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1644 IOWA LAW REVIEW [Vol. 107:1615
Methods of game play also may be patentable. For example, there are
numerous patents on wargames, which involve a playing surface composed
of various shapes (such as squares or hexagons) overlaid on a map depicting
terrain that depicts a fictional or real-life location, along with game pieces
representing military units and rules about how to resolve combat between
units.
222
Patents also have been obtained for various implementations of tile-
based games,
223
cooperative-style games,
224
deck-building card games,
225
and
word-based games.
226
In addition, modifications to existing board games,
such as chess variants,
227
three-dimensional tic-tac-toe,
228
and extensions to
Monopoly,
229
have been patented.
221. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 6,659,463 (filed July 3, 2002).
222. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 2,464,819 (filed Oct. 30, 1945) (describing “a war game to be
played on a game board and has for an object to provide an improved game board on which
the players may simulate substantially all the features of modern warfare”); U.S. Patent No.
2,703,713 (filed June 18, 1951) (describing “a simulated war game apparatus in which the
hazards of chance are minimized by player choice, selection, planning, and strategy”); U.S.
Patent No. 3,831,944 (filed Aug. 27, 1974) (describing and claiming a wargame “comprising a
pair of identical game boards” with different regions and game pieces representing tanks,
airplanes, and various naval vessels); U.S. Patent No. 3,860,241 (filed May 9, 1973) (describing
and claiming a simulated battle game on a board comprising a plurality of squares with opposing
army units); U.S. Patent No. 4,093,236 (filed Nov. 22, 1976) (describing a tactical war game
and method for playing that includes 1/285 scale vehicles and weapons); U.S. Patent No.
4,227,695 (filed Jan. 22, 1979) (patent for “Battle of the Alamo” game); U.S. Patent No.
5,020,805 (filed Dec. 6, 1989) (describing and claiming a “Vietnam war board game”); U.S.
Patent No. 5,042,817 (filed June 21, 1990) (claiming “[a] method of playing an air-to-ground
strategic bombing board game”); U.S. Patent No. 5,465,973 (filed Mar. 7, 1995) (describing a
war game apparatus that includes a map depicting the Middle East); U.S. Patent No. 5,570,887
(filed May 22, 1995) (describing and claiming a board game apparatus and method of play
designed to simulate the medieval European period); U.S. Patent No. 5,879,005 (filed Feb. 26,
1998) (describing and claiming a method of playing a game system including military units, coins,
dice simulating movement and weather, and a game board representing terrain); U.S. Patent
No. 6,561,513 (filed Mar. 5, 2001) (describing and claiming “[a] conflict resolution system for
strategy games [comprising] a defender and an attacker” that does not require a random
number generator like dice); U.S. Patent No. 7,077,400 (filed Nov. 18, 2004) (describing and
claiming “[a] method of playing a combat-style game for a plurality of players”); U.S. Patent No.
8,282,103 (filed July 6, 2010) (describing an apparatus and method for an airplane combat game);
U.S. Patent No. 10,610,767 (filed Feb. 12, 2019) (claiming “[a] board game for simulating
unconventional warfare”).
223. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 6,170,825 (filed Nov. 23, 1998); U.S. Patent No. 6,305,688
(filed Apr. 22, 1999); U.S. Patent No. 6,938,899 (filed Nov. 1, 2002); U.S. Patent No. 8,215,642
(filed Oct. 1, 2017).
224. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 9,333,417 (filed Nov. 9, 2012).
225. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 6,601,851 (filed Nov. 17, 2000) (Pokémon); U.S. Patent No.
5,662,332 (filed Oct. 17, 1995) (Magic: The Gathering).
226. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 6,692,002 (filed Aug. 21, 2002); U.S. Patent No. 6,986,512
(filed Jan. 18, 2002); U.S. Patent No. 7,140,613 (filed Aug. 9, 2002).
227. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 1,030,521 (filed Nov. 24, 1909) (Game of War); U.S. Patent
No. 1,141,909 (filed Dec. 29, 1914) (Angel Chess); U.S. Patent No. 4,033,586 (filed Aug. 13, 1975)
(Ministers Chess); see also U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0126179 (filed June 7, 2007)
(Betting Chess and Methods of Play).