The developer, known by the pseudonym Daikichi, is working on the game Wired Tokyo 2007 — "a 3D vertical action game", in which players have to climb up a futuristic Tokyo.
When attempting to publish a demo version on Steam, the project was rejected. As Daikichi reported, the platform indicated a possible violation of "third-party intellectual property". The problem is that the intellectual property in question also belongs to Daikichi himself.
Steam considers references to "a dinosaur card game" unlawful, when, according to the author, it is a reference to his own project — Dinostone, a card game he released in 2023. In Wired Tokyo 2007, it is used as a world element and a kind of homage to previous works.
Steam demanded that the developer provide "reasonable assurances" of no infringement — for example, license agreements or a legal opinion from a lawyer. Otherwise, the platform refuses to publish the game.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Dinostone was released under the pseudonym Daikichi, and not under the author's real name. Because of this, the developer does not understand how to prove his ownership of the project.
Where can I get an official document confirming that I own the rights to a board game published under a pseudonym?
An additional problem was financial constraints: as an independent developer, Daikichi cannot afford the services of a lawyer to prepare an official opinion.
In an attempt to solve the problem, he prepared and signed a document in which he grants himself the right to use all his works, including Dinostone, and resubmitted the materials for Steam's consideration.