Is FanFiction Illegal?

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction' started by SonsofSoong2338, Oct 22, 2010.

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Do you believe fanfiction damages Paramount's Startrek empire?

  1. Absolutely! It's stealing!

    6.1%
  2. It does damage some aspects.

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. It causes little noticeable damage

    9.1%
  4. It causes no damage at all.

    84.8%
  1. Shatnertage

    Shatnertage Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^ I can't even imagine Foucault fan fiction (I suffered through a lot of his work in grad school), but the thought makes me smile.

    And yes, that fits my definition of fair use as well, and if you were writing a paper wouldn't be considered plagiarism, though if you were turning it in for a grade I'd want to see a page number and the proper citation.:lol:
     
  2. bigdaddy

    bigdaddy Vice Admiral Admiral

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    How can it complete with the original if you aren't making money?
     
  3. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Your post is just an opinion in a conversation, and everything in a couple of paragraphs isn't equally worthy of attention or response. That's not the same as rifling through pages of reference material to pick out a couple of things that taken out of context can be made to appear to support a position that they do not.

    Precedent says that they'd win them all, except for the occasional instance where a lawyer made a case for parody (and there is very little in the genres of fan fiction or films that is truly parody, although many presentations are not meant to be taken seriously - parody is not defined as "this guy thinks he's funny").

    Studios and publishers have gone after this kind of thing in the past - they simply shut it down for as long as they continue to pay attention to it.

    Fan fiction is not consumed or noticed by a "massive" or even "a lot" of fans as those numbers have meaning to an organization like Paramount. Neither 20th Century Fox nor "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" as a property suffered any noticable harm when the studio went after the webmasters a decade ago, nor would they now.
     
  4. Goliath

    Goliath Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Actually, IIRC, Foucault himself described his books as novels, of a sort.

    So it might be argued that Foucauldian "scholarship" is fan fiction.

    Now that I think about it...that sounds like a good idea for a conference paper...

    Nah.

    Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, trans. Alan Sheridan (Vintage Books: New York and Toronto, 1995), 82-3.

    ;)
     
  5. Kaziarl

    Kaziarl Commodore Commodore

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    As I already said, I quoted sections that directly talked about fanfiction within the whole article, which fits with the context of this discussion. I also linked the article so people could read the whole thing themselves if they were interested. When you brought up the claim that fanfiction under fair use was not addressed in the court systems, I gave references from that same article showing otherwise. So, again, I'd like to know how none of that has anything to do with this conversation?

    It would also seem that you are trying to put words in my mouth. Insinuating that I am claiming fanfiction is completely legal under fair use. I have not once said that. I first stated that, to my knowledge it could fall under fair use. Then, when told it doesn't, I looked up the article you seem to have an issue with, quoted sections relevant to this conversation showing that it has been looked at under the fair use doctrine, and even said there is some debate about it, and that it generally falls to the copyright holder to make the final decision. So, quite frankly, I'm not sure what your problem is with what I've said.
     
  6. Nerys Ghemor

    Nerys Ghemor Vice Admiral Admiral

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    In an indirect manner--if the fanfic is good enough, what it can do is shrink the available market for tie-in literature. I myself rarely buy official Treklit anymore, because I think that there are fanfic authors out there who are offering a better product and at no charge.

    As to the shows, movies, DVDs, and other types of merchandise, fanfic is fuel to my fandom. So really the question depends on if you're a Treklit publisher, or not.
     
  7. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

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    On the making money part... how illegal is it to post fanfiction and add a "Donate" button at the bottom of the page?
     
  8. Bry_Sinclair

    Bry_Sinclair Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Would totally agree.
     
  9. kes7

    kes7 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I wouldn't ....
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2010
  10. BolianAuthor

    BolianAuthor Writer, Battlestar Urantia Rear Admiral

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    It's illegal if you make money from it without being a published Trek author. Technically any mention of anything Trek or belonging to ANY show or film is use of that label without permission, unless you've asked for that permission, so in that sense, then yes, fanfic is illegal, just as two children playing Star Trek in the front yard would be illegal.
     
  11. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    You were lied to.
     
  12. BolianAuthor

    BolianAuthor Writer, Battlestar Urantia Rear Admiral

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    ^

    Yeah... as long as something makes money, there will be more of it. There will be more TNG books.
     
  13. SonsofSoong2338

    SonsofSoong2338 Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    Thanks. I'll be sure to reply your future messages with short, snide remarks followed by no additional information.:confused:
     
  14. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It was a joke. There are several more TNG books planned.
     
  15. CobraCommander

    CobraCommander Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I feel that the future of the Trek we knew is through written literature/ fan films. Some of the best ideas come from those who truly understand Star Trek. The only drawback I can see is mass overlapping of timelines and the need to sift for a more acceptable general canon. I wouldn't hold out much hope for Paramount to make canon anymore (no profit). We're on our own. Cobra
     
  16. JoeZhang

    JoeZhang Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Yes a lot of fan-fiction is downright criminal.
     
  17. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    The book 'Path of Disharmony' (TNG) by Dayton Ward is set to be released later this year under Star Trek: Typhon Pact banner. Also, 'Seize the Fire' (Star Trek: Titan) by Michael A. Martin is set to be released as well featuring Riker, Troi and several minor TNG characters under the same banner.

    The TNG characters are alive, well and still being published by Pocket Books for the forseeable future.
     
  18. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    And a massive amount of 'fanwank'.