Where to search for copyright owner?

Hello, I'm and indie game developer, but I'm also a gamer from my very young age.

I want to remake/remade and old game from the manavox oddysey2.

There is some please to use to look for the current owner for the ip to ask the owner if I can work on his/her game?

 

MobyGames https://www.mobygames.com/ is the most comprehensive source for video game credits that I've ever seen. You probably don't need permission, though, as long as you change all of the names and don't use any of the game's original graphics or audio.

 

Thank you for the info, for sure i will change everything.

I want to reinvent the entire game.

Thanks again for your help.

 

FYI Game design is not copyright-able in this industry, only artwork, sourcecode, assets etc are. So you can actually legally copy the entire game with your own assets without asking permission.

 

I didn't knew that, thanks for the clarification.

 

I wouldn't call it 'copy', since typically you are not allow to copy stuff. Rather 'remake', which at most look similar. And even not sure, if this would be correct term.

 

Yeah copy is a strong word, but legally you can literally 'copy' (remake, clone, whatever you want to call it) a game 1:1 as long as all source code and assets are yours.

This is literally ketchapps entire business model, along with a host of others that do the same predatory practices within the AAA sphere. Many indies do this too, some profitably.

 

Yep. Game mechanics can be patented, though that is rare. You see it occasionally from AAA studios often around their latest in game monetization schemes or multiplayer match balancing.

 

I think you could get into legal trouble copying exact names. Say you want to call yours OldGameName IV, use the same names for the characters, some of the stages and so on. Which would be the main point of a remake. That would need rights. But otherwise, what they said -- look at existing games with nearly identical Dark Elf Shadow Queens, the same rules for upgrades, and so on, which are legally fine. Or think of Spider Man -- you can make a guy with red and blue who swings around, but you can't name him Peter Parker or copy the exact suit pattern.

Rights-wise, I've heard of cases where someone wanted to rerun old TV shows, and could not track down some cast members to sign (the original contracts didn't mention reruns). You can't just say you tried -- those people could turn up and sue -- so they just didn't show those episodes.

 

I don't know for sure, but those are probably "defensive" patents. Stuff to defend you from Patent Trolls. Remember what a huge pain those guys were, suing people for things like "using the internet to connect to a virtual shop"? For a big company, ~ $500 to file a patent is cheap insurance. IBM has a crazy amount of patents the days, which are almost all defensive.