• jeff 👨‍💻@programming.dev
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    2 months ago

    It’s a patent case. It has nothing to do with the creative design of the games.

    But yes. Every pokemon is copyrighted. Every pal is copyrighted. (In the US) All creative work is automatically copyrighted to the creator.

    You can’t copyright “a standing lizard with a small flame on its tail” but you can copyright Charmander. If you copy enough elements that a lay person can’t distinguish the original and the copy then it opens it up for a copyright claim.

    None of that is relevant in this case.

    A patent is to protect a specific invention from being copied. In this case, there is an innovative game mechanic that Nintendo patented has that Palworld copied. The speculation is with throwing an item that captures a character that fights other characters in a 3d space.

    The patent is dumb. Personally I don’t think it is innovative or special enough to be patented. Patenting software or game mechanic are dumb anyway.

    • phx@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      And hopefully something that they’ll be able to find reams of prior art that precede the patent

      • jeff 👨‍💻@programming.dev
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        2 months ago

        Once again. Patents have nothing to do with art. And even if they had proof they worked on those mechanics before Nintendo patented them doesn’t mean they have the right to use it. Yes, it’s kinda a dumb system. But there is a lot of effort to get a patent, and once you have one you have a lot of protection because of it.

        Disregard. :) see comment below