Re: Copyrighting/Patenting a Conlang

> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Sun, 25 Apr 2004 02:34:31 +0200
> From:    Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>
> Subject: Re: Copyrighting/Patenting a Conlang
>
> There's, as far as I've known, been no actual legal case re: the Tolkien
> Estate's copyrights to JRRT's conlinguistic work, but there's been any amount of
> often acrimonious debate on the subject online.
>
> My advice as a one-time participitant is to stay out at all costs!
 >
> What's a given is that you've got copyright on all and any actual texts you
> write in or of your conlangs; the debate is about whether and to what extent
> it's acceptable to extract linguistic information therefrom and compile lexica
> and the like.
>
>                                                               Andreas
> ------------------------------
Ah, okay, I was under the impression that there was something actually
decided in court over JRRT's work.  At least, in the UK.

As for the other bit, I'm not sure that a translation would count, would
it?  How does it work with, say, a natlang?
My thoughts on this centered around three examples with conlangs.
First, the vampiric language in _Blade_ and the sequel.  How were they
protected?  Same thing for Klingon...
Thirdly, there's a gentleman named M.A.R. Barker who created a whole
world and has written several books set in that world.  He has several
languages, including primers for sale, that seem to be protected.  Is
anyone familiar with these at all?

Of course, as I wrote in my original post, this is all highly
theoretical as I don't have a conlang I want to protect.  But, someone
brought this up on another list, apparently seeking to protect his
language, and it made me curious.

Thanks,
Jim
--
When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food
and clothes.
  - Desiderius Erasmus

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