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Re: Realmz/TSR copyrights.. Bull crap!

 Ivans Chou wrote:
 > Mr. Phillips removes said infractions on TSR's copyrights.  As I see
 > it, references to "Drow Elves"*, "Halflings"*, have been removed.
 	Is TSR seriously attempting to claim copyright on the term "Halflings"? As I 
 understand such matters, the only group that could do so would be the Tolkien estate, and 
 if they don't want to, that doesn't mean TSR (or myself, or anyone else) is free to do so. 
 Halflings are defined (rather thoroughly) in LOTR and related works; for all I know, they 
 are also mentioned in older folklore. If the Tolkein estate does not _choose_ to claim 
 copyright, that may mean the term is in the public domain; it does not mean it is up for 
 grabs to the next money-grubbing legal shark in the creative waters.
 	As support, I would like to call attention to the events surrounding someone's 
 attempt to copyright/patent waterbeds. Waterbeds having been thoroughly described in 
 _Stranger In a Strange Land_, waterbeds as such were determined to be in the public domain. 
 While the two instances are not entirely matched, there are enough points of similarity for 
 the waterbed case to have some precedence on other cases involving origins in literature.
 jill