I want to create an open source environment where people are free to download my game and my design docs (even my source code if and when I ever get around to doing that), but I would like to make sure that no one can claim my ideas as their own...i.e. rip off wholesale my background ideas. I don''t care if they use my game rules or design, but I don''t want them to take the game background itself. Is there a way to help prevent this? I don''t even mind if people do this as long as they credit me in their acknowledgements.

Hmm, what about plagiarism then? If you can''t copyright stories or ideas, can you protect by claiming you have been plagiarized? I guess the problem is being able to verify that you were the original author.

and if it''s just "first write, first protected", then by merely writing something down, have I therefore protected it?

You could take your script down to a notary office and have it notarized. And I believe you can even take it to the copyright office and get it recorded in copyright. That gives you enough legal backing that you were the original author. But for an idea alone... well, you need something more substantial than an idea to actually get it copywritten. I think there are some documents on the department''s webpage discussing copyright criteria. Maybe give that a try?

Charles Galyon

Dauntless, as I understand it plaigarism is more of an academic violation, or at least it''s an offense much more recognized by the acadmic community. Committing plaigarism in academic research is usually punishable by dismissal from whatever institution the plaigarist is attending, and if you have that strick against your record you can pretty much kiss a career in academia goodbye.

You automatically have copyright on anything you create, but it''s difficult to defend if you don''t have a lot of backing. Large companies have legal resources to deal with people violating their IP.

Trademarks can apply to names you intend to use as product or feature names (i.e. ''Bullet Time''), company names (''Blizzard''), and a few other things.

You can patent unique techniques for doing something, but expect this to take a very long time. As with all things of this sort, the earlier you can show you''ve taken steps to protect your material, the better a chance you''ll have of defending yourself if it ever becomes an issue.

One way to solve your particular issue would be to develop a gameplay system (your design) as a separate entity from your storyline. Then, you could post your gameplay system as ''open source'', and retain control of your backstory.

R.

Thanks for clarifying, AP.

I had forgotten to mention how it pertains to journalists or professional writers, which is odd since I am one.

Sometimes it seems the lines that define plaigarism become clouded when it comes to journalism, particularly tech journalism. There is so much ''content repurposing'' going on as well. I can''t count how many times I''ve read an review or article and felt that pang of familiarity...''I''ve read this somewhere before...''.