AI/LLMs Plagiarism vs. Inspiration

[Lanefan]

If your mechanics, processes, or systems are so unique and valuable as to require legal protection, it might be a thing you can protect via a patent. But you don't get a patent just by putting a thing into print - there's a separate application process that most RPGs do not bother to go through. I, personally, cannot think of a single ttrpg that has tried to patent its mechanics.

Not a TTRPG but still too close to home from D&D's viewpoint: for Magic, WotC* once tried to [patent, trademark, copyright - not sure which one applies here] the "tap a card" mechanic, i.e. the act of turning a card sideways in a card game to indicate that card's status had changed or its ability had been used.

A year or two and several courtrooms later, this got shot down. But they did try.

* - I forget whether Hasbro had yet bought them out at the time or not.

 

[soviet]

Not a TTRPG but still too close to home from D&D's viewpoint: for Magic, WotC* once tried to [patent, trademark, copyright - not sure which one applies here] the "tap a card" mechanic, i.e. the act of turning a card sideways in a card game to indicate that card's status had changed or its ability had been used.

A year or two and several courtrooms later, this got shot down. But they did try.

* - I forget whether Hasbro had yet bought them out at the time or not.

No, they were successful. They let it expire after 10 or so years.

 

[Umbran]

Not a TTRPG but still too close to home from D&D's viewpoint: for Magic, WotC* once tried to [patent, trademark, copyright - not sure which one applies here] the "tap a card" mechanic, i.e. the act of turning a card sideways in a card game to indicate that card's status had changed or its ability had been used.

Um, there's a lot of myth there.

Richard Garfield and WotC applied for a patent on "Trading Card Method of Play", with first paperwork filed in 1994 (years before the Hasbro purchase), full description in October of 1995. The patent was granted in 1997.

The patent did include tapping, but covered the full process of play, including construction of a deck, playing cards, tapping to show use, etc.

It wasn't shot down - on the contrary, it never made it into a courtroom at all! Challenges to it were either dropped, or settled out of court.

A basic patent runs for 20 years. The patent on MtG expired in 2014, twenty years after the first paperwork was filed..