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mlebouton
05-08-2004, 11:32 AM
Your article #146 on copyright was very interesting, it answered a few questions I had. However, just to clarify...

I've had a groovy idea for a web-based game, and I'm currently in the process of developing it and writing the algorithms to make it work. The design and look of the game and all the mechanics and math are my own, but since I'm not a programmer I've got a friend on board who is going to code everything for me and make it work in a whizzy computer-type way.

There are no characters to copyright - it ain't that kind of game, more of a strategy game like Hegemony - so presumably to have any kind of control over theft of my idea, I'd have to patent the mechanics behind it? And as for the code that my friend creates, one would presume that he owns the copyright to that, not me? (I should point out I'm not paying him to do this work for me. I'm just persuasive).

ShannonA
05-14-2004, 02:48 PM
A. Not a lawyer.

B. Yes, to protect mechanics you need to patent, as I discussed in the article that just went up. I don't generally find it worth it.

Yes, your friend would own copyright on the code.

Since you're working together on this, you should probably come to a joint agreement where you together own the resulting product, since you're jointly contributing to it.

C. Feel free to drop me a line if it turns out well. We're always looking for new games at Skotos.

Shannon