Fanfiction...flag it.

1. 83

   NateSeanposted 14 years ago

   I've been noticing fanfiction on hub pages. I think this is one phenomenon we call all agree to flag.
   
   It's one thing if you write a short story and your characters make "references" to another author's work. But if anyone is a follower of Anne Rice, as I am, you know that there are authors out there who will sue if they think their copyright has been infringed upon.
   
   Hubpages is not a place for fanfiction. Thoughts, comments?

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2. 66

   Daniel Carterposted 14 years ago

   Derivative works of already copyrighted works is a copyright violation, period. Most fan fiction that I have seen is derivative of original, copyrighted work. In most cases, I agree with you. There may be a few exceptions, but I generally have my doubts.

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3. 60

   Jaggedfrostposted 14 years ago

   lol actually there are some copyrighted works that not only allow such things but their future development often derives its progress at times from them.  Ultimately it is up to the author as to whether fan fiction is legal or not.  I have seen fan fiction sights that have been long standing.  Often publishers as well as actual authors of the previously copyrighted works make an appearance there and comment on the fan fictions.

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   1. 83

      NateSeanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I think it's great if that's what the author wants.
      
      I've written fanfiction before. Heck, most of us who went to public school have written fanfiction at one point in our lives, before we even knew there was a term for it.
      
      I just don't think we should be making money from it. Especially when hub page offers us the opportunity to present our own original work to the world and make money from it.

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      1. 0

         Sophia Angeliqueposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         The fact that they might make money from it makes it a whole new ball game. It's probably best for HP to forbid this.

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   2. 66

      Daniel Carterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Author consent is a different ball game all together. Since there are sites for such, then it's fine because it's by invitation. However, from what the OP wrote, we're talking about infractions. Infractions are only going to be penalized.
      
      So for the kind of fan fiction you are talking about, it's technically called "collaboration." Fan fiction in and of itself is usually as the OP described, and is considered an infringement in most cases.
      
      Just trying to be clear.

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4. 60

   Jaggedfrostposted 14 years ago

   honestly I never indulged myself in such things because the amount of research necessary in order to do it right was neither practical nor was I willing to spend that time in order to pull it off to my satisfaction.  I respect if Hubpages doesn't want such works here because of the extra homework necessary in order to make it legit but seriously folks, this isn't an all or nothing subject.

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5. 83

   kerrygposted 14 years ago

   Yeah, I love fanfiction and sometimes write it myself, but publishing it on HubPages is a spectacularly awful idea. I've only stumbled on any on Hubpages once, but I'd recommend directing the author to a more appropriate site, such as fanfiction.net, the Archive of Our Own, or LiveJournal.
   
   Jaggedfrost, even most authors that encourage fanfiction do so only on the agreement that fic writers will not profit from it. The exceptions are very, very rare and usually require the fic writer to submit the fic for approval and publication by the original copyright holders.
   
   http://fanlore.org/wiki/Professional_Au … c_Policies
   
   Fanfiction for works in the public domain would be the other exception, so I guess if somebody really wanted to post their PG-13 Darcy/Bingham slash epic on HubPages they theoretically could. FF.net, AO3, and LJ still seem like better places for that, though.

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6. 76

   Shadesbreathposted 14 years ago

   I think we should all jump in and start telling everyone what they should and should not write. Eventually, we can suck any kind of joy, love or creativity out of writing and everything will look, read and be exactly the same. Plus, we get to feel all cool about ourselves for being so smart. I know I'm up for it!

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   1. 83

      kerrygposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Heh, I agree, which is why I support the Organization for Transformative Works, but I also don't want fellow fans (or, god forbid, HubPages itself) to get sued for copyright infringement, and posting fanfic on a revenue sharing site is asking for trouble in that regard.
      
      Most writers these days openly support fanfic, but publishng houses, movie studios, and tv networks are not always so friendly. And they're the ones with packs of lawyers.

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   2. 66

      Daniel Carterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The point is not about censorship. It's about knowing what the copyright holder's rights are, and what our rights are as writers. Protection from infringement is not censorship. It's protection for the copyright holder. You avoid this, and there are almost endless ways to be creative in writing.

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   3. 59

      lyndreposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      I think this one deserves the old favourite the sarcasm video.
      
      
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Mc7bTG3-c

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      1. 76

         Shadesbreathposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         LOL  I love that video.

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   4. 76

      sabrebIadeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I love the way HP seems to have suddenly turned on itself.
      It seems like everyone is looking for a group of writers to knock off.

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      1. 74

         frogdroppingposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yup. Soon it will be 'no frogs allowed'. As for fan fiction I'd just ask the HP team if they don't come along and say anything.

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      2. 83

         NateSeanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Just ask the victims of the Salem Witch Trials what happens when the rope starts to tighten in a small community.

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         1. 76

            sabrebIadeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Exactly.

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   5. 78

      mega1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      hear hear!  and also here!  and be sure that the drivel you are writing is selling lots of stuff for the landfill!  Am I write, Shadie?

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7. 60

   Jaggedfrostposted 14 years ago

   Most works of fiction do not open up fan fiction for everyone.  i cant see Hubpages doing the home work to seek that. The point about making money at the expense of someone else's idea and characters regardless of how transformed is valid.  The only way I would  disagree is if the person doing it didn't submit it for adsense approval.  i don't think any such approval from  AdSense would be probable.  Just to publish it for presentation and criticism by such blokes as ourselves who know so much however, is a lot different. 
   
   The problem remains the capsules and the fact that every hub standardly comes with ads attached whether we make money off of them or not.   So in effect, unless Hubpages provides another format for such things, technically by posting such a thing you could automatically be making Hubpages an offender without being an offender yourself.   Perhaps as we view this matters haven't changed.  The truth however is that it is the Hubpages format that makes fan-fiction a bad idea.  i still  think that it, as a valid form of authorship should be allowed but if that were in the cards that Hubpages would have to, for legal reason, create a fourth format for such works.

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8. 60

   Jaggedfrostposted 14 years ago

   lol as a comedy skit it was fabulous although you would think that the person coming would have an ability to give as good as he took or that everyone was actually trying to quit.  It would have been even more amusing to see some hesitation before the sarcastic remarks as though they were struggling with some inner demon.

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   1. 76

      Shadesbreathposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Sarcasm doesn't work without a victim.

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9. 60

   Jaggedfrostposted 14 years ago

   true that, but everyone could have been as much a victim as a perp

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10. 52

    cinderella44posted 14 years ago

    I've written quite a bit of fanfiction and gotten quite good reviews.  It's not that I'm trying to make any money at that, it's simply that I like and respect the charater and wanted a story that I could control or wanted that character to do something out of the ordinary, out of the regular scheme of things.  It was with no disrespect to the originator of the character.
    
    We all write to express our creativity, to some degree, no matter the springboard we use.  As long as we don't try to take advantage and make money from something we didn't create -- what does it hurt?

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11. 60

    Jaggedfrostposted 14 years ago

    The question isn't the value of that genre, it is the suitability of that genre here on hubpages due to legal ramifications.

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12. 87

    Len Cannonposted 14 years ago

    Honestly, I do not think Hubpages is an appropriate place for fiction to begin with. That doesn't mean that the writers here are bad. I just think that everything about HP is optimized to NOT work well for short stories or novels.
    
    There are lots of websites that are designed to bring traffic to fiction writers, but good luck getting any google searches leading to your 120 chapter Hubpages-hosted novel.

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13. 60

    Mark Ewbieposted 14 years ago

    I'm not too clear on what fan fiction is despite Wiki.
    
    IF I wanted to write a sarcastic piece loosely based on Happy Potter and whatever ghastly middle class imaginary world he inhabits, the sole purpose being to rubbish the output of Mrs Tolkien Lite - would that be a problem?
    
    Or is that not fanfiction?

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    1. 74

       frogdroppingposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Well if you went a wrote a hub all about me, that would constitute fan fiction.
       
       On you go

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       1. 60

          Mark Ewbieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          I might have to give you an honorary mention in my Karma hub (not self promoting) you mentioned it first.  Well you didn't mention it, but probably just forgot.
          
          But would a Hub called Harry Potter and the Pointless Tree be fanfiction? 
          
          Or more simply - what is fan fiction?
          
          Please.

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          1. 74

             frogdroppingposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             I didn't forget, not at all. I just know that you ooze modesty in the same way that a rubber tree oozes goo.

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    2. 83

       NateSeanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Parody is protected by the law. So, no, I would imagine it is not a problem as there is all ready a Harry Potter parody out on shelves. As well as a Twilight and LOTR parody swimming around out there.

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       1. 60

          Mark Ewbieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Thanks Nate.
          
          So please can you tell me what fan fiction is?

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          1. 83

             NateSeanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             By definition it is a story using characters and concepts that have all ready been established by another author.
             
             Basically, look to www.fanfiction.net for examples of fanfiction.

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             1. 60

                Mark Ewbieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                Thanks.
                
                Sorry to be so dense.

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