register it but that's not required. As soon as the work is done, it is automatically protected. Of course, without proof of its creation date, it gets tricky to prove that you're the creator instead of the imitator if you go to court. A trick many designer use, is sending a copy of the work to themselves in a sealed envelope by registered mail.

If you're really interested, I'd advice you to read the Wiki page.

[Westfall]

Maybe this is useful to you:

A copyright is one form of the intellectual property rights, which applies to any particular expression of an idea or information, which is substantial and self-contained in a fixed form (see Wikipedia for more details).

The important part here, which goes for any form of intellectual property, is that you cannot protect an idea. You can only protect a particular expression. So if you've got a great idea for a game, be careful what you do with it. Anybody can just rip it off, since you can only protect the particular expression of it.

If you want to make sure that your work is protected by copyright, then you can register it but that's not required. As soon as the work is done, it is automatically protected. Of course, without proof of its creation date, it gets tricky to prove that you're the creator instead of the imitator if you go to court. A trick many designer use, is sending a copy of the work to themselves in a sealed envelope by registered mail.

If you're really interested, I'd advice you to read the Wiki page.

If you were really interested you wouldn't read the Wiki page at all.

http://www.lib.uconn.edu/copyright/

This is an updated site that explains everything there is to know about copyright. I would never trust Wiki for something as law-abiding as copyright.

[Bob_Bobber0]

put your idea in an envelope and mail it to yourself and keep it sealed with a date and its copyrighted.

poor mans copyright.

[Hyrage]

put your idea in an envelope and mail it to yourself and keep it sealed with a date and its copyrighted.

poor mans copyright.

Yep this is exactly what I was thinking to do X_x and the only thing I know about copyrights O_O

[MacBryce]

Maybe this is useful to you:

A copyright is one form of the intellectual property rights, which applies to any particular expression of an idea or information, which is substantial and self-contained in a fixed form (see Wikipedia for more details).

The important part here, which goes for any form of intellectual property, is that you cannot protect an idea. You can only protect a particular expression. So if you've got a great idea for a game, be careful what you do with it. Anybody can just rip it off, since you can only protect the particular expression of it.

If you want to make sure that your work is protected by copyright, then you can register it but that's not required. As soon as the work is done, it is automatically protected. Of course, without proof of its creation date, it gets tricky to prove that you're the creator instead of the imitator if you go to court. A trick many designer use, is sending a copy of the work to themselves in a sealed envelope by registered mail.

If you're really interested, I'd advice you to read the Wiki page.

If you were really interested you wouldn't read the Wiki page at all.

http://www.lib.uconn.edu/copyright/

This is an updated site that explains everything there is to know about copyright. I would never trust Wiki for something as law-abiding as copyright.

Nice link, Westfall, it definitely explains the concept rather clearly. Nevertheless, I've passed a couple of classes on intellectual property rights in my studying days and I'm absolutely sure that the Wiki page was accurate on the concepts I wanted to comment on.

[Spekkio]

If you could copyright ideas, then Doom would be the only FPS, Mario would be the only platform side-scroller, and Nintendo would be the only console company in existance.

[Westfall]

Maybe this is useful to you:

A copyright is one form of the intellectual property rights, which applies to any particular expression of an idea or information, which is substantial and self-contained in a fixed form (see Wikipedia for more details).

The important part here, which goes for any form of intellectual property, is that you cannot protect an idea. You can only protect a particular expression. So if you've got a great idea for a game, be careful what you do with it. Anybody can just rip it off, since you can only protect the particular expression of it.

If you want to make sure that your work is protected by copyright, then you can register it but that's not required. As soon as the work is done, it is automatically protected. Of course, without proof of its creation date, it gets tricky to prove that you're the creator instead of the imitator if you go to court. A trick many designer use, is sending a copy of the work to themselves in a sealed envelope by registered mail.

If you're really interested, I'd advice you to read the Wiki page.

If you were really interested you wouldn't read the Wiki page at all.

http://www.lib.uconn.edu/copyright/

This is an updated site that explains everything there is to know about copyright. I would never trust Wiki for something as law-abiding as copyright.

Nice link, Westfall, it definitely explains the concept rather clearly. Nevertheless, I've passed a couple of classes on intellectual property rights in my studying days and I'm absolutely sure that the Wiki page was accurate on the concepts I wanted to comment on.

I'm surprised Wiki would be so accurate. I think they've cracked down a lot more.

[Hyrage]

If you could copyright ideas, then Doom would be the only FPS, Mario would be the only platform side-scroller, and Nintendo would be the only console company in existance.

You can't Copyright an idea. If you do, you will be totally reversed in front of thee  judge  ::).
But.. you can copyright a Project (what means sotry, characters, etc).