I've been in discussions about the possibility of developing a game based on a television game show that aired in a foreign country in the late nineties to early 2000s. The show was broadcast on a national television station, which is owned by a very large media conglomerate. We intend to base our game on the show, and be thematically similar, but not include any names, graphics, audio, or locations any more specific than the country this game show originated from.
My question is whether game show formats themselves have protection under copyright law, and if not, what options …