A concept is an idea and it cannot be protected. Thus, the general rule is that you do not have exclusive rights to your game concept, but you can have exclusive rights to the way in which the idea is expressed in terms of its formulation, design and functions in the game. 

In order to know what intellectual assets the company has and what protection is most suitable for you, you should draw up an intellectual property rights strategy at an early stage. 

• Start by going through your concept - can any aspects of it be protected through intellectual property rights and, if so, what aspects can be protected and how should they be protected? Perhaps you have created a design for which design protection can be obtained, or a sound loop for which trademark protection can be obtained? Is a new technical solution used for which you can apply for a patent? Should you treat the entire concept as a trade secret? 
• If the concept has a name, it may be possible to obtain trademark protection for it. You can use it when you want to create awareness of your game. 
• It can be important to create licences and establish agreements in order to protect the concept. 
• If several people are working on a concept, it is important to set out clearly in an agreement who owns what. 

Having a well thought-out intellectual property rights strategy is about both avoiding infringements of your own rights and using your assets in a smart way to ensure that your concept is successful.