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TIGSource ForumsDeveloperBusinessHow to assure that one's ideas aren't stolen
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partymetroid
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« on: January 24, 2009, 04:48:43 PM »

Hello.  I am working on a game of a secret nature, and I'm wanting to know how to keep my ideas safe.  I'm working on a design document, which I will have copyrighted... but that's probably not enough.  What I would LIKE to do is to get the design document copyrighted and FINALLY post about my game and look for a programmer.  Should I also get most of the characters designs copyrighted, too?  And the story?  What else should I get copyrought (bad joke)?

Thanks! Grin

[edit]I hate what ":-D" produces...
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Akhel
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« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2009, 05:49:14 PM »

http://lostgarden.com/2005/08/why-you-should-share-your-game-designs.html

Basically: nobody is going to just steal your ideas, and even if they do, the final product won't look much like what you had in mind. Sharing your designs can be a great way of getting valuable feedback and you shouldn't be afraid of it.

Wink
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partymetroid
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« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2009, 06:09:41 PM »

http://lostgarden.com/2005/08/why-you-should-share-your-game-designs.html

Basically: nobody is going to just steal your ideas, and even if they do, the final product won't look much like what you had in mind. Sharing your designs can be a great way of getting valuable feedback and you shouldn't be afraid of it.

Wink
I've been sharing the ideas with friends, and a couple people I met from TIGForums... do you think that's enough?  If not... I guess... I could... share them... with you guys...

... unless you told me all this so I would share, and so YOU could steal them! Mock Anger (kidding)

[edit]Also, I've had these ideas for about 2 years, and I've been sharing them freely that whole time and they haven't been stolen... but then again, they're in a very "refined" form right now...
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nunix
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« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2009, 06:30:05 PM »


1) You cannot prevent anyone from stealing anything, if they want it bad enough.

2) Probably no one wants it anyway.

3) Money is made in the execution of the idea, not the holding of it (unless you're a patent troll).
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partymetroid
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« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2009, 07:07:12 PM »

I'm going to implement the ideas in a game.  I just need a lot of time.
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moi
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« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2009, 07:36:25 PM »

Hello.  I am working on a game of a secret nature, and I'm wanting to know how to keep my ideas safe.  I'm working on a design document, which I will have copyrighted... but that's probably not enough.  What I would LIKE to do is to get the design document copyrighted and FINALLY post about my game and look for a programmer.  Should I also get most of the characters designs copyrighted, too?  And the story?  What else should I get copyrought (bad joke)?

Thanks! Grin

[edit]I hate what ":-D" produces...
If I were you I'd look for at least 4-5 programmers and give each one of them a partial view of the concept so that none of them can recreate the idea on his own, because this whole "copyright" concept is a bit shady and I wouldn't put it past the american government to conspire to change your copyright status while you don't check. Of course you'd have to keep tabs on all the coders to check that they don't communicate between each other. Worse case scenario would be if all the coders are actually friends who pretended to be perfect strangers the whole time in order to make a heist on your idea Huh?
Okay got to go now I can hear scratches near my door AGAIN.
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ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)
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« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2009, 07:44:22 PM »

This has nothing to do with business and is just paranoid. It's a common but weird misconception that ideas have value and that if you have a "great idea for a game" someone will steal it and make a fortune. This post is a bit like posting "how do prove creationism is real" in a forum for scientists.
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Eclipse
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« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2009, 03:39:10 AM »

Hello.  I am working on a game of a secret nature, and I'm wanting to know how to keep my ideas safe.  I'm working on a design document, which I will have copyrighted... but that's probably not enough.  What I would LIKE to do is to get the design document copyrighted and FINALLY post about my game and look for a programmer.  Should I also get most of the characters designs copyrighted, too?  And the story?  What else should I get copyrought (bad joke)?

Thanks! Grin

[edit]I hate what ":-D" produces...

that's the dumbest thing you can do.
I work as freelance programmer too and when someone start to tell me stuff like "i got a great idea for a game and i want you to work on it, but it's secret stuff so i cannot say more..." i politely tell them that their project is going to be an epic fail Undecided
In the end, nobody wants your ideas, don't worry about it, from an idea to a game that doesn't suck there are skill, design and several tons of work.

Also, you can't "copyright" anything that's not made Smiley


If you want to protect yourself you don't need anything like that, just make the people you want to talk with sign an NDA (non disclosure agreement) before starting talking about the "core" of your stuff.
Only be sure to tell them before signing what kind of game is, what do you need from them, how much money they want to help you, how much time they need to spend and then after the NDA you can go into details... even if they'll be not interested the nda will be still valid too


If I were you I'd look for at least 4-5 programmers and give each one of them a partial view of the concept so that none of them can recreate the idea on his own

you know, that's plain impossible Smiley you need someone to put together the pieces, and even if you manage to do so, the game will surely be a piece of crap
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Cymon
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« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2009, 07:33:42 AM »

Hello.  I am working on a game of a secret nature, and I'm wanting to know how to keep my ideas safe.  I'm working on a design document, which I will have copyrighted... but that's probably not enough.  What I would LIKE to do is to get the design document copyrighted and FINALLY post about my game and look for a programmer.  Should I also get most of the characters designs copyrighted, too?  And the story?  What else should I get copyrought (bad joke)?

Thanks! Grin

[edit]I hate what ":-D" produces...
Ah, don't listen to anyone else. You need to lock your ideas away. Don't share them, and especially don't develop them. Keep them for yourself because the moment you tell someone about it they'll do it first and you'll look like a rip off because they'll be bigger than you and they'll have done it first, and all your spiral notebooks full of dated ideas won't prove to anyone that you were first and you'll end up bitter and angry for the rest of your life. And you don't want to end up like that so don't share them at all.
[/sarcasm]
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ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)
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« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2009, 07:45:25 AM »

you know, that's plain impossible Smiley you need someone to put together the pieces, and even if you manage to do so, the game will surely be a piece of crap

He was joking. The scratches on the door bit didn't tip you off? Smiley
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partymetroid
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« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2009, 11:42:52 AM »

Alright, guys, I get it.  I'll share my ideas.  Just let me develop them further so they don't sound like crap when I propose them. :|
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