In which Worlds Inc. sues Blizzard for having "a system and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space." Not a similar game, just a general system.
Which was dropped in the remaining cases after Jagex (makers of Runescape) won a dismissal in their case, but it still took time and money to defend it for all of the companies involved.
Larger game makers will settle these because it's cheaper than going to court, even if they win. Who exactly does that benefit?
If you are making the argument that "the patent system actually works well" because it prevents companies from copying others' trade dress, I'd like to see your source for that. All of the game-related patent lawsuits I know about were not over similar games, but rather core technologies.
Well, someone bringing a lawsuit doesn't mean the system is failing. Anyone can file a lawsuit for anything. If I had a good lawyer, I could drum up something to sue almost any company for, patent-related or otherwise. I probably wouldn't win, but I'd force them to spend a lot of money defending themselves. If anything that's more an indictment of the broader legal system than patents.
Regardless this is more of a software patent issue (an area of patent law I don't think anyone would argue is working) than one relating to game mechanics. The patents in both cases could easily be applied to non-game software. To my knowledge, nothing like this happens in non-software gaming.
I think the point is that utility patents - as opposed to the design patents which you seemed to refer to - apply to games as well, and also do damage there.
I have to disagree here. Games have all the same patent issues as other kinds of software.
See for example: http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/9/15/3337632/hearing-dat...
In which Worlds Inc. sues Blizzard for having "a system and method for enabling users to interact in a virtual space." Not a similar game, just a general system.
Is this working well?
An earlier case: http://www.stellardawncentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic...
Which was dropped in the remaining cases after Jagex (makers of Runescape) won a dismissal in their case, but it still took time and money to defend it for all of the companies involved.
Larger game makers will settle these because it's cheaper than going to court, even if they win. Who exactly does that benefit?
If you are making the argument that "the patent system actually works well" because it prevents companies from copying others' trade dress, I'd like to see your source for that. All of the game-related patent lawsuits I know about were not over similar games, but rather core technologies.