new game

[lordnigel]

Hi there.

I have invented a very nice card game as simple as baccarat. I'm confident that my game will be known around the world someday. I'm thinking of b****ing this in Macau as soon as possible but I don't know what to do. I'm afraid that casinos might steal my game and give me nothing. Is there a law that I can count on if somebody steal my game?

Many thanks my friends...

[spooky]

two words: "patent" and "copyright"

a patent will give you the best protection as it is an invention.

it's not a protection from people actually playing your game but it restricts other people from manufactu**** it, distributing it, selling it.

a patent usually lasts about 20 years.

a copyright protects your idea of the new game.

you don't need to register for a copyright as today almost all major nations follow the Berne copyright convention. in the US almost everything created privately and originally after April 1, 1989 is automatically copyrighted and protected whether it has a notice or not.

however, it's easier to uphold when you have legal proof.

if you don't have the means or funds for a legal copyright application you can use the "poor man's copyright" method. it is basically putting your documents in a parcel/envelope and mailing it to yourself. the parcel/envelope should then not be opened till needed. it's not the legal equivalent of actual copyright registration but it does hold up to proof of creation especially the date (the date stamp on when it was mailed).