Fan Fic for sale on Amazon and B&N

[JD]

I was looking around at Trek books for Kindle and Nook, and I came across a bunch of what appear to be fan fics for Kindle and one for Nook. I'm confused by this, because I thought it was illegal to profit from fan fics? Now, I really don't mean to get anybody in trouble here, but I was just shocked to see major retailers selling fan fics, and I was wondering about the legality of them doing it. And if it is something that isn't supposed to be happening, then I figured it would be best to bring it to somebody's attention.

 

[cdgodin]

Can you post examples? And also, are they actually costing money, or are they free?

 

[BritishSeaPower]

Yeah, a ran across a couple of Doctor Who stories like this the other day when they put up the link for the 50th Anniversary eBooks.

 

[OmahaStar]

Can you post examples? And also, are they actually costing money, or are they free?

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/star-trek-john-erik-ege/1108104006?ean=2940013799882

That one is six bucks, and there's no way that's anything other than fanfic.

 

[rafterman1701]

Kindle stuff is often self-published. Amazon doesn't check it. There is a ton of fan fic on there. I would inform Pocket about all of these. I honestly think most of it is people who just don't know any better, but the whole thing makes Amazon look lazy. Even iTunes cracks down on copyright in the app store.

 

[T'Bonz]

I got screwed on a Fan Fic once for a Tudor book. I was pissed - as I paid a regular price for one of the worst books I have ever read and it was a real book, not an eBook.

Amazon doesn't police their stuff very carefully. I think if stuff is self-published or by a vanity press, it should say so very clearly.

Needless to say, I'm very careful now when ordering books and I do check publishers.

 

[TJ Sinclair]

I'm certainly not one to gripe about fan fiction, having written some in my younger days, but honestly, you would think any fanfic writer over the age of 16 would know better than to try and sell their stuff in any venue.

Wasn't there a big kerfuffle a couple of years ago when an unlicensed (fanfic) Star Wars novel was up for sale on Amazon? I thought they'd be more careful about this stuff since then...

 

[Christopher]

^Amazon is so huge that it simply isn't possible for them to have live human beings monitor and approve everything submitted to them for sale. So some things slip past the radar until they're specifically brought to Amazon's attention. And it sounds to me like that should definitely be done with these items.

 

[JoeZhang]

Please buy my new book "50 shades of Jack and James" which is a 300 page masterpiece about Jack Reacher and James T. Kirk teaming up in a homoerotic thriller.

 

[Brikar99]

Please buy my new book "50 shades of Jack and James" which is a 300 page masterpiece about Jack Reacher and James T. Kirk teaming up in a homoerotic thriller.

SOLD.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I guess if this kind of stuff is becoming a problem, Amazon and the other e-stores need to add a "report" button so shoppers can do the policing themselves.

I do hope the stores demand back any money these people make.

 

[Greg Cox]

True story: Somebody once submitted a Janeway/Seven slash novel to Tor, but explained in their cover letter that it was okay because they had (slightly) changed the names.

And don't get me started about the submission that began with the "Klargon" battle cruiser activating its "stealthing" field . . . . I rejected that one right away!

Then again, given that "Fifty Shades of Grey" started out as a sexy "Twilight" fan fic, maybe I should have given that slash novel a closer look!

 

[F. King Daniel]

True story: Somebody once submitted a Janeway/Seven slash novel to Tor, but explained in their cover letter that it was okay because they had (slightly) changed the names.

And don't get me started about the submission that began with the "Klargon" battle cruiser activating its "stealthing" field . . . . I rejected that one right away!

Then again, given that "Fifty Shades of Grey" started out as a sexy "Twilight" fan fic, maybe I should have given that slash novel a closer look!

I was just reading the other day, about a Chakotay/Paris AU slashfic which was stolen and illegally published under someone else's name.

Then there's Killing Time author Della Van Hise's K/S novel with the serial numbers filed off.

I shudder to think how many more are out there! From what I've read at fanlore.org, filing off the serial numbers is a fairly common if dubious practice for amateurs trying to go pro.

 

[Christopher]

I guess if this kind of stuff is becoming a problem, Amazon and the other e-stores need to add a "report" button so shoppers can do the policing themselves.

There are customer feeback links on the ordering pages. That might be the way to do it.

 

[OmahaStar]

True story: Somebody once submitted a Janeway/Seven slash novel to Tor, but explained in their cover letter that it was okay because they had (slightly) changed the names.

And don't get me started about the submission that began with the "Klargon" battle cruiser activating its "stealthing" field . . . . I rejected that one right away!

Then again, given that "Fifty Shades of Grey" started out as a sexy "Twilight" fan fic, maybe I should have given that slash novel a closer look!

I was just reading the other day, about a Chakotay/Paris AU slashfic which was stolen and illegally published under someone else's name.

Then there's Killing Time author Della Van Hise's K/S novel with the serial numbers filed off.

I shudder to think how many more are out there! From what I've read at fanlore.org, filing off the serial numbers is a fairly common if dubious practice for amateurs trying to go pro.

And why not? Some of the Trek authors started out writing fanfics. Jean Lorrah had a series based on Sarek and Amanda, while Peter David was just as prolific with his fanfic as he was once he went pro.

 

[Lee Son of Pete]

Even iTunes cracks down on copyright in the app store.

I know with music, iTunes vets every label, and won't allow artistes to sell unless they are on a label (which can be a tiny label, but a label nonetheless).



Considering Amazon's own recently highlighted dodgy dealings, this going on is hardly surprising.

 

[lurok]

caveat emptor

 

[F. King Daniel]

True story: Somebody once submitted a Janeway/Seven slash novel to Tor, but explained in their cover letter that it was okay because they had (slightly) changed the names.

And don't get me started about the submission that began with the "Klargon" battle cruiser activating its "stealthing" field . . . . I rejected that one right away!

Then again, given that "Fifty Shades of Grey" started out as a sexy "Twilight" fan fic, maybe I should have given that slash novel a closer look!

I was just reading the other day, about a Chakotay/Paris AU slashfic which was stolen and illegally published under someone else's name.

Then there's Killing Time author Della Van Hise's K/S novel with the serial numbers filed off.

I shudder to think how many more are out there! From what I've read at fanlore.org, filing off the serial numbers is a fairly common if dubious practice for amateurs trying to go pro.

And why not? Some of the Trek authors started out writing fanfics. Jean Lorrah had a series based on Sarek and Amanda, while Peter David was just as prolific with his fanfic as he was once he went pro.

It's the idea of only making the most superficial changes to a fanfic (i.e. change the copyrighted words) and selling it that I'm not thrilled with. Fanfic itself and fanfic writers going pro I'm 100% behind!

 

[JD]

I just want to state that despite the fact that I started this thread, I really have no problem with fan-fic, I even started an outline for my own fan-fic concept a while. I just know you're not supposed to be selling them on places like Amazon and B&N.
EDIT: I hadn't contacted anyone yet, but I was just looking again, and I could only find one on Amazon, but the B&N is still up. So I might wait a couple more days before I contact S&S in case they get pulled before than.

 

[TJ Sinclair]

I just want to state that despite the fact that I started this thread, I really have no problem with fan-fic, I even started an outline for my own fan-fic concept a while. I just know you're not supposed to be selling them on places like Amazon and B&N.

Bingo.