Transformers and patent.

[Jason Chong]

What is the legal problem one could get into for making games with robots that can transform into vehicles ?

As long as I don't copy any trademarked characters from hasbro.

What about mechanical/transformable parts/designs ? Will you get sued if your robot has the car front as the chest, and the back as legs, just like in Transformers?

Will Hasbro or Takara stick it up your *ss ?

What are the legalities involved? Anyone here done any transformable characters for their games?

[PoV]

That's a good question. In the past, there have been other TV series and movies that have borrowed the transforming concept. Go Bots, from back in the prime of Transformers, same idea. Transforming robots are quite popular in mecha anime, Robotech for example, but the difference is their piloted versus sentient. So from that, I suppose it's ok, as long as you can distinct your story from the various Transformers series. It might be in your best interest to avoid using the "transform" term as well.

[Jason Chong]

I found this on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Decepticons-and-Autobots-Patents-on-CD-180_W0QQitemZ3145184671QQcategoryZ49016QQcmdZViewI tem


It seems there ARE patents related to Transformers/Takara stuff but they're
mostly seem to be restricted to TOYS only.

I wonder if TOYS can cover computer/video games, since they're under
design/utility patents.

And of course, many of these patents are over 20 years old, and during
the times they were filed, patents were effective for only up to 14 years.

Theoritically it seems one could make transformable characters based on those mechanics, but I am not sure if Hasbro or Takara extended the patents.

I am more impressed by the Alternator series/mechanics. (These seem pretty recent)

Bear in mind I am only interested in the mechanical/transformation method,
not the actual character design as that can be easily originally created.

[PoV]

That's an interesting find. I didn't consider they'd have patents for the toys, but it makes sense given what patents have traditionally protected. After all, despite them only being toys, they're still simple machines (albiet, functionally useless, except for kids... and some grown ups).

[Fost]

We Made Gun Metal (http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/game_gunmetal.html) when we were at Rage*, never came across any problems...

I'd certainly not think twice about doing a similar game.



*of course, Rage went bust shortly after, so maybe nobody had enough time to sue them ;)