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SnowTroll · 11-16-2011, 06:22 PM

You can register a copyright for any code you've written pretty easily (checkout the copyright office at copyright.gov), and your website materials (including any images you've made), manuals, or whatever else you've written, and add copyright notifications to all of your materials, but that just prevents people from directly copying your text, code, and images (provided they respect the copyright at all). The general concepts you've come up with, however original, are still ripe for pilfering. You can't copyright an idea or concept. At the end of the day, if some 15 year old steals your code and makes a copycat game, you'll still need to pay a lawyer to write an official cease and desist letter, and you probably can't afford to sue just get an injunction against a kid so your free game remains the only one just like it. Copyright registraions run about 50 dollars per.

If you think you're getting some kind of brand recogition for your game name or logo, legalzoom has some basic forms for filing trademark applications, but you almost want a lawyer for those. They're right on the line for things that have a few too many nuances for the common man to do on his own, and run about 500 dollars in filing fees, depending on a few factors.

11-16-2011, 06:22 PM	#2
SnowTroll Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 183	Re: Security Issues You can register a copyright for any code you've written pretty easily (checkout the copyright office at copyright.gov), and your website materials (including any images you've made), manuals, or whatever else you've written, and add copyright notifications to all of your materials, but that just prevents people from directly copying your text, code, and images (provided they respect the copyright at all). The general concepts you've come up with, however original, are still ripe for pilfering. You can't copyright an idea or concept. At the end of the day, if some 15 year old steals your code and makes a copycat game, you'll still need to pay a lawyer to write an official cease and desist letter, and you probably can't afford to sue just get an injunction against a kid so your free game remains the only one just like it. Copyright registraions run about 50 dollars per. If you think you're getting some kind of brand recogition for your game name or logo, legalzoom has some basic forms for filing trademark applications, but you almost want a lawyer for those. They're right on the line for things that have a few too many nuances for the common man to do on his own, and run about 500 dollars in filing fees, depending on a few factors.