Klingon case, 2016¶
"organic" languages difficult to stake copyright claim over because they evolve and accumulate authors over time (possibly not so for constructed languages)
fanfiction using klingon / elvish not litigated b/c ppl not usually making $$$ from them
The Basic English Institute, which manages a simplified version of English with an 850-word vocabulary, warns that the language is copyrighted to prevent people from passing inferior or expanded variations off as the real thing. In the US at least, that "copyright" is likely symbolic, but a trademark could apply.
"While copyrighting a computer language cannot prevent others from designing programming languages that serve the same functions, the detailed vocabulary and written expression of the computer language should be protectable elements if sufficiently original and creative."
oracle lawyers source
``original and creative''
to read¶
- https://consumerist.com/2016/04/14/is-the-klingon-language-protected-by-copyright-paramount-thinks-so/