Just wanted to add a few references to the question. In
general, I have a bunch of references on the topic of games and
copyright on my webpage at
"http://www.ps.uci.edu/~jhkim/rpg/copyright/index.html"
Notably, the U.S. Copyright Office has a circular on the
subject of copyrighting games (FL108), which explains it as follows:
: The idea for a game is not protected by copyright. The same is true
: of the name or title given to the game and of the method or methods
: for playing it.
:
: Copyright protects only the particular manner of an author's expression
: in literary, artistic, or musical form. Copyright protection does not
: extend to any idea, system, method, device, or trademark material
: involved in the development, merchandising, or playing of a game.
: Once a game has been made public, nothing in the copyright law prevents
: others from developing another game based on similar principles.
:
: Some material prepared in connection with a game may be subject to
: copyright if it contains a sufficient amount of literary or pictorial
: expression. For example, the text matter describing the rules of the
: game, or the pictorial matter appearing on the game-board or container,
: may be registrable.
- John
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