I'll leave it to Tom Sloper to direct you to his excellent FAQ (specifically, entry #61), but as a little advance spoiler: It's not a good idea to do such a thing if you own a shirt that you're wearing.
The question is not whether it's "ethical" but whether you'll be dragged to court. If it's an obvious clone of someone's IP, and you are not totally unsuccessful and never heard of, chances aren't bad for that to happen.
In any case, abstain from using the original name or a name that sounds confusingly similar, and abstain from making something that "looks and feels" identical or nearly so. It is often "OK" to borrow some ideas as long as they are not patented (most games borrow something from somewhere), but it is never "OK" to "borrow" a name or allege a competitive product with the "original" in some way.
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#3samoth
Posted 20 November 2012 - 07:26 AM
I'll leave it to Tom Sloper to direct you to his excellent FAQ (specifically, entry #61), but as a little advance spoiler: It's not a good idea to do such a thing if you own a shirt that you're wearing.
The question is not whether it's "ethical" but whether you'll be dragged to court. If it's an obvious clone of someone's IP, and you are not totally unsuccessful and never heard of, chances aren't bad for that to happen.
In any case, abstain from using the original name or a name that sounds confusingly similar, and abstain from making something that "looks and feels" identical or nearly so. It is often "OK" to borrow ideas as long as they are not patented, but it is never "OK" to borrow a name or allege a competitive product with the "original" in some way.
The question is not whether it's "ethical" but whether you'll be dragged to court. If it's an obvious clone of someone's IP, and you are not totally unsuccessful and never heard of, chances aren't bad for that to happen.
In any case, abstain from using the original name or a name that sounds confusingly similar, and abstain from making something that "looks and feels" identical or nearly so. It is often "OK" to borrow ideas as long as they are not patented, but it is never "OK" to borrow a name or allege a competitive product with the "original" in some way.
#2samoth
Posted 20 November 2012 - 07:24 AM
I'll leave it to Tom Sloper to direct you to his excellent FAQ (specifically, entry #61), but as a little advance spoiler: It's not a good idea to do such a thing if you own a shirt that you're wearing.
The question is not whether it's "ethical" but whether you'll be dragged to court. If it's an obvious clone of someone's IP, and you are not totally unsuccessful and never heard of, chances aren't bad for that to happen.
In any case, abstain from using the original name or a name that sounds confusingly similar, and abstain from making something that "looks and feels" identical or nearly so.
The question is not whether it's "ethical" but whether you'll be dragged to court. If it's an obvious clone of someone's IP, and you are not totally unsuccessful and never heard of, chances aren't bad for that to happen.
In any case, abstain from using the original name or a name that sounds confusingly similar, and abstain from making something that "looks and feels" identical or nearly so.
#1samoth
Posted 20 November 2012 - 07:23 AM
I'll leave it to Tom Sloper to direct you to his excellent FAQ (specifically, entry #61), but as a little advance spoiler: It's not a good idea to do such a thing if you own a shirt that you're wearing.
The question is not whether it's "ethical" but whether you'll be dragged to court. If it's an obvious clone of someone's IP, and you are not totally unsuccessful and never heard of, chances aren't bad for that to happen.
The question is not whether it's "ethical" but whether you'll be dragged to court. If it's an obvious clone of someone's IP, and you are not totally unsuccessful and never heard of, chances aren't bad for that to happen.