Conworlds and Copyright [Split topic from: Overview of my Realm]
Posted: 09 May 2020 20:49
Well then, more maps please!EvanFyous wrote: ↑09 May 2020 19:31Just maps and flags so far, I'm not actually an illustrator and all I really know how to do are maps, flags, and kinda fonts. One of my players made some art of their dwarven character, but that's not mine to post. I always imagined character/location art as final touches or added as needed for game play. Once I get some more defined cultures I might do some commissions if all things go well.
This is a valid point, and people have run afoul of it. Strictly speaking, it's the specific trademarkable or copyrightable content you'd want to avoid. After all, Tolkien didn't invent the words themselves -- "ent" is an Old English word, "hobbit" is a kind of folkloric sprite of some kind, "orc" derives ultimately and in several different ways from Latin. If you wanted to name a specific Hobbit "Bilbo Bagguns" and have him live in a place called "Baggend" in a country called "Shire", you might run afoul of the Tolkien Estate. Particularly if you tried to make money off it!EvanFyous wrote: ↑09 May 2020 19:31Salmoneus wrote: ↑09 May 2020 17:29 Anyway, a serious point: you might want to reconsider having ents, as they belong to the Tolkien Estate. It's not really clear why - after all, he invented orcs too, and they exist in other fantasy worlds. Although outside Tolkien, they're often called orks, possibly for copyright reasons. Anyway, you'll note that D&D has orcs, it avoids (avoided?) ents, and renames "hobbits" as "halflings" to avoid being sued.
This is the first time I've heard this, I probably should read or watch some Tolkien sometime lol. Well once I have more substance to my 'ent' language, Aerdan, I will probably come up with a new name like I did with the Bonodu' and Zagi. I don't plan on having hobbits/halflings. Although, I'd probably let players use the stats of a halfling in game play if they wanted, they'd just canonically be a gnome or dwarf.
You know this already: What makes Tolkien's Ents his own is what he did with the concept of a giant being; if you make your Ents your own concept of giant being, rather than just copy Tolkien's creation, then you have little to worry about.