R&D&I MANAGEMENT
IP in the Gaming
Industry
Questions & Answers
1. Think of a game that you play on your smartphone or
on your computer. Which features of the game can be
protected with exclusive IP rights?
Example 1: Among us
Game Mechanics: Among Us' game mechanics, such as
the usage of activities to distinguish Crewmates from
Imposters
Storyline and Plot: The storyline and plot of Among Us,
which involves uncovering and eliminating Imposters
among the Crewmates, may be protected by copyright.
Example 2: Minecraft
Block Design: The distinctive
textures and shapes of the blocks
in Minecraft, as well as the
block's overall design, may be
covered by a copyright.
Characters: Minecraft's distinctive
characters, such as Steve and Alex,
may be trademarked.
2. Do you thing that IP rules encourage or discourage
game developers to introduce new games in the market?
Game developers who are
launching new games on the
market may have complex and
variable effects as a result of
IP regulations, depending on
the particulars. However, in
general, IP regulations might
encourage game designers to
release new titles on the
market by giving their original
creations legal protection.
For instance, the widely played game Fortnite was able to
establish itself as a dominating participant in the battle
royale genre partially because it was able to protect its IP
through patents, trademarks, and copyrights. This offered
Fortnite's creators, Epic Games, a competitive edge over
other developers who were unable to exploit such features
without authorization by enabling them to protect their
distinctive game mechanics, characters, and aesthetic
components.
Game makers may be nancially motivated to keep
developing new games if they have exclusive rights to their
intellectual property and greater control over how it is used
and monetized. Additionally, the assurance that they will
be able to safeguard and make money from their works can
encourage game developers to devote more time and money
to developing creative games. This is because of the legal
protections offered by IP rules.
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Naturally, there might also be issues with IP laws, such
as the potential for legal battles between different game
developers who have comparable IP or worries about the
emergence of possible monopolies in the sector.