(This is probably going to be long, even for me.) So. Some weeks back, I submitted a request to Unicode (https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2021/21155-klingon-req.pdf) that they rescind their decision saying Klingon would *not* be encoded, thus getting off the "Not the Roadmap" list (https://www.unicode.org/alloc/nonapprovals.html), so it wouldn't be singled out as a script not to be encoded. I did this on the advice of one of the Unicode folks some years back (https://unicode.org/mail-arch/unicode-ml/y2016-m11/0091.html), who said that this would have to be done before anything else. However, Unicode declined to do so (recommendation of the Script Ad-Hoc near the bottom of https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2021/21174-script-adhoc-rept.pdf.) (In response, I kicked off the mailing-list discussion at https://corp.unicode.org/pipermail/unicode/2021-September/thread.html#9571, which you may read for your own amusement.) Basically, they are not going to *touch* this until that pesky problem of Paramount IP is resolved. So we're going to have to put some effort into that. For those new to the story, this is about getting pIqaD encoded in the Unicode Standard, the standard used by modern computer platforms to exchange characters in all kinds of languages. The problem is that Paramount/CBS is a big scary company with lots and lots of lawyers and a huge bankroll, and Unicode is afraid of doing anything that might maybe perhaps lead someone there to consider thinking about the tiniest possibility of perhaps suing someone (Unicode or a user of the Standard) for IP violations, on the grounds that We Own All Things Star-Trek. I know, I know. There's no way Paramount could legally sue, you can't copyright typefaces and Unicode isn't encoding the typeface anyway; you can't copyright a language; "Klingon" is a trademark, but we could call them "PIQAD LETTER AY" instead; a million other reasons why this concern is invalid. It *doesn't matter*. The fact is that Unicode is not going to do anything until they're satisfied that Paramount isn't a danger, and all the legal and logical arguments in the world aren't going to change that. This seems to be an issue when people first hear about this. Disabuse yourself of the idea that we can somehow do without getting Paramount's buy-in. Whatever clever argument or loophole you think you've found, it doesn't matter. Unicode won't be happy until they're happy, and arguing with them will only get you more annoyed. Now, I *have* in fact attempted to get Paramount to agree to this. Qov and ghunchu'wI' were able to give me emails of some people at Paramount from their Discovery work, and I wrote to them. And they said I should write to someone else, who told me to ask someone else... and so on, climbing the ladder of authority at Paramount, until I reached someone who may actually have been able to do it—and they never wrote back to me, despite repeated attempts to engage. Couldn't get anything. This could be a very difficult situation. Paramount has *no* incentive whatsoever to do anything of the kind, and the very idea of even hinting at abdicating rights over any IP that could maybe under some weird frame of mind might possibly be theirs surely goes against every grain they have. Paramount doesn't care about people using or not using pIqaD, it has no reason to make it easier. (You know whose job it is to make sure people can communicate in their own orthographies? Unicode's. And they're not doing it.) Just the idea of running this past their legal department... it's hard to imagine them seriously considering it. As I see it, the only path forward we have at this point is to try to put a little pressure on Paramount. We can't put much. But I was thinking of getting a petition on change.org or something and somehow collecting a lot of signatures. It's going to take more than just one or two hundred, I think. But if somehow we can raise consciousness about this, get a strongly-supported petition, maybe they'll listen. I'm looking for help with this, as I'm really awful at completing things on my own. Now, as I see it, there are three documents that need to be prepared for this: 1. The petition cover letter. This is what people see on change.org, what they are signing their names to. It needs to make our case, but hopefully to a potentially friendly audience. If we can convince people who start out unfriendly, so much the better. This document *must* contain a FAQ section which repeats, over and over and in small words, that we don't need to hear about why this is not necessary, or about ways of somehow presenting it in such a way that Unicode won't insist on hearing from Paramount. People can't resist trying to offer such solutions. I won't say that *all* these arguments have been tried already, but a lot have, and the bottom line is legal and rational arguments won't help. (See, I already repeated it again for readers here just in the description!) 2. The letter to Paramount. Signers should see this, too (and for that matter they should also see the third document); it's relevant to what they're asking. Somehow this needs to make our case to a much less friendly audience, presumably talking about the importance of good relationships with their fan-base, their reputation, blah blah blah. In some fashion make the point to them. 3. A draft of the statement we want them to sign. There's no point going in with "we need something that sorta says this" and Unicode says "not good enough." We might as well spell out exactly what we're asking them to say, and somehow hope they'll say it. https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20169-script-adhoc-rept.pdf (near the bottom) says that what they want is "clear proof that Paramount would not pursue legal action against the Unicode Consortium, or anyone who implements the script." So presumably that's what it would have to say. Considering the time it'll take to collect signatures, I would assume I could show the putative statement to the Unicode folks and get confirmation that it's at least satisfactory on their side. I guess email me, or something; we need a smallish mailing list for a group of people working on this. I guess I'll create some Google Docs we can share and comment on and polish, etc. (If this really is impossible, as it may be, I imagine we'd have to write a petition to Unicode, and get a lot of people to sign it, and also get some press coverage somehow that will generate public support for us instead of sneers. Maybe if we present it as "a community of people" and only reveal it's Klingon at the end? Ooh, that could make a nice advertising letter.) Anyway, that's where we stand. We have to get some assurance from Paramount, somehow. If you can help, well, help. Thanks ~mark