Re: this is what I got in the mail.

Sally Caves scripsit:

> But it ISN'T a whole, John.  As such, Teonaht exists only in published
> on-line documents: a grammar book, a dictionary, a chrestomathy by Sally
> Caves, and a handful of on-line musical productions, and all have my
> copyright mark on them.  All the rest is in my head, in a battered notebook
> over thirty years old, and what I say to Chris or my cat.  Strictly
> speaking, and putting aside dream and philosophy, Teonaht  is NOT a real
> language.  It's an invention.  And so is every documented word of it.
Sure.  But if I or someone else puts together those words in that documented
way and produce a unique new Teonaht text, it belongs to me, me, me, and you
have no rights at all.  At law.

> Padraic wrote me something in Teonaht, and I get Christmas letters from
> friends who write me greetings in Teonaht, but I'm hardly going to sue THEM!
No, of course not.  But even if you wanted to, you couldn't.

> If I write a short story and sell it entitled Teonaht, then is that
> commercial enough?
You might be able to trademark "Teonaht" as a name for stories you sold,
but not as a name for the language -- you are not selling the language.
Even selling grammars and dictionaries isn't enough, as the LLG v. TLI
lawsuit established.

> No, it's the nerd seeking
"Nerd"?  *I'm* a nerd.  Most of the nerds I know are highly ethical people.

> to make money off of Teonaht without my permission that would rile me.  Like
> some grade C television show where all the aliens are speaking deformed
> Teonaht.  That's very unlikely to happen, though.
Sure.

IANAL, TINLA ("I am not a lawyer; this is not legal advice.")

--
John Cowan           http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              cowan@ccil.org
To say that Bilbo's breath was taken away is no description at all.  There
are no words left to express his staggerment, since Men changed the language
that they learned of elves in the days when all the world was wonderful.
        --_The Hobbit_

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