Reply To: Game development questions …

[grabnutzParticipant 994xp 0]

As a small independent producer this has been a matter of discussion for some time.
Generally we only trust people we know well to view, playtest and review work-in-progress. Fortunately we have a small but honest community we work with.
The completed games themselves have not proven too difficult to protect, a monthly Google usually finds where our PDFs are being hawked for free. Then a swift letter to the site owner usually gets them pulled down.
It is the core mechanics that are almost impossible to protect. We have seen a few games out there lift often quite large sections of our rules, change a few words here and there, then carry on as if it were their own. When challenged they have either ignored us or come back challenging our ownership – essentially saying “sue us then” knowing that we don’t have the wherewithal.
One thing that is worth doing is to become a member of The Society of Authors. For about ninety quid a year you get good, solid legal advice (in the UK), and articles covering many of these topics.