Fides wrote: > > David Dyer-Bennet wrote: > > Joshua Kronengold <mneme at io.com> writes: > > >>The point is that fixing copyright to anyone's lifespan is ludicrous > >>unless you think the possibility of someone writing a parody or fanfic > >>(or even commercial variant on same) is a tragedy. And as much as it > >>might feel like one (just like, say, a negative review), it's not -- > >>it's just a thing. > > > > > > Parody is protected fair use, so that's not at issue. Most fanfic > > *is* a tragedy. The better fanfic is a tragedy *twice* (they should > > have been writing something original). > > Why? I have read some very good fan fic that wouldn't have been half as > effective if had been totally original and some that would have been > impossible if they had been original. If fan fic writers wanted to write > something totally original they would (and some do that as well) but > that isn't what they are trying to do when they write fic. >From a legal standpoint, fanfic is a copyright violation. It endangers an author's right to work within their own creation. Propagating fanfic in public without permission is an insult, not praise. Doing so with permission is fine. Some TV show copyright owners intentionally turn a blind eye towards fanfic because they like the fans who write it and are unconcerned about having their rights violated. As a personal choice, that's OK, but if you intend to publicly release fanfic, ask the author first. If they say no, respect their wishes.