tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Feb 18 05:45:00 2005

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Re: SoQ'a'! ('ach SoQHom? 'e' tInoH!)

Lady K'Lyssia ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

>I don't know much about lawyeristic and so, but since I've been searching
>after this coypright information for a long time, I think I can be sure 
>that
>there is no problem to *speak* Klingon in a play. First of all it's just
>sounds, and noone can prohibit you to speak about tomething, and second the
>theatre will not make loads of money just because you speak klingon in
>there.

>But you might get in trouble - theoretically, but not really - if you
>*write* the word "Klingon", on the poster or so (e.g. "tonight: Wilhelm 
>Tell
>in Klingon")
>
>Compare:
>Just watch how many movies and tv-shows make fun of startrek and talk about
>it. I'm sure that none of them asked paramount to use the word enterprise.
>

Lady K'Lyssia
>Greetz,
>   Quvar.
>

The problem with your analogy (and there are a couple)

1) The word Enterprise CANNOT be trademarked - it's be around longer than 
Star Trek (even though Paramount did send a cease & desist letter to the US 
Navy regarding the use of USS Enterprise - The Navy only laughed. A copy of 
that letter hangs in the officer's mess of the USS Enterprise.

2) There is a portion of copyright law that specifically addresses parody - 
Otherwise the Novel The Wind Done Gone (a parody of Gone With the Wind would 
not have been published)

3) Critics - because of the nature of their job are included in Fair Use (I 
believe)

4) Klingon is a registered Trademark of Paramount Pictures and as such they 
can go after any one using the word.

5) As for the language I'm not sure who holds the copyright or trademark to 
that, but as it is a created language - it is possible that it is protected 
by copyright laws.

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