Is it illegal for Riot to take ideas from boards?

TheFirstLego·5/16/2015, 8:25:12 PM·23 votes·2,982 views

I saw a post some days ago that said in Riots terms and agreements that they couldn't take champ ideas from the boards, just wondering, cause i have seen some legit ideas, and wish some of them could be made.

If anyone from Riot wants to answer me please do, for i am quite concerned about this. And thank you to whoever helps me figure all this out. :)

Edit: I should have specified new champion ides, i know that Riot has gotten ideas like Surprise Party Fiddle, and specific champion ideas off of the boards. Sorry bout the misconception. :/

35 Comments

Cronofuge5/17/2015, 12:38:29 AM6 votes

Actually if I'm not mistaken it's the opposite. I believe in the terms and conditions for the boards once you post something here it is now their property, hence the plethora of skins and champs inspired by ideas conceived here and on the old forums.

Bemapon5/17/2015, 12:35:28 AM4 votes

Ekko's design and kinda his kit was a champion suggestion posted on the boards two years ago.

So no. Not Illegal

Rootworth5/16/2015, 11:19:29 PM4 votes

Riot owns your account.

TheFirstLego5/16/2015, 8:43:04 PM3 votes

I didn't necessarily mean for me, i have some nice ideas, but all i want is for them to be considered. Like for instance, we need a Twin sword wielding badass. Something i find lacking in league atm. lol

And i know that they won't really take any fully fledged out ideas, but i wish they'd look at them and get some moar ideas.

ForPortal5/16/2015, 11:18:30 PM3 votes

It's clearly not illegal - at worst, they would only need to gain permission from the creator.

Riot claims that they own everything you post here, but that doesn't mean it's true. They would not be the first company to use such lies to browbeat the little guy out of their IP rights.

CubedJustice5/16/2015, 10:04:54 PM2 votes

I believe Riot owns all champion concepts posted on the boards, actually. I may be wrong, though.

Marthian5/17/2015, 4:18:05 PM1 votes

If I recall, that's exactly where Vi and Volibear came from.

TheFirstLego5/17/2015, 4:20:42 PM1 votes

alright, thanks guys :D

FlDDLESTICKS BOT5/17/2015, 5:20:02 PM1 votes

As an attorney, the short answer is no. Riot would need to have the poster sign some documents saying that they are the original owner of the work, that they give full use rights to Riot, discusses compensation if any, and that they would take no claim to Riot's use thereafter. Then, or beforehand, Riot would need to compare the work to any other trademarked material in order to avoid being sued. I know that many people like to make skins based off of other copyrighted/patented material such as Mario, sailor moon, etc. as you can tell, this would involve a fair amount of time to search the national registry databases, pay an attorney to write th contract, have the owner of the work prove the work is fully their own and that no other person can claim title to the work, etc. Thus, it's usually not worth it. Sorry.

Disclaimer: this advice is not meant to further a claim or provide specific advice for any person. This is general information. Please contact an attorney for more information.

Chromatic Eagle5/17/2015, 8:41:03 PM1 votes

The only idea this train of thought applies to are existing champion lore and story progression. Feel free to post skins, new champions, items, and maps. They love it.

Gati5/18/2015, 12:44:33 AM1 votes

Must be since they never listen to us

qetzel5/16/2015, 8:39:22 PM1 votes

They do have a board for champion concepts. I doubt they can't take inspiration form them. I doubt they will take your idea though. Creating a new champion can take years. It is not an easy job.

What they might do is take inspiration. A theme, an ability idea, a niche that hasn't been filled. People had been asking for a burrowing champion and a female monster for years. Then there is Angus. Inspiration is definitely taken but you might not see it for a long time.

Embertine5/19/2015, 1:59:40 AM1 votes

Riot cannot legally take an idea directly "as is" off the boards. If the idea were vague enough that they could just change the name and abilities somewhat, then they could pass it off like they just had a similar idea. However most concepts on the boards are quite specific, leaving Riot unable to use this method.

For an idea to be used off of the boards as it was intended by it's creator, Riot has to hire that person on as an employee to legally use that idea without legal ramifications. Once the champion was made and placed in game, Riot could then end the employment of the concept owner, and legally keep the champion as a part of league of legends.

However most people do not wish to lose control of their champion ideas to someone else. This is one of the things Riot must face when it comes to champion concepts, and is one of the things that prevent them from reaching out and asking to use the concepts. Due to people claiming ownership of their concepts, Riot runs the risk of being sued should they not keep exactly to the creator's specifications for the champion. Even though there are ways around this, Riot does not want such incidents to happen and wishes to avoid these confrontations.

I can't give you all the reasons Riot cannot accept champion concepts, as I do not know them all. I only know a few reasons that I gave some serious thought towards. This is one of the reasons I stopped pestering Riot about accepting champion concepts.

Fried Noob5/16/2015, 9:40:19 PM1 votes

Braum was (potentially) inspired by the board idea of Angus, the manly support.

The Ellimiist5/17/2015, 12:24:32 AM1 votes

They can just say they never saw the idea even if it was.

Poptart Evelynn5/17/2015, 8:05:21 AM1 votes

It's in the ToS that any idea provided on the boards is completely allowed to be used by Riot. It's under "C. Unsolicited Idea Submissions."

Think about it, what if someone tried to sue Riot? You know they going to cover their backs ahead of time.

B3ER5/17/2015, 10:30:26 AM1 votes

https://mlkshk-ada.kxcdn.com/r/DN2B .

The Ecdysiast5/17/2015, 3:29:43 PM1 votes

They don't look here for those, since they have geniuses who make champs like Katarina, Irelia and Yasuo, the most balanced on-release champions ever. If they took ideas from fans, they might have to admit their champion concept team is full of idiots.