Re: Copyrighting/Patenting a Conlang

In a message dated 4/25/2004 9:14:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time, cowan@CCIL.ORG
writes:

>The five exclusive rights of a copyright owner are:
  >  1) to copy the work
   > 2) to distribute the work
   > 3) to publicly display the work
   > 4) to publicly perform the work
   > 5) to create derivative works

It would seem to me, then, that if you published a grammar of your conlang,
it [the published grammar book] would be protected by copyright.  And if I then
used your language to write or translate something, then  I would be guilty
of a copyrigth violation, because what I wrote would be a "derivative work"
based on your grammar book.  (I don't know the relevant definition of "derivative
work" but since my composition/translation could not have been produced
without your grammar, I presume it would have to count as "derivative".)

Does that seem correct to you?

(On the other hand, by this reasoning a parody like _Bored of the Rings_
would be "derivative," but apparently that sort of thing is _not_ a copyright
violation.)

Doug

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