Dragaera

Artificial release dates and online publishing

Wed Dec 11 07:41:56 PST 2002

Jim Katz wrote:
> Hi Gametech,
> My buddy Lance is going to be awfully disappointed when he learns that
> the 5000 plus dollars he laid out to patent a new game he invented is
> just money down the drain because patents aren't issued for games????
> I think NOT!
>
> <snip> >
>> Actually I'm talking about 'Games' not the sub category of them being
>> 'Video' There is content in video games that is often copyrighted,
>> like the images, and the soundtrack. The 'idea' behind the game
>> isn't patentable. Case in point popular games spur many similar
>> titles, of which unless they are 'enough different' will flop.
>>
>> --
> ! Jim Katz

Was his patent for the software (and the way it did some specific things)
contained in the game or the mechanics of the game itself?
I think you may have missed my point in hopes to take me too literarily. You
can't patent (or at least I refuse to even accept you have a right) ideas
like 'first person shooter' or ideas to the inner machinisms of game
(setting software aside) like when you die you lose a 'life' and have only
so many 'lives', etc. I'd like to mention that I used the phrase 'generally
can't' through out what you snipped from.

I can't stop some asshole from thinking he somehow owns an idea, I can just
refuse to accept his claim to ownership.