Subject: [Nel] Game Rules

From: "John Cosby" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 17:31:17 -0400

I've been observing for a bit, and feel a need to jump in here.

In many jurisdictions (America and England that I know of), the rules of a
game cannot be copyrighted.  Specific presentation, game boards, pieces,
etc. may by trademarked and copyrighted, but the rules that define gameplay
cannot.

This leads to an interesting notion when looking at making a game's source
code public.  There is no legal protection for the rules themselves - the
graphics, user interface, etc. may be protected, though.

In this fashion, Nel seems to have a business model that will work, in that
they will be charging to play on their servers using their bandwidth.  If
the rules of the game are defined and implemented in source code, then those
rules may be taken and adapted or reused.  If the rules of the game are
implemented in libraries using a public API, then those may be "protected"
in so far as the original source and documentation is not available,
although anyone who wants to reverse-engineer (on the basis of behavior,
given the licenses attached to EQ and UO) can come up with their own
implementation of what they believe the game rules to be.

All because I wanted to reimplement a game Prodigy let die, years and years
ago....

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From: Yann Morvan <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 17:42:11 -0400

Ok John, thanks for your answer, I think 
I have a more realist vision now:
rules are too abstract to be protected in themselves
and their implementation will be reverse-engineered
if they are popular. 
So all you have to do is give yourself the means to ensure that your
game will be good enough to discourage people from trying to steal
your players. Sounds like the hard, but honest way ...

And Stephane, I don't think that free software is a joke,
you know I even think that K. Marx had good ideas ...:)

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2001 00:27:03 +0200 (MET DST)

> etc. may by trademarked and copyrighted, but the rules that define

I am not a lawer... But you say "the rules of a game cannot be copyrighted."
Let's suppose that my computer is a game, k?
So my programs are the rule to play/use the game... so following that logic, 
they can't be copyright, so all that EULA as just shit :)

I have heard that what you can copyright is the style of play, for example you 
can copy right D&D, you can copyright the Critical Hit table, but you can't copy 
right the method of throwing a dice to resolve action. :)

Anyway, with all that shit about patents, i think that you will be able to 
patent it to. :-(

                  Miguel Angel Blanch Lardin

nuclear cia fbi spy password code encrypt president bomb iran irak korea cuba
Ala yihad mosad kgb free freedom human rights yugoslavia kosovo ebola dna 
 
                    -- Echelon must die --

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From: Dave Turner <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 11:42:42 -0400

> Anyway, with all that shit about patents, i think that you will be able to

You can patent a game rule set:

http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1='5,641,166'.WKU.&OS=PN/5,641,166&RS=PN/5,641,166
http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=2&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ft00&s1='board+game'&OS="board+game"&RS="board+game"

You can also copyright the precise look of a critical hit table, and the
wording of the hits, and the arrangement of them, but not the
information therein. If the arrangement is the only logical one or
otherwise doesn't involve creativity, then it is not copyrightable (see
ALEXANDRIA DRAFTING CO V. FRANKLIN MAPS at
http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/97D0773P.HTM).

In short, creative stuff (even slightly creative) is copyrightable. 
Processes, etc. are patentable.  So, the code to implement critical hits
is copyrightable, but if someone reverse engineers and reimplements it,
the author has no recourse.

Disclaimer: IANAL.  But I know more about copyright, patent, and
trademark law than both of my parents put together.  And they are
lawyers :)

-- 
-[Dave Turner                              Stalk me:  (215)-545-2859]
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Every day I dream that I'll log on to the channel or walk down the
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