The thing about video games is…there’s not a whole lot you can copyright. It’s tricky territory to navigate because the rules surrounding copyright protection are changing, and they’re always open to interpretation by the judge(s) involved. But it happens (“don’t know why that is, greed, probably”– Name that game*!). Other times the suits seem more like money-grabs, the kind that makes your blood boil. Sometimes the claims seem legitimate, and the thieves should be penalized. Years ago, Universal Studios even sued Nintendo over Donkey Kong, claiming that it was a rip-off of King Kong. Stranger Things creators are getting sued for stealing an idea for the show after allegedly meeting the claimant (the one doing the suing) at a party a few years ago. There was a more recent plagiarism claim against Lana Del Rey, and there have been many others. You’ve likely read about the lawsuits in music–there was a big one with Robin Thicke, Pharrell, and Blurred Lines, where the Marvin Gaye estate sued for infringement. Please strap yourself in.Ĭopyright laws can be tricky regardless of the medium you’re working in. So, in a way, every new case shapes future cases and copyright law as a whole. Previous rulings factor into new rulings all the time. Precedence is the decisions and rulings formed in prior trials. Copyright law (along with much of the law system in general) works by leaning on precedence. This guide is intended to give you a better idea of what goes on in the world of copyright laws, particularly as it relates to game design.Īnd, as you’re about to find out, copyright law is a bubbly swamp of convolution, misunderstanding, and information that can be (and is) interpreted and reinterpreted all the time. If you have actual, pressing legal concerns, you should seek out the appropriate professional help. And you don’t want anybody to steal your game, either.Ī quick preface here–we’re not lawyers. You don’t want to steal someone else’s game and get whacked with a lawsuit.
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