I have invented a card game and would like to protect it before I start large-scale game testing. I can't find useful information about the laws surrounding protecting this kind of intellectual property. First, what kind of protections should I be seeking for a card game? Second, any recommendations on reputable, ethical lawyers in Seattle who can help me protect my game?
posted by velvetsmog on Sep 4, 2009 - 9 answers

My competitor is using a photo of me and a profile page about me on their website. What can I do (in the US)? [more inside]
posted by lapsang on Nov 12, 2008 - 12 answers

I've just found out second-hand that someone is planning on making a film out of one of my short stories. Which is fine, I suppose, presuming he actually does ask my permission, and presuming it's strictly an amateur not-for-profit film. My question is -- if I do give my permission, will that harm any rights I have to the story? Suppose I wanted to sell the rights to a "real" movie of the story someday -- will giving my permission here mean I've given up the film rights entirely?
posted by webmutant on Sep 6, 2008 - 16 answers

How can I Prove that I am the author of something, especially before publishing it on the web? [more inside]
posted by daveydave on Jul 13, 2008 - 25 answers

I'm working on a site (it's a personal project) where I basically review movies that I like. Lately, I've been thinking about adding video clips from the movies/series to give visitors a better understanding of what the movies/series are about. How do I do this legally? [more inside]
posted by Foci for Analysis on Apr 16, 2008 - 13 answers

What can a free online game do about a domain squatting / potential IP infringement situation, that doesn't involve commercial legal advice? [more inside]
posted by bifter on Apr 2, 2008 - 2 answers

What should I know about trademarks and copyrights before launching a web comics site? [more inside]
posted by EatTheWeak on Jan 11, 2008 - 5 answers

Has anyone written about what a world without (or with very limited) intellectual property rights would be like? Alternatively, are there other models for encouraging creativity without IP rights? [more inside]
posted by vizsla on Jan 2, 2007 - 21 answers

Who owns the ECU data in my car? [more inside]
posted by wzcx on Aug 21, 2006 - 15 answers

Is it possible to perform computer analysis to determine the similarities and/or differences between two logos? [more inside]
posted by AgentRocket on Feb 28, 2006 - 15 answers

AskLegalFilter: As a sort of follow-up to this thread, some friends and I have invented a game and have started to show it to representatives from game companies. There's been some interest, and before we can think about moving forward, I think we have to start with the legal stuff on our end. What sort of legal entity do my friends and I need to become so that someone can license intellectual property (mostly writing, as opposed to a unique style of play) from us and write us checks? And how can we do it for the least cost? Assume that we're more or less equal partners (somewhere between 33/33/33 and 35/35/30).
posted by blueshammer on May 3, 2004 - 11 answers