My last on linguistic copyright

----- Original Message -----
From: "And Rosta" <a.rosta@...>

> I, on the other hand, find the discussion both highly relevant and
> highly interesting. I urge people to discuss such things on Conlang,
> and Andreas to delete the messages that don't interest him.
Hello, And.  It is not just Andreas that is repelled by this topic.

*I* was the one who was approached by people who thought my language would
be just perfect for their dwarves.  Because of the peculiarly personal
quality of this issue, I am not interested in getting into a discussion
about the ethics of creative or intellectual property, or the need for a
less "proprietorial" philosophy about one's work or creation.  I suspect
that you want to promote that ethic, but you and I will never quite see eye
to eye.  We've been over this before, I think.

Over the past five years I have put up a fine set of pages, artwork, and
music, what would amount to a BOOK in my profession, for the free perusal of
all fellow creators on this list, and for any who admire it from afar.  I
copyright my creations on the Internet.  Most decent people respect this,
and a Florida branch of the Red Cross, who have asked to borrow my "Banjo
Playing Mermaid" for their fundraiser this coming June, will give me credit
for the painting that I have freely lent to them.  As for my Teonaht, you
other conlangers are free to peruse and use it as you wish, so long as you
recognize that I am its creator, and not you.  I think that I had good
reason for being dismayed about the possibilities of having someone co-opt
my work against my will with impunity, as it was talked about so brutally
this weekend.  Andreas understands my dismay, Yitzik understands it.   *I*
was the one who started the thread in a light-hearted manner... Teonaht for
dwarves!  Ha ha!  And I was the one who asked that we stop talking about it.
Andreas was one of several who were following suit.

> philosophical debates
> about what a language as a work of art is, about the ethics of
> intellectual property, and about our own sense of proprietoriality
> over our own creations...
We went over this in a discussion of on-line publishing a year ago.  You can
talk about this all you want, And, so long as we shift the emphasis of
propietoriality and the ethics of ownership and art to your Livagian, and
away from my Teonaht.

Cordially,
Sally

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