I played a bit of duck chess on chess.com and damn if it isn't the most fun variant I've ever played. The problem is I like playing on Lichess. Any plans of adding the duck chess variant here? It would simply be programming the rules, no computer analysis needed.
Not on Lichess but there are hopes for pychess or similar websites.
Dr. Tim Paulden, the inventor of Duck Chess, still owns the copyright so it would be illegal for Lichess to offer a Duck Chess variant or clone under French/EU law. Chess.com licensed the brand from Dr. Paulden.
Pychess and similar will be operating under direct fire of DMCA/EUCD takedowns if Dr. Paulden / Chess.com choose to enforce it in Parisian Court. If Lichess, their main competitor, did it, they would enforce.
Pychess and similar will be operating under direct fire of DMCA/EUCD takedowns if Dr. Paulden / Chess.com choose to enforce it in Parisian Court. If Lichess, their main competitor, did it, they would enforce.
@IbrahimMoizoos said in #3:
> Dr. Tim Paulden, the inventor of Duck Chess, still owns the copyright so it would be illegal for Lichess to offer a Duck Chess variant or clone under French/EU law. Chess.com licensed the brand from Dr. Paulden.
>
> Pychess and similar will be operating under direct fire of DMCA/EUCD takedowns if Dr. Paulden / Chess.com choose to enforce it in Parisian Court. If Lichess, their main competitor, did it, they would enforce.
As I understand it, copyright / trademark rules could protect a specific name for the game, the specific duck icon used, the specific text used to state the rules, the code for the game etc. Copyright could also protect board design but obviously that wouldn't apply in duck chess. However copyright doesn't protect the concept of the game nor the rules themselves.
In short Lichess could write novel code for a duck chess game, write their own text for the rules, give it a unique name, design their own additional piece, and all should be OK. Perhaps they shouldn't use a duck, but then just go with Goose Chess, T-rex Chess, or perhaps best of all . . . Horsie Chess!
Exactly what in French copyright law (which at quick glance is most based on EU / International standards) would prevent this?
Added note: OK. A horsie might not be the best choice unless it can be easily distinguished from the knights -- possible, but a banana may be safer.
> Dr. Tim Paulden, the inventor of Duck Chess, still owns the copyright so it would be illegal for Lichess to offer a Duck Chess variant or clone under French/EU law. Chess.com licensed the brand from Dr. Paulden.
>
> Pychess and similar will be operating under direct fire of DMCA/EUCD takedowns if Dr. Paulden / Chess.com choose to enforce it in Parisian Court. If Lichess, their main competitor, did it, they would enforce.
As I understand it, copyright / trademark rules could protect a specific name for the game, the specific duck icon used, the specific text used to state the rules, the code for the game etc. Copyright could also protect board design but obviously that wouldn't apply in duck chess. However copyright doesn't protect the concept of the game nor the rules themselves.
In short Lichess could write novel code for a duck chess game, write their own text for the rules, give it a unique name, design their own additional piece, and all should be OK. Perhaps they shouldn't use a duck, but then just go with Goose Chess, T-rex Chess, or perhaps best of all . . . Horsie Chess!
Exactly what in French copyright law (which at quick glance is most based on EU / International standards) would prevent this?
Added note: OK. A horsie might not be the best choice unless it can be easily distinguished from the knights -- possible, but a banana may be safer.
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