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Do You Own Your Native Language?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the they-don't-like-power-point-presentations-either dept.

l2718 writes "In a new take on the reach of 'Intellectual Property,' the Mapuche Indians of Chile are accusing Microsoft of linguistic piracy. Their lawsuit alleges that Microsoft needed permission from the tribal elders before translating its software into Mapuzugun, a project which was co-ordinated with the Chilean Ministry of Education." From the CNN Money article: "The Mapuche took their case to a court in the southern city of Temuco earlier this month but a judge ruled it should be considered in Santiago. A judge in the capital is due to decide in the next two weeks whether Microsoft has a case to answer. 'If they rule against us we will go to the Supreme Court and if they rule against us there we will take our case to a court of human rights,' said Lautaro Loncon, a Mapuche activist and coordinator of the Indigenous Network, an umbrella group for several ethnic groups in Chile."

12 of 472 comments (clear)

  1. Time to call my patent lawyer by Codename46 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Be right back, about to file a language patent for "English"

    1. Re:Time to call my patent lawyer by A+beautiful+mind · · Score: 3, Funny

      Thou shalt be cast down for prior art.

      --
      It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
      Be yourself no matter what they say
    2. Re:Time to call my patent lawyer by Nefarious+Wheel · · Score: 4, Funny
      "...Whereas in America, they haven't spoken it for years."

      -- Henry Higgens

      --
      Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
  2. JHjhKH kh KH! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Kllskjlf KJkJLFKJG L S jksldjl!! ; lkj flkjLk!: JF; kj

  3. Can Jim Henson.... by Cheapy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can Jim Henson sue Google over their option to translate to Swedish Chef?

    Bork bork bork!

    --
    Would you kindly mod me +1 insightful?
  4. OH! YOU ARE SO SUED! by Petersko · · Score: 5, Funny

    The actual name of the language is Mapudungun.

    Clearly they got it wrong to avoid being dragged into court. You, on the other hand, have opened yourself to a lawsuit!

  5. Obligatory /. Jokes by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 3, Funny

    I, for one, WELCOME our new NgeMimbwa Overlords.

    In Soviet Russia, the Language Manag'hwhabwa's YOU!

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
  6. To whomever owns the copyright to this language by antifoidulus · · Score: 5, Funny

    called "human female", please, please, PLEASE release it into the public domain so the rest of us can maybe hope to understand it!

    --
    Monstar L
  7. Re:Profit from language? by LindseyJ · · Score: 4, Funny
    (Ignore the fact that this is how babies learn to speak.)

    I am right, if you ignore all the inconvenient facts that make me wrong.
  8. translations .... by argoff · · Score: 3, Funny

    OK, well...

    "lets just be friends" translates to "jump off a cliff and commit suicide"
    "I seek a man who is kind with a big heart" translates to "I seek a man who is rich with a big wallet"
    "can we talk" translates to "you're in deep shit and you're gonna get it"
    "this is cute" translates to "give me the dough, now!"
    "we feel..." translates to "I'm gonna make you feel..."
    "marrage" translates to "on a tight leash" ... hope that helps.

  9. Re:L'apostrophe strikes again! by asCii88 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yu netives spek einglish bad. We estudients of einglish speik einglish best.

  10. Re:Profit from language? by bitt3n · · Score: 3, Funny
    Languages are not created. They evolve. Nobody can own one.
    well, there's Esperanto. I suppose suing Microsoft for using Esperanto might help the guy who speaks it find another hobby than talking to himself.
    --
    how many pairs of boxer shorts should you own?