Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Language Creation Society Says Klingon Language Isn't Covered By Copyright

Posted by msmash on from the don't-put-klingon-in-a-wall-garden dept.

Reader AmiMoJo writes: Earlier this year Paramount Pictures and CBS Studios filed a lawsuit against the makers of a Star Trek inspired fan film, accusing them of copyright infringement. In their amicus brief, which actually uses Klingon language, the Language Creation Society lists many examples of how Klingon has evolved, and it specifically disputes Paramount's earlier claims that there are no human beings who communicate using the Klingon language. "In fact, there are groups of people for whom Klingon is their only common language. There are friends who only speak Klingon to each other. In fact, at least one child was initially raised as a native speaker of Klingon." As such, Paramount should not be allowed to claim copyright over the entire Klingon language, both in written and spoken form. The language is a tool for people to communicate and express ideas, something people should be allowed to do freely under U.S. law, LCS argues.

5 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. Re: Elvish by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Tolkien actually invented the elvish languages himself, in full. A professional linguist was simply hired by the studio to flesh out the bits that James Doohan made up for the star trek movies. I'd be interested in seeing how that distinction plays out legally

  2. Side Note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    FWIW: Klingon is no longer listed as one of the translatable languages on Google's "Translate" site ... no idea when it disappeared.

    Paramount?

  3. Re: Child abuse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    I'm not going to argue with you over what you may believe. Know this: there is an afterlife. Every single ethnic group believes in the afterlife in some form or fashion. If you believe you're destined only for the worms when you're tossed in the dirt, that's your prerogative. What will you do if you're wrong? That's the thing. Even if I'm wrong, I've patterned my life in a way that shows compassion, love, and a helpful attitude towards others and I have nothing to fear. If I'm right, I have eternal life in paradise. Ask yourself again: "what if I'm wrong?".

  4. Re: Child abuse by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Every single ethnic group believes in the afterlife in some form or fashion.

    At one time, every single ethnic group believed that the Earth was flat. Turns out they were wrong.

    -

    What will you do if you're wrong?

    Ahhh, Pascal's Wager, the lamest of all "arguments" to believe in magical fairy tales.

    If I'm wrong, I'll get to hang out with all the cool people- Jimi Hendrix, Christopher Hitchens, most of my friends, family, and lovers, Janis Joplin, Carl Sagan, Bertrand Russell, Douglas Adams, Woody Allen, Mick Jagger, Kevin Bacon, Richard Burton, George Carlin, Jeremy Clarkson, Jimmy Carr, Bruce Lee, Orson Welles, Robin Williams, David Gilmour, Charlie Parker, Steve Wozniak, etc etc etc....the list goes on and on.

    If your god is willing to cast those people into the pit of Hell, then fuck your god, okay? Just fuck him.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  5. You can't copyright a language by swm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In the Oracle vs. Google Java case, the judge asked the parties, "Can the Java programming language be copyrighted?"
    It seemed obvious to me that the answer was no.

    The definition of the Java programming language is, "the set of all Java programs".
    This is an infinite set.
    Therefore it cannot be fixed in a tangible medium.
    Therefore it cannot be copyrighted.

    It seems like a similar argument should prevail here.