|
Barriers
|
|
Topics
|
Intellectual Property Rights
Game developers are notoriously protective of intellectual property rights, especially software code. This is sometimes quite a problem for institutions that want to have full intellectual property control over contracted work. This is exacerbated by the growing interest in open or public source projects in which the source code for the software is made publicly available for others to read. This style of publishing is popular for structural or academic purposes. However, this creates a significant barrier that can stall projects before they even start. In some cases, certain intellectual property control is out of the question -- such as the right to sublicense a technology to others without developer consent or rights to game characters or settings.
To overcome this problem, all parties must be better educated on the issues concerning programming code control. More often than not the desire to control programming code exists to protect other business interests (e.g. access to make bug fixes or update the product in the event the programming team is unable to do so). Fostering cooperation and communication about these issues can help developers overcome the conventional fears that have arisen during years of working to protect the perceived value of code, game engines, and techniques.
At the same time, potential contractors must recognize that the developers they seek often have unique, valuable engines and practices. Contractors need to understand how to work around this issue to gain access to this intellectual property while protecting their desired outcomes.
In many cases, better understanding of the motives for intellectual property control and uniquely structured contracts can overcome intellectual property issues. However, often the trust, experience, patience, and creativity to work through these issues are not available in the early going of a project. Providing example contracts that work out common issues can help speed such negotiations. Educational groundwork with developers that dispels false beliefs and fears about intellectual property issues is also needed. In general, the intellectual property climate -- especially as it relates to software code and technologies -- is becoming far more open and cooperative.
next >
Return to Simulation Homepage
