
The Tabletop Bellhop, your cardboard concierge, is here to answer your game and game night questions. We’re striving to make everyone’s gaming experience better, with board game and RPG reviews, and Q&A.
Patents, Copyright and Trademarks, Oh My! What you can and cannot use from an existing game.
We answer a question about using the mechanics from an older game in your current game design and spend some time talking about copyright, intellectual property, trademarks and patents. We also review Disney Sidekicks, a new cooperative game from Eric Lang, and have some more thoughts on Lost Ruins of Arnak, Doodle Dungeon and more.
Episode 160, recorded January 12th, 2022. Join us Wednesdays at Nine PM Eastern at https://www.twitch.tv/tabletopbellhop
If you enjoy the show consider tipping the Bellhop at: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopbellhop
More detailed show notes: https://tabletopbellhop.com/podcast/ep160/
Disclosure: Links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Games mentioned may be review copies provided by publishers.
SUGGESTION BOX
Send feedback to moe@tabletopbellhop.com
Yardmaster Review on Youtube, https://youtu.be/Syvhjg_-ii8
The Bellhops Best of 2021, https://youtu.be/XRDFS-uK2CM
Aventuria Inn of the Black Boar, https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147800656/Inn-of-the-Black-Boar?awid=1091
Bad Company, https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/340677/bad-company
Galaxy Trucker 2021 Unboxing, https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/340677/bad-company
ASK THE BELLHOP
Disclaimer: Neither of us are lawyers and nothing said should be taken as legal advice.
“If a game has been patented for more than 20 years, is it legal to use the card mechanics? Is it still covered by intellectual property?
Regarding card mechanics, if a game is played with numbers, shapes and colors and the goal of the game is to collect matches, can I still play this exact game if I change the numbers, or shapes or colors to a different factor, such as size?”
Not Playing Around: Board Games and Intellectual Property Law, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/intellectual_property_law/publications/landslide/2014-15/march-april/not-playing-around-board-games-intellectual-property-law/
Us Patent Trading Card Game Method Of Play, https://patents.google.com/patent/US5662332A/en
Board Game Apparatus, https://patents.google.com/patent/US2026082A/en
Send questions to questions@tabletopbellhop.com
THE GAME ROOM – Disney Sidekicks
A detailed looks at this new cooperative game from Eric M Lang
Unboxing Video, https://youtu.be/D6k6509CYOg
Written review on the blog, https://tabletopbellhop.com/game-reviews/disney-sidekicks/
Pick up your own copy of Disney Sidekicks, https://amzn.to/3A4GEk0
THE BELLHOPS TABLETOP
Lost Ruins of Arnak, https://amzn.to/3tu6zjZ
Doodle Dungeon, https://amzn.to/3nywd37
Tripples, https://amzn.to/3fxQTE8
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Patents, Copyright and Trademarks, Oh My! What you can and cannot reuse from an existing board game.
We answer a question about using the mechanics from an older board game in your current game design and spend some time talking about copyright, intellectual property, trademarks and patents. We also review Disney Sidekicks, a new cooperative game from Eric Lang, and share some more thoughts on Lost Ruins of Arnak, Doodle Dungeon and more.
Episode 160 of the Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast, recorded January 12th, 2022.
Join us as we stream live every week on Wednesdays at 9:00 PM Eastern on Twitch.
If you like some video with your audio, you can also watch/listen to individual segments from this show on YouTube.
Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. Using these links costs you nothing extra and helps us offset the cost of producing this show. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some games mentioned in this podcast were provided by publishers as review copies.
—Suggestion Box, Fan Feedback —
The Bellhops Best of 2021:
Send feedback to moe@tabletopbellhop.com
—Ask The Bellhop—
Disclaimer: Neither of us are lawyers and nothing said should be taken as legal advice.
“If a game has been patented for more than 20 years, is it legal to use the card mechanics? Is it still covered by intellectual property?
Regarding card mechanics, if a game is played with numbers, shapes and colours and the goal of the game is to collect matches, can I still play this exact game if I change the numbers, or shapes or colours to a different factor, such as size?”
- Not Playing Around: Board Games and Intellectual Property Law
- Us Patent Trading Card Game Method Of Play
- Board Game Apparatus
Send your questions to questions@tabletopbellhop.com
—The Game Room: Disney Sidekicks—
A detailed looks at this new cooperative game from Eric M. Lang.
- Disney Sidekicks Unboxing Video
- Written review of Disney Sidekicks
- Pick up your own copy of Disney Sidekicks
—The Bellhop’s Tabletop—
—Support our efforts—
If you enjoy our content then please consider donating to our Patreon.
Sign up for our newsletter: https://newsletter.tabletopbellhop.com
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