Harry potter lawsuits and where to find them trademark and. Wattpad fantasy writers advice copyright and plagiarism. The word muggle is absent in the chamber of secrets video games, replaced by nonmagical writearounds. Mint humbugs and sherbet lemons, dumbledores favourite sweets, are from the muggle world, and my chocolate frogs would surely be fine, given frog moulds have been around for ages. Is it legal to use the word muggle in a work of fiction. Information and translations of muggle in the most comprehensive.
But a muggle is not a fully realized character, it is simply an invented word used in j. Normally written with a capital m, muggle is used, then, for those nonwizards in the world of harry potter. A spell i wish could exist in the muggle world is the summoning. Rowling, her various publishers and time warner, the owner of the rights to the harry potter films, have taken numerous legal actions to protect their s, and also have fielded accusations of. Nov 06, 2015 after all, its the word used in the american editions of j. Feb 22, 2016 middleearth enterprises and surrey couple locked in trademark dispute over use of hobbit in company name middleearth enterprises is owned by film producer paul zaentz, and it owns the rights. The word now appears in the oxford english dictionary entered in 2003, and is additionally used to describe a dull, unimaginative person. No because it is a word with multiple general meanings.
However, trademark law protects the use of a special mark a practice established by craftsmen thousands of years ago, a unique name, or a special expression such as a motto with respect to doing business. Apart from the above examples, there are many more variations on the word muggle, and great. All intellectual property, trademarks, and ed material is property of their respective developers. Nyu law professor samuel estreicher and 2l elisabeth h. Ah, so we come up with a new term for non cachers, get it into common use, you create a card game using it, then trademark the term to protect your intellectual property, and were back to square one. This is why titles, names, and short groups of words such as mottos, sayings, aphorisms, and other expressions can not be ed. The hobbit was published in 1937, but the last year of public domain in the us is 1922. This topic will be an exclusive one for the answers of codycross non muggle magic, this game was developed by fanatee games a famous one known in puzzle games for ios and android devices. According to the bbc quiz show qi, in the episode hocus pocus, muggle was a 1930s jazz slang word for someone who uses cannabis.
Muggle dumbledore, hippogriff, and 11 more real words. Youll need to consult with a trademark attorney in your country because there are at least two very important missing facts. How to use muggle in a sentence thesaurus and word tools. Why are some people sued over hobbit while others are not. In general, on characters in fiction applies to fullyfleshed out entities so you would probably be violating if you used jason bourne or arya star. There may be other things that can be ed but what makes a thing able is that it is a unique and previously unused form of expression. In 1999, american author nancy kathleen stouffer alleged and trademark infringement by rowling of her 1984 works the legend of rah and the muggles isbn 1589894006 and larry potter and his best friend lilly. Muggle is used in informal english by mensa members to define nonmembers or any person with iq lower than mensa level. Since first coming to wide notice in the late 1990s, the harry potter book series by j. If used to describe a person or thing lacking magical abilities, it might be a violation of. Tips on writing, plotting, publishing, gaining fans here on wattpad and more. This isnt harry potter and even if it were youd be a muggle.
To be precise, the word muggle has been a part of the dictionary for a long time, even before harry was born. The word muggle is in the oxford english dictionary. I have read from the harry potter wikia that muggle is derived from the word mug, which refers to a gullible person. The word muggle cannot be ed, it can only be trademarked. The origin of the word is unknown, but it is first recorded in 1926 in the expression mugglehead, and is later picked up by raymond chandler who describes one. The most widely known and widely used meaning of the word muggle is probably the one that j.
Is it legal to use the word muggle in a work of fiction if. In fact, when writers send their manuscripts to agents or publishers and mentioned theyve ed their work, agents and publishers take that as a sign of an amateur. Rowling can authorize a company offering a service for harry potterr style wizard camp. In muggle quidditch, players maneuver around a field with one hand on their broomsticks at all times. Muggle definition of muggle by the free dictionary. Tolkeins work is not public domain, and in fact is some of the most heavily guarded and litigated intellectual property in the world. I am looking to start a business with the word muggle in the name. Is it legal to use the word muggle in a work of fiction if a character is.
This is a great question, and deserves input from a lawyer skilled in ip law. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. Rowling has stated she created the word muggle from mug, an english term for someone who is easily fooled. This topic will be an exclusive one for the answers of codycross nonmuggle magic, this game was developed by fanatee games a famous one known in puzzle games for ios and android devices. You will have in this game to find the words from the hint in order to fulfill the board and find a final word of the. After all, its the word used in the american editions of j. Youd be ok, i think, in a legal sense if you used the words in a book in a purely referential way what do you think this is, hogwarts. In girl apocalypse, i have the idea of death games, which is why people told me i was copying hunger games. Rowling has commented that she added a syllable to soften the word, which she wanted to suggest both foolishness and lovability. Harry is being mentally tortured and starved by his muggle family during the summer holidays. As we all know, it belongs to the harry potter universe describing someone who isnt a wizard or witch.
Harry potter lawsuits and where to find them trademark. In fact, cell phone companies had to get george lucass permission to use the word droid on their phones because he has the trademark for that word. Hamilton writes an open letter to president donald trump asking that he not reopen the country until everyone has appropriate personal protective equipment ppe. No, jrr tolkiens works are not in the public domain. The oed lists a number of senses for this word resembling a fish tail. Would it be illegal to write a book about wizards and muggles if it wasnt marketed as a harry potter books and perhaps had a disclaimer that it wasnt harry potter. For after having written books of magic for a magical age, rowling has come out with a book of muggle life for muggles. You will have in this game to find the words from the hint in. Dumbledore, hippogriff, and 11 more real words from harry potter. What about other words invented by authors like phaser, hobbit, or lightsaber. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. For after having written books of magic for a magical age, rowling. Rowling replaced a perfectly good word she previously invented for nonmagical people, muggle, with the far less lyrical nomaj. But harry potter books gave a new meaning to the term.
Its a noun the dursleys are muggles and can be used attributively as in the muggle. Why are some people sued over hobbit while others are. Middleearth enterprises and surrey couple locked in trademark dispute over use of hobbit in company name middleearth enterprises is owned by film producer paul zaentz, and it. Muggles is the title of a 1928 recording by louis armstrong and his orchestra. This is because at the time, jk rowling was involved in a lawsuit and her own countersuit with american author nancy kathleen stouffer over ownership of the word muggle, who claimed the word was ed to her via her 1984 selfpublished novel the. Sep 07, 2009 no because it is a word with multiple general meanings. Rowling invented for her harry potter series of books. Originating from the harry potter books by jk rowlings. Synonyms for muggle include layperson, amateur, normie, dabbler, dilettante, greenhorn, neophyte, nonprofessional, novice and putterer. That, at least, is how the term was translated in french editions of the harry potter books. Mar 19, 2012 there may be other things that can be ed but what makes a thing able is that it is a unique and previously unused form of expression. The words muggle and muggles are trademarks hat stouffer says she has been using since 1987 on merchandise such as decorative magnets, toys and buttons. In other words, if there is a reasonable origin that explains the rather dopeysounding term.
Everything from the names of the books and movies, to house names, and the term muggle are trademarked. Consequently, in the case at hand the fact that the plaintiff created the connection between the word trademark and a certain category of goods is. Leather and imitations of leather, and goods made of these materials and not included in other classes. I am curious as to what the origin of the term muggle is, and whether there is any reason why nonmagic folk should not be offended by it. Nontrademarked alternatives for muggle geocaching topics. It appears in the jargon file, as the opposite of the hackish sense of wizard a python muggle is someone who isnt a python wizard. The idea of a school of wizards isnt so outrageous that nobody could have thought of that before, and the word muggle was merely an odd coincidence. Harry potter and the copyright infringement claims mugglenet. Anyway, if you dont know what the word muggle means, then you probably are indeed a muggle, which means in the harry potter universe that you dont practice magic.
Information and translations of muggle in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Campbell describe the wide array of laws that will need to come into play to keep workers safe and avoid employer liability as workplaces consider reopening amid the covid19 pandemic, cautioning that compliance will not necessarily relieve employers of the risk of litigation and liability. The words muggle and muggles are trademarks hat stouffer says she has been using since 1987 on merchandise such. It is probably not in the public domain, however, if a word becomes common enough in usage it can be public domain. Muggle is derived from the word mug, which refers to a gullible person.
For example muggle a term from the fictional harry potter series of. The muggle trademark, serial number 77502366, was filed on 18th of june 2008 with a mark drawing code of 4000 and its transaction date is 77502366. The word squib first entered english in the 16th century, and one of its earliest meanings was a firecracker. The primary basis for stouffers case rested in her own purported invention of the word muggles, the name of a race of mutant humanoids in the legend of rah. Legal disputes over the harry potter series wikipedia. Rowling may be most famous for is muggle, which in the books refers to nonwizarding folk, people with no magical ability in the world of harry potter. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Muggle meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Middleearth enterprises and surrey couple locked in. Harry potter and the chamber of lawyers the guardian. Would it be illegal to write and publish a book with the. Apr 12, 2011 consequently, in the case at hand the fact that the plaintiff created the connection between the word trademark and a certain category of goods is not enough the word as such must be. I am looking to start a business with the word muggle in. From now on, you will have all the hints, cheats and needed answers to complete this puzzle.
The enormous success of rowlings literary creation and its associated multimedia empire has spawned countless jealousies, countless imitators, countless parodists and countless pirates. If you need help with any specific puzzle leave your comment below. Nancy stouffer wrote a 1984 book called rah later retitled the legend of rah and the muggles which featured a race called muggles. If you made a wizard camp that was not specific to the universe of harry potter, the use of quidditch is probably a nono as that game is a fictional sport created in rowlings magical universe and could result in a trademark complaint. Apparently, the second fantastic beasts movie, set in france, reveals that the french word for muggle is nonmagique.
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