Computerized game board and figures that unlock content on contact
Put a physical figure on a reader, unlock the character in the game — the toys-to-life mechanic behind Skylanders and Amiibo, patented years before either existed.
US5853327 · — · Expired
US5853327 covers a physical figure or token that, placed on a reader connected to a game system, unlocks that character's content in the game — the toys-to-life mechanic that Skylanders turned into a billion-dollar category in 2011, and that Nintendo's Amiibo line still runs today.
The patent had already expired by the time either product line existed. The underlying idea — physical collectible unlocks digital content via a reader — was free real estate for whoever got there first with the right execution and marketing.
Frequently asked questions
Are these game-mechanic patents part of the trading corpus?
No. The gaming wing sits outside the 13,862-patent trading corpus the rest of the site is built on. These facts are tracked by hand from public patent and news sources, not pulled from our database.
Does a patent on a game mechanic stop others from making similar games?
A patent covers the specific system its claims describe, not a whole genre. Mechanics that predate the patent or differ from the claims may be fine; whether a specific design infringes is a fact-specific legal question. This isn't legal advice.
Can I use the expired ones freely?
Once a patent's term ends or it lapses, the claimed mechanic generally becomes free to implement without a license. Other rights may still apply to a specific game, and this is general information only.