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[Zack Bell]

Hey guys, I'm not sure if these are stupid questions, but I feel like it's better to play it safe than to just wing it. I want to know a little bit more about games and copyright laws. I apologize if this has been mentioned before.

One of my prototypes has morphed into somewhat of a Megaman-like game. I wanted some clarification about design, gameplay, and copyrighting such things. From what I've heard, you can't really copyright a design pattern like "level, boss, gain boss weapon, repeat". Am I right to say that?

From there, what about names? I don't believe something like "Fireman" could possibly be owned by Capcom. I mean heck, it's a job, haha.

Where do the boundaries lie for such things? I'm not even planning on finishing or selling the game, but I just wanted to clarify and make sure that I know what I'm doing. I don't want to copy anything, but having the elemental boss structure works very well with what I've got.

Thanks again.

[dustin]

Yeah you can clone megaman as much as you want as long as you don't use any of the art, or call it megaman.  It gets a little more confusing with something like tetris were people literally program the exact same game from scratch but with something like megaman that's not really going to happen.

As far as what names you can get away with it depends if your work would be viewed as a satire of megaman or not but in general getting a letter requiring you to change the name is not such a big deal.

[Zack Bell]

Thank you! That's about what I assumed, so it's not a big deal. I'm not planning on copying the names, I just wondered because the names were so ridiculously generic that they sounded tough to copyright.

[Hangedman]

As long as it's not an actual ripoff of content (gfx/music/level layout down to the brick/etc), it should be fine.

The line where it can start to become a dispute about intellectual property if it gets to be altogether too similar in a great many ways (say if you copied not only the structure, but also the boss names or themes for each level) but even still capcom would be unlikely to care, as it's just some game.

General game design and structure are up for grabs, but everything else can be disputed, so better off ensuring that it's original content.

[Zack Bell]

I'd say that it is recognizably "inspired by Megaman", but it certainly is NOT a Megaman clone in any way.

[gimymblert]

It's free or commercial?

[Theophilus]

It's free or commercial?

Free:

I'm not even planning on finishing or selling the game,

[Zack Bell]

As of now I'm working on it constantly and liking it more and more. So yes, it will be finished. I'm not sure about free or commercial until I can tell more about the marketability of it. It's almost too hard. Harder than the original megaman games, I think.

[s0]

I'd say that it is recognizably "inspired by Megaman", but it certainly is NOT a Megaman clone in any way.

If Gameloft can get away with releasing something like

(on a Nintendo platform no less!), I'm sure you'll be fine with a game loosely based on Megaman.

[Zack Bell]

Holy shit, is that real life?^

I now feel 110% confident that I'll be ok. 

[copernicus]

Don't forget about Megamari.  I've also played demos of other "it plays just like Mega Man but has girls" games.  Can't remember the names at the moment.  I wouldn't use names that are too similar to Mega-names, because there are over 200 bosses across the Mega-franchises and you might accidentally use one without knowing it (Fire Man, Flame Man, Heat Man, Burner Man, Napalm Man...).

[Zack Bell]

Megamari looks pretty cool, actually. 

But yeah, I see your point. The names probably won't even end up being similar. It won't look anywhere to close to Megamari. It will NOT be a rip off game.

[gimymblert]

I'd say that it is recognizably "inspired by Megaman", but it certainly is NOT a Megaman clone in any way.

If Gameloft can get away with releasing something like

(on a Nintendo platform no less!), I'm sure you'll be fine with a game loosely based on Megaman.

Customize them with the inner camera 

[s0]

Customize them with the inner camera 

what

[gambrinous]

I'd say that it is recognizably "inspired by Megaman", but it certainly is NOT a Megaman clone in any way.

If Gameloft can get away with releasing something like

(on a Nintendo platform no less!), I'm sure you'll be fine with a game loosely based on Megaman.

That's freakishly similar!

[moi]

Customize them with the inner camera 

what

you can use the DS camera to customize the face of the monster

[jotapeh]

Customize them with the inner camera 

what

HAHAHA what the fuck - could they at least not have picked the creepy balding guy to demo it?

[bluescrn]

It's free or commercial?

I don't think this makes any difference legally. Just because it's free, it doesn't give you any more rights to infringe copyrights/trademarks/patents.

(But if it's commercial, there's probably more chance the copyright owner would take action...)

[Mega]

..if it gets to be altogether too similar in a great many ways..

Quote of the day

[mikejkelley]

It's free or commercial?

I don't think this makes any difference legally. Just because it's free, it doesn't give you any more rights to infringe copyrights/trademarks/patents.

(But if it's commercial, there's probably more chance the copyright owner would take action...)

Copyright laws allow people to capitalize on their intellectual property. Our economy wouldn't function w/out these laws. W/out copyright and patent laws (pre-Apple/Google writing the rules and Obama signing them into law), the "little guy" who has nothing more than a good idea wouldn't be able to compete.

Everytime I hear someone repeat the "infringement's OK as long as it's free (see also;moddb.com)" fallacy I am saddened and ashamed for the human race that logic and reason never made as great an impact as I feel they should have.

Imagine you create an IP. You want to go about capitalizing on it. You create a game and two entities clone it, pixel for pixel, ™ for ™, © for ©. One of these entities charges as much for their product as you do. The other gives it away for free. WHICH WILL CANNIBALIZE YOUR MARKET SHARE MORE?!?*




*Before anyone embarrasses themselves, the notion that the people who dwnld/pirate things for free wouldn't have bought the product anyways and are therefor not depriving the company of revenue is a close 2nd as the dumbest internet legend. Such an argument is argumentum ad ignoratium, and logically INVALID.