<![CDATA[Kotaku: intellectual property]]> http://tags.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: intellectual property]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/intellectualproperty http://kotaku.com/tag/intellectualproperty <![CDATA[Atari Going After iPhone Breakout Clones]]> Atari has fired off some stern letters to iPhone games developers, citing infringement of their Breakout intellectual property.

Bootant has received a takedown for Break Classic and BreakTouch 3D and SpiffyWare was given a talking to for SuperPong 2 - citing both Breakout and Pong infringements.

Thing is, while the Tetris clone Tris was pulled, this was due to the too-similar name - the gameplay was almost certainly not actionable. If Atari are applying the same legal principles, shouldn't they also be going after the producers of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo?

Atari’s Legal Team Attacking iPhone “Breakout” Clones [Touch Arcade]

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<![CDATA[China Starts New Exchange for Game Industry and Others]]> monkeybubble.jpg Along with animation and cartoon assets, the Chinese government is trying to give the game industry a boost by launching asset trading on the Shanghai United Assets and Equity Exchange (SUAEE) (in partnership with China's National Center for Animation, Cartoon and Game Industry). Things kicked off on Thursday, 28 June with thirty items were listed, mostly animated and folklore properties (perhaps some of the classic cartoon versions of 西遊記 Journey to the West?)

The center will provide an exchange platform for assets and equity, and offer fund-raising, intermediary and pricing services for companies, said Cai Minyong, president of Shanghai United Assets and Equity Exchange (SUAEE).

More than 30 items ... were listed on the exchange with a combined price of about US$4 million.

Of course, the idea of intellectual property being traded in a country notorious for not really caring about IP rights in any sense of the word is a little ironic. Still, China is desperately trying to give its homegrown game and animation industries a boost in an attempt to compete with countries like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, et al. We'll see how it pans out.
Trading starts on animation, cartoon and game industry exchange [ChinaDaily via Xinhua]

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