Stealing
quote:Original post by cowsarenotevil
Obscure, once again, you can have idealogical property in the U.S.
What on earth is that supposed to mean? There is no such word as "idealogical". If you are attempting (and failing) to claim that ideas can be protected please post a link to the web site of the government agency that administers such protection and quote page, and paragraph number.
Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Game Development & Design consultant
[edited by - obscure on October 28, 2003 6:59:07 PM]
From the COPYRIGHT office: http://www.copyright.gov
WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.
From the TRADEMARK office: http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.
Paraphrased from the PATENT office: http://www.upto.gov/
A patent gives you sole right to use a certain process or design for a set amount of years.
So no, you can not protect an IDEA.
WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.
From the TRADEMARK office: http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.
Paraphrased from the PATENT office: http://www.upto.gov/
A patent gives you sole right to use a certain process or design for a set amount of years.
So no, you can not protect an IDEA.
If you want to "share your ideas without them being stolen" have the person sign an NDA saying they won''t tell any one about, or use those ideas. Specify in the NDA that if they break that NDA they will owe you a million dollars.
What i am doing for a project i am managing is give the least amount off ppl the least amount of info. Just make sure you give them enough to get their job done. A programmer doesnt need to know the ftp address and passwork for a website..only the lead webmaster does. All the other webmasters can send their files for upload. It works both ways..only the programmers, artists, and sound pruducers need to have the engine. only the artists and the modelers need to know what the exact models are supposed to look like. You limit their knowledge so that noone can run off with the game or even worse, sell the engine and get you fined millions of dollars for copywrite infringement. and if something like that does happen than you know who that one person or 2 ppl that had access to it.
[edited by - halomarinecorps on October 30, 2003 1:24:31 AM]
[edited by - halomarinecorps on October 30, 2003 1:24:31 AM]
Wow, i would never like to work for you. You seem to want to limit communication/team members interactions, while IMO any successful project needs the opposite. You mean that, if i''ve coded the complete graphics engine, i''ll never be able to see it running "in action" with live models until the game is complete ? Wow again, i''d retire immediately. But i wish you good luck anyhow.
Y.
Y.
I''ve worked at companies like that... and they''re all bankrupt now. You need to share as much information as possible.
Halo -
Highly inefficient and ineffective. Maybe if you were working on a top-secret government project that involved national security, that sort of methodology would be appropriate. But that level of paranoia is extremely expensive and slow.
For a game, I think the cost of maintaining your security will quickly outweigh the value of what MIGHT be stolen. If you can''t trust your team even that far, maybe it''s time to get a new team. There may be some much simpler precautions you can take to protect your collective work in development.
Ultimately, though, you are going to have to accept some level of theft. Even the big boys have to deal with leaked beta copies that get sold by pirates online before the final version hits the store shelves.
Highly inefficient and ineffective. Maybe if you were working on a top-secret government project that involved national security, that sort of methodology would be appropriate. But that level of paranoia is extremely expensive and slow.
For a game, I think the cost of maintaining your security will quickly outweigh the value of what MIGHT be stolen. If you can''t trust your team even that far, maybe it''s time to get a new team. There may be some much simpler precautions you can take to protect your collective work in development.
Ultimately, though, you are going to have to accept some level of theft. Even the big boys have to deal with leaked beta copies that get sold by pirates online before the final version hits the store shelves.
Also, please keep in mind that your idea may not be the unique, beautiful snowflake that you think it is. Ideas are the easiest part of game development, and everyone thinks they have a million seller or twelve in their heads, so it''s unlikely that some big ol'' giant gamedev studio is going to read your idea, drop whatever they''re currently working on, and devote a few million to stealing it and making all the billions that you so richly deserve.
It''s just an idea, man. It''s not that special.
It''s just an idea, man. It''s not that special.
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