Looking into getting copyrights and/or trademarks for your game and/or company? Awesome. Protecting your intellectual property and business is a good idea. Especially if you are planning on being in this industry for the long haul.
We recently went through the process of registering a copyright and two trademarks. It was an involved process…not going to lie. It required a good bit of work and a LOT of reading and research. We do recommend consulting an attorney. So why did we do it? Glad you asked…
Peace of Mind
It is strange to think that a formal piece of paper from the US government will bring you comfort when it comes to protecting your intellectual property. But honestly…we felt a little more at ease after filing. Registering for a copyright and/or trademark shows you are intentional about protecting your hard work. There is a deeper sense of ownership. Going through the hoops and throwing down the cash shows you are committed to defending your game(s) and your brand…should the need ever arise.
The Future
The cool thing about the future is you never know what it will bring. Your game might not be a big commercial success at first. But things can always change. Maybe your next game has much better success. All of the sudden your studio has more clout and more players start playing your previous title(s). Or maybe six years after release a big streamer halfway around the world showcases your game. All the sudden sales start going bonkers. Wouldn’t it be nice to already have that game registered? Flappy Bird didn’t blow up right away. We all know how that went.
It Is Not That Expensive
Copyrights are cheap. Trademarks…not so much. They cost real coin. Especially if you hire a lawyer and do it proper. You might not have the money for it when you are first building your business or releasing your first game. But we encourage you to stop thinking short-term. Find a way to scrape together the cash to protect your intellectual property. What if your game does end up moving 100,000 units? You are going to be kicking yourself for not registering. In the grand scheme of things…it is not that much money. Think big, dream big.
There is a lot of chatter around the game industry (especially the indie space) about copyrights and trademarks. Everybody has got an opinion. Should you do it? We can’t answer that for you. After all…we are game developers…not lawyers. But for us the decision was a no-brainer. We felt the peace of mind and the future of our company was worth the investment.
Helpful Links
Interested in learning more about filing a copyright and/or trademark? Fortunately the US government provides a ton of helpful information to get you started.
Copyright Basics and Search:
Trademark Basics:
https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics
Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS):
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Be sure to check out our latest game Martian Law on Steam (PC).