Other than "Hobbits" what other Fantasy/Sci Fi Races can't you use?

[DAgent]

Hobbit is a classically know example if you want to have them in a story you can, you just have to call the Halflings or some other term less Tolkien lawyers come for you like Ringwraiths in the night.
Orks I think is a variant spelling of Orcs with a copyright on it.
Both Star Trek and Star Wars have an alien race with the same name, Tholians if I recall incorrectly and I don't want to see the amount of blood Disney and Paramounts lawyers can get out of a stone.

What other examples of well know races have other names would you'd have to use, or totally avoid in your own works?

 

[Venusian Broon]

Not a race, but:

Space/Colonial Marines!

Aliens has a lot to answer for . (Well, it was brilliant, no wonder it's been copied so much...)

Also, although I'm really not that knowledgable about Warhammer 40k, having not read anything about it, nor played the game, but even I recognise the impact of those heavily armoured behemoths with impossibly large guns.

 

[DAgent]

Not a race, but:

Space/Colonial Marines!

Aliens has a lot to answer for . (Well, it was brilliant, no wonder it's been copied so much...)

Also, although I'm really not that knowledgable about Warhammer 40k, having not read anything about it, nor played the game, but even I recognise the impact of those heavily armoured behemoths with impossibly large guns.

That's a good point, I KNEW I was missing something before I hit the button

Organisations, how many Star Fleets, and Federations and Space Forces can there already be in fiction? Do we really need MORE Rangers, either in space or hiking with Halflings and wondering if they are getting a hairy foot fetish?

 

[Luiglin]

Colonial Space Marine Hobbits: Ranger Fleet... I think I could get away with that.

 

[Karn's Return]

Colonial Space Marine Hobbits: Ranger Fleet... I think I could get away with that.

I imagine that such a thing would be so ridiculous, that the proper IP holders would just let something through out of sheer curiosity. XD

 

[Wayne Mack]

Jar Jar Binks

 

[BAYLOR]

Jar Jar Binks

Hm, I can see Dsiner doing a series Jar Jar Binks The Early Years. Set in tame before he me Anakin Skywalker.

 

[Tawariell]

Uruk-hai, no? I thought J.R.R. Tolkien invented this race of Orcs himself.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Ents

 

[Betok_Haney]

Colonial Space Marine Hobbits: Ranger Fleet... I think I could get away with that.

Ranger Feet.

*snort*

 

[AlexH]

I think it can be used in unfortunate ways at times, but the opening post makes it sound like copyright is a flat out bad thing.

 

[Phyrebrat]

‘Droid’ is apparently copyrighted.