Ever thought about copyrighting a board game? If you’ve ever doodled a game board on a napkin and thought, “This could be the next Monopoly,” keep reading. Yes, board games can be copyrighted, much like your aunt’s secret apple pie recipe, if she ever bothered to write it down.
So, what’s copyrightable in a board game? Not the idea of rolling dice to move pieces—sorry, folks, that’s too generic. We’re talking about the original stuff: your clever game rules, the quirky artwork on your cards, and maybe even your imaginative game pieces if they’re not just borrowed pawns from your old chess set.
Step One: Birth of the Game
The journey begins when you brainstorm and create the elements of your game. Imagine you’re knitting a sweater: every stitch counts. For your game, this means jotting down rules, sketching out boards, or designing funky characters. In the U.S., the magic happens when you “fix” these into a tangible form—that could be anything from a Word document to a clay model. Yes, that’s right, saving your game on your computer officially makes you a copyright owner. Congratulations!
Step Two: Filing the Fun
Now, don’t get too comfy in victory lane. Owning rights is nice, but ensuring they’re recognized legally by the big guns at the U.S. Copyright Office requires a bit more legwork. You’ll need to navigate the thrilling world of forms and filings. What type of work is your game? Visual Arts? Literary? Yes, these distinctions can make your head spin more than a bad spin of the roulette wheel. And let’s not start on the difference between “published” and “unpublished.” If you thought it was just about selling your game at local stores, think again!
This step is crucial, and while you might feel like a hero trying to tackle it alone, it’s often smarter to let pros handle your application. Why? Because missing a “t” in “statutory” can be as disastrous as forgetting to say “Uno!” before your last card.
Step Three: The Waiting Game
Once you’ve sent off your application, prepare for the waiting game—it’s less fun than any board game you’ll create. This process can drag longer than a bad game of Risk. You’ll either end up with a shiny registration certificate or a message asking for more info. Worst case? A rejection because your game’s “original content” was thinner than your patience after a family game night.
If you’ve crossed all your T’s and dotted your I’s, and someone still decides to rip off your game, it’s time to roll out the big legal guns. From cease-and-desist letters to full-on court battles, copyright protection gives you a monopoly over your game, legally speaking.
So, should you copyright your board game? If you’ve put enough original thought into it that it’s more than just “roll dice, move forward,” it’s probably a good idea. How to do it? Unless you’re a legal eagle or a paperwork fanatic, get some help from those who tackle copyright applications daily. Because, let’s be honest, you’d rather be inventing the next big game than filling out government forms, right?
Source of images: Rolling the Dice and Pinterest
Comments