No, game mechanics aren’t subject to copyright law. Game mechanics can be patented in the US, so long as they’re unique and nonobvious (to someone with ordinary skill in the field).
Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering both had patents on their mechanics, for example.
And of course, patents in Japan are a completely different animal than patents in the US.
game mechanics aren’t patentable?
They aren’t supposed to be but if you have enough money anything can be patentable, copyrightable, or trademarkable.
Some douche had (still has?) all the trademarks on anything Edge related to games
No, game mechanics aren’t subject to copyright law. Game mechanics can be patented in the US, so long as they’re unique and nonobvious (to someone with ordinary skill in the field).
Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering both had patents on their mechanics, for example.
And of course, patents in Japan are a completely different animal than patents in the US.
They have been for the longest time, and it’s as ridiculous as it sounds.