Granger, IN asked in Gaming, Intellectual Property and Patents (Intellectual Property) for Indiana

Q: Are any game mechanics from the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading card game patented?

Would creating a digital card game with some mechanics that are similar to Yu-Gi-Oh violate some patents? Specifically, one shared mechanic is that the "field" or playing area is divided into 10 zones in 2 rows for each player, with "creature cards" placed in the front row, and other cards placed in the back row.

1 Lawyer Answer
Peter D. Mlynek
Peter D. Mlynek
Answered
  • Patents Lawyer
  • Moorestown, NJ

A: Well, I think that you are correct in worrying about Konami's intellectual property. As far as patents go, Konami has over 1100 patents on various gaming devices and methods. I imagine that some of them cover Yu-Gi-Oh!

I don't know which patents cover Yu-Gi-Oh!, but the patent numbers should be printed on the game or its container. If you do not see them there (they should be there), look at their website.

Aside from patents, you should also consider their trademarks (I presume that you are aware of the outcome of Konami's lawsuit against Upper Deck a few years ago).

I wish that I could have given you a better answer, but this is one of those instances that you will need to hire an attorney to guide you through the development process.

Good luck!

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.