Klingon is Covered by Copyright Claims Paramount

Star Trek is a series loved and followed by millions, with everyone and their parents having grown up with the adventures of the starship Enterprise. Sadly a short film made by fans to cover a gap in the universe could be stopped as it would appear that Klingon is covered by copyright.

Klingons are one of, if not the most, well-known races in the star Trek universe. Being a warrior race by nature, it was always referenced (and was a key part of James T Kirks character) that the Federation and the Klingons had gone to war. A fan film created by Alec Peters looked to explore this war but seems like it may never see the light of day due to a copyright claim made by Paramount and CBS, the holders of Star Treks intellectual property.

After being told it wasn’t detailed enough the claim has now been updated to cite several instances where the fan film presses on Star Trek’s copyright. This includes the gold command shirts and even the pointed Vulcan ears, but the claim also goes on to state that the entire Klingon language is covered under copyright.

Is it possible to copyright an entire language (fictional or real world)? Should the fan made the film, which has been funded by a Kickstarter project none the less, be stopped by the copyright claim or should they come to a deal to create the film with the full support of the company?

You can read the full document listing every single copyright infringement in the film here.