Copyrighted Conlangs?

One of the things I got for Christmas (which we actually celbrated a couple
days ago due to family circumstances) was a LOTR RISK game. The bearing
that this has to conlangs is that as I was flipping through the various
cards with people and places from Middle-Earth, I noticed that every proper
noun had <sup>TM</sup> after it. I don't know what the difference between
trademarking and copyrighting is, legaly, but my guess would be that New
Line Cinema now "owns" all of Tolkein's beautiful names? If someone knows
better please correct me.

So places like Lothlorian, Minas Tirith, Edoras, The Shire, and even Mordor
are trademarked. Not to mention Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, Gollum, Faramir,
etc... And its not just the popular ones either. Lesser known places like
Anfalas, Harlindon, Angmar, Rhudaur, and Minhiriath are also TM'd. Am I the
only one that thinks that trademarking "the Shire" sounds like one of
Saruman's plots of revenge against the Hobbits?

Thanks,
~Caleb

Replies