Re: Copyrighting/Patenting a Conlang

On Monday 26 Apr 2004 02:23, Doug Dee wrote:

> 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.
>
Yes

> 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'd argue "no".

A derivative work of the grammar and dictionary would be another grammar or
dictionary, perhaps written in a different style, but still essentially doing
the job of the original work. Only if there were substantial changes or
amendments could you claim that it would be your new original work inspired
by the grammar and dictionary.

If you took the grammar and dictionary and wrote a story in the language, that
would be your original work, and you would hold the copyright on it.

Asking the permission of the conlanger to write stories in his/her language
would be nice, but not essential. Acknowledging the conlanger as the creator
of the language in which your story is written would also be the morally
right thing to do.

I expect a company which was producing merchandise containing phrases in a
language which it had commissioned a conlanger to create for it would take a
different view, and may choose to assert its "copyright" through court
action. How successful such an action would be I have no idea - I know of no
precedents in such a scenario.

> Doug
>
Rik

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