Are fantasy races copyrighted?

Are fantasy races copyrighted?

General fantasy races are not copyrighted, as they're not considered to be anyone's intellectual property. The ideas of fantasy races originate from folklore and mythology that are hundreds of years old, so it's legal to include them in fantasy narratives.

Is the word hobbit copyrighted?

"Hobbit" is a trademarked term by the Tolkien Estate. ... You can write stories about Hobbits all day long, and publish them, and make money from them, if it's clear to your readers that you're not writing about J.R.R. Tolkien's hobbits.

Is halfling copyrighted?

The use of hobbit-like creatures called halflings is not a copyright violation, since such things exist in mythology and you are not necessarily exploiting LOTR any more than anything else.

Did Tolkien invent orcs?

Tolkien invented neither orcs, nor the term "orc". The word "orc", related to the term "orkney", is from Beowulf "Þanon untydras ealle onwocon,/eotenas ond ylfe, ond orcneas." "The concept of a generally despicable, probably inherently evil race of foot soldiers,"1 probably extends back to antiquity.

Are orcs evil?

In Tolkien's works, orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugly and malevolent race of monsters, contrasting with the benevolent Elves and serving an evil power, though they share a human sense of morality; there is a suggestion, among several somewhat contradictory origin stories, that they are a corrupted race of elves.

How old do Orcs live?

For orcs, the age at which they're officially "adult" comes a little later than humans. Orcs reach maturity at about age 18-20. Middle age is around age 40 or so, old age at 65, venerable age at 80, and they rarely live beyond 100 years of age.

Was Sauron a human?

Sauron is clearly not human, but he's more similar to Gandalf. Olórin, aka Gandalf, is a Maia, one of the primordial spirits that sung Arda into being at the behest of Eru Ilúvatar, the supreme God of Eä.

Why did Sauron turn evil?

Thinking he could gain it for himself or become Sauron's servant alone, Saruman allied Isengard with Mordor in the War of the Ring, in which he was defeated. ... However, his deep study of the Rings of Power and Sauron's other magic corrupted him, and his overweening lust for power led to his downfall.

Is Sauron pure evil?

While Sauron is Pure Evil in the books due to being a manipulative sadist, his lack of personality and motives in both the animated and live-action movies renders him as not even close to qualifying in those versions.