Seriously, (Klingon - FAQ - 2.12 Can someone give me a list of all the Klingon words?):
This is an understandable question, considering the (increasingly) large number of canon sources for Klingon. But the problem is, the Klingon language belongs to Paramount; it's copyrighted. If someone started distributing lists of Klingon words (or descriptions of grammar, etc.), then Paramount might view this as competition for the legitimate sale of their own products, which would be A Bad Thing.
You'll have to buy the authorized Klingon Dictionary if you are interested in learning the language, or work with the Klingon Language Institute, which is licensed.
However, can you really copyright a language? You can copyright a dictionary, certainly, but can you copyright grammar? I'm not sure you can copyright grammar at all, since it is a set of rules regarding word usage. Grammar is an idea, that can probably only be expressed in a fairly limited number of ways, even if fanciful.
Additionally, each Klingon word would seem to be too short to qualify as copyrightable individually. I don't think that a list of words in a dictionary format would be copyrightable under Feist. So, I'm not sure at all how one could copyright a language. The individual descriptions of the words might be copyrightable, but as long as they aren't exact copies, the idea/expression dichotomy should provide only limited copyright protection to Paramount.
Of course, even if you could copyright the "language," what if you "reverse-engineered" that language from the many web postings in Klingon (such as Klingon translations of Shakespeare, Kafka and Aesop)?
Warning: Unauthorized decoding of a ngoqDe can lead to a meqba' where you may be found guilty of DavHam. You don't want to mess with Paramount Pictures.
via BoingBoing
While it may be difficult to claim copyright on ordinary words -- these are no ordinary words. They could argue that Klingon words are part of their unique character's identities. Having somebody else borrow these characteristics (the unique language) would infringe on the copyright of their characters. If copyright doesn't succeed then they may also have a chance with trademarks on each and every word that is strongly associated with their products and services.
Posted by Harry on March 8, 2004 08:09 PM | Permalink to CommentI make no claim as to the legal questions, but for prior art on the whole question, see the Loglan/Lojban dispute.
http://www.lojban.org/files/brochures/loglan.html
John Sullivan
Posted by John Sullivan on March 8, 2004 09:49 PM | Permalink to CommentNo one will challenge Paramount's ownership/copyright over this language because no one can/would afford to pay legal fees long enough to see a challenge through. So as is the case with most big business dealings it doesn't matter if the law is on your side so long as the money is.
latlh 'avwI'pu' lIj ghaH, 'ej chut naw' ghaH 'e' waQlaw' 'avwI'vam wa'DIch neH, 'e' QubchoH ghaH. Do'Ha' ghaH 'e' pIch ghaH.
rut lo'laH Doch nobbogh loD.
Posted by Scott Matthews on March 9, 2004 02:02 AM | Permalink to CommentIsn't there a free speech issue here? Paramount can copyright tlingan if it's able to, but any belligerent protection of its copyright could be construed as an attempt to block free speech.
In the general case (from a lay point of view), I'd say that copyrighting, patenting or trademarking any spoken language is against the public interest.
Besides, for most of us the slow speed of learning a new language forms such a natural impediment to that language spreading that copyright is unnecessary.
Posted by NelC on March 9, 2004 05:13 PM | Permalink to CommentI don't think that Paramount is claiming copyright on all utterances in Klingon, just trying to prevent anyone else from making money off it.
Posted by Qov on March 14, 2004 04:14 AM | Permalink to CommentRumor has it that someone at the legal department of Viacom (the parent company of Paramount) once claimed that any book written in Klingon is a "derivative work" of The Klingon Dictionary. That's a silly claim, of course, and I don't think it's ever been made in an official "legal" document.
The only actual objection I'm aware of to a book containing Klingon was based not on its text, but on its illustrations. There is a concept called "trade dress" which in this case means that pictures of people who are obviously recognizable as Klingons (tm) from Star Trek (tm) may not be used without Viacom's permission. The issue of copyright didn't enter into it.
Posted by Alan Anderson on March 15, 2004 01:51 AM | Permalink to Comment
This might seem like a silly question... but couldn't you _patent_ the grammar and copyright the _dictionary_? I mean, if the grammar is a set of rules which define the process of speaking the language, couldn't you patent it? And certainly you could copyright the dictionary as a whole...
So if you copyright the dictionary and patent the grammar, then you'd have pretty good control over the language, wouldn't you? I could be totally off base here though, since IANAL.
Posted by Dave! on March 8, 2004 07:57 PM | Permalink to Comment