• JustinA
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    13 days ago

    game mechanics aren’t patentable?

    • hedgehog@ttrpg.network
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      13 days ago

      No, game mechanics aren’t subject to copyright law. Game mechanics can be patented in the US, so long as they’re unique and nonobvious (to someone with ordinary skill in the field).

      Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering both had patents on their mechanics, for example.

      And of course, patents in Japan are a completely different animal than patents in the US.

    • Dagnet@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      12 days ago

      Load screen minigames was patented for quite a few years, it’s the reason we couldn’t have fun while waiting for the game to load. The patent has run out tho I think, but nowadays it doesn’t matter cause SSDs