I strongly counsel against taking any advice given on this site as a substitute for a legally binding opinion.
Added: You should contact an attorney practiced in this particular specialty area of the law and ask for a consultation. In the meantime (if you are in the US) you should also contact the US Patent Office for information.
Talk to a patent lawyer. He/she will have the knowledge on how to patent the game. I have provided a link. But I would still highly recommend seeing the patent lawyer.
To obtain a video game patent, you must file a patent application with the appropriate government agency, such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The application must include a detailed description of the video game, including how it is unique and innovative compared to existing games. The patent application will be examined by a patent examiner to determine if the video game meets the criteria for patentability, such as being novel, non-obvious, and useful. If the application is approved, a patent will be granted, giving you exclusive rights to the video game for a certain period of time.
The game Operation is protected by copyright and trademark.
Obtaining a board game patent involves meeting specific criteria set by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This includes demonstrating that the game is novel, non-obvious, and has a useful application. The process typically involves conducting a thorough patent search, preparing a detailed patent application, and working with a patent attorney to navigate the complex legal requirements. It is important to note that obtaining a patent for a board game can be a lengthy and expensive process, but it can provide valuable protection for your intellectual property.
The U.S. has a 'working provision' patent law that requires you to exploit a patent or forfeit the patent. Second, patents are really expensive.
Corn hole was invented by Maxie Huff of Louisville, Kentucky. He filed for and was awarded a patent for the game, but let the patent expire before the game gained in popularity.
1916
You can't usually patent pure software such as games, but they are automatically covered by copyright in any country that signed the Bern Convention (most Western countries). If you really want to try and patent it though, try submitting your patent proposal to the US Patent and Trademarks Office, as they seem to let practically anything have a patent.
When applying for video game patents, it is important to consider the novelty and non-obviousness of your invention, as well as ensuring that your patent application clearly describes the unique aspects of your video game. Additionally, conducting a thorough search to ensure that your idea is not already patented is crucial. It is also important to work with a qualified patent attorney to navigate the complex patent application process and increase the chances of your patent being approved.
Kerplunk has a trademark registered in 1968 and now owned by Mattel.
The game Twister® is protected by copyright, trademark, and patent. The original graphics are protected by copyright laws. The name Twister® is a registered trademark and has been since 1966. The registration is currently owned by Hasbro The "method of operation" (playing the game) is patented, although patents that old expired 17 years after they were issued. Therefore, the following patent expired in 1986. APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME WHEREIN THE PLAYERS CONSTITUTE THE GAME PIECES, Charles F. Foley et al, US Patent number: 3454279, Filing date: Apr 14, 1966, Issue date: Jul 8, 1969.
A patent is a grant from a patent office, such as the United States Patent Office. "Patent Pending" is a phrase that an application for a patent has been filed and is in some stage in the process of obtaining a patent. Thus, a patent can be presently enforced while a patent that is merely pending is unenforceable but can mature into a patent that can be enforced. Once the pending patent matures, the patent owner can sue for back damages or reasonable royalties starting from the filing date of the patent.