Hey, I have a few ideas on a name for my game that I eventually wish to sell commercially. How can I find out if the names I have chose are either taken or copyrighted? Is it just as simple as googling it and if nothing comes up its ok, or is there more to it than that?
Also, Once I've chosen a name do I need to copyright it? If so, how do I go about doing that? I'm a solo developer and not sure if I even need to or is that only what AAA titles do?
Thanks, any help is appreciated!
Is it just as simple as googling it and if nothing comes up its ok, or is there more to it than that?
For the most part, but it’s still possible someone has a trademark on a name but it’s impossible to find it. Generally trademarks only apply if there’s a conflict of brand, but sometimes trademarks with legal teams can get a little overzealous. You can learn more about that here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confusing_similarity
Once I’ve chosen a name do I need to copyright it?
Copyright is not for names and logos. Instead you should be thinking about getting a trademark. Generally speaking it’s not necessary to get a trademark, but you can do it if you feel like you need to legally protect your brand. If you ever end up working with a publisher, they may make you go through the trademark process. It’s possible to trademark your name after using it for a while.
In addition to what leaf mentioned, and the classic Google test, you can also use NameCheckr (https://www.namecheckr.com/) to quickly and efficiently see what domains/handles/usernames you’ll be able to land-grab with your chosen name.
Trademarking definitely only worth exploring once you've shipped, and if the game becomes successful. This is not something you need to worry about or budget for at an indie/solo-developer level.
