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Game mechanics aren't copyrightable, right? So unless these clones copied the code, aren't these takedowns invalid?
by josephcsible 3y ago
Game mechanics aren't copyrightable, right? So unless these clones copied the code, aren't these takedowns invalid?
- jsheard 3y agoIn general you can't copyright game mechanics, but trade dress laws provide a loophole around that. You can legally protect how a game is presented, and in some cases that's intrinsically tied to the game mechanics enough that you can't really get around it, which is how The Tetris Company has been able to effectively lock down the exclusive rights to the Tetris mechanics and successfully sued those who tried to make a Tetris clone without their approval.
- akudha 3y agoIf I made a scrabble app, is that not allowed? How come Wordfeud, words with friends etc are allowed?
- josephcsible 3y agoBut does the DMCA apply to trade dress?