"IP question" Topic

With a number of people running afoul of a big company's Intellectual property (IP) lately,
I would like to know.
What is IP actually?
And please not all this legal mumbo jumbo I am somewhat law illiterate.

an idea/concept that you created I think.

IP – intellectual property.

It has to do with copyrights, patents, and trademarks. It is a grant of a monopoly right to make or sell something.

However the monopoly right has a finite period, depending on the right and registration. IP rights and methods of securing can vary between countries.

I never understood how software became copyright-able.
any finished program is essentially a series of switch settings of off and on.
I cannot copyright the settings of switches inside my house yet the switches inside the compouter are almost the same just more numerous.
I remember Ral PArtha losing a lawsuit against a pewter manufacturere who was using Tom's fantasy figures with differnet bases on them. IIRC the judgement went to SEARS because it was selling collectible pewter miniatures and not wargame/RolePlaying figures. ( I dont think that ruling would pass today)
ymmv,
R.

It's not the elements of code per se, but the particular organisation into which they are arranged that makes the software.

You could say that all wargames figures are made from (roughly) the same stuff, just arranged differently. It is the arrangement that gains protection, not the material.

IP belongs to the person who has the most cash and the best lawyers.

If you are a small firm you will find it very difficult to enforce your rights against pirates

So Skaven are a no but ratmen are ok?

Dwarves and Elves are ok but if they happen to look like Company X's figures it's a big no?

Beaky marines in 15mm are a big no?

Kind of heading down those lines. The IPO database is currently down, but a list of the actual registered trademarks is viewable (and not as many as you might think).

I cannot copyright the settings of switches inside my house yet the switches inside the compouter are almost the same just more numerous.

Books and plans are just arrangements of letters and lines, something anyone can do, so why should there be any copyright at all? Everyone's work should be open gfor anyone to steal it.
--
Tim

I have questions about this too. I am slowly working on making some figures. They are going to be non-stylistic. In fact they are going to be so generic that should be the brand name for my company.
I am slightly concerned about being sued, but I figure that my sales will be tiny. I am not sure how the whole "I call dibs on every idea ever!" crowd and me are going to get along.
I freely admit to being heavily influenced by Frazetta, Tolkien, Norse mythology, etc. Does that mean that I am stealing ideas from someone else?

It is a pretty strange area of the law.

This may help (at least in the UK): link

I figure that my sales will be tiny.

Doesn't matter. Infringing acts are not based on volumes of sales.

I freely admit to being heavily influenced by Frazetta, Tolkien, Norse mythology, etc. Does that mean that I am stealing ideas from someone else?

To use the lay description, it is the expression of the idea and not the idea itself that gains protection. Copyright is not a monopoly right.

Now it is running again, here are the actual registered trademarks held by GW: link