I mentioned this a few pages back, and will again here. For the most part fanfiction isn't really a bad thing (granted, a lot of the stories are bad, but that's not the point I'm going for here) and it seems that most of the copyright holders aren't that bothered. There are a couple of exceptions, and they generally have to do with people profiting over said fanfics.
This "Another Hope" business is a great example (thanks for posting the link!). Lucasfilm generally ignores (Hell, Lucas himself has been known to encourage) fanfics. It's all well and good, until someone starts charging money for them. Incidentally, there's a huge discussion on that aspect of fanfics relating to "Another Hope"...I'd encourage people to start looking it up on Google...well worth the time.
Most fanfics are allowed or at least generally ignored. There are exceptions. Again, I have issues when people go after the authors, as in the Anne McCaffrey case I mentioned a few pages back. As I said then, I don't have all the details. What apparently happened (most of this probably isn't available for legal reasons) is someone wrote a fanfic, I believe set in the Pern universe, that mirrored something that came out shortly thereafter in one of McCaffrey's novels. The fanfic writer then attempted to take legal action against McCaffrey for "stealing their story". As this was, most likely, a "what comes next" story I'd chalk it up to coincidence. As a result of the fallout, I do know that Anne McCaffrey now actively goes after anyone who puts their fanfics based on her work out where they can be seen!
I equally have problems with people posting things as their own copyright. The other situation I mentioned involved a woman writing Harry Potter fanfics. I read this story in a newspaper a few years back (can't remember where, with some digging you can most likely Google it if you're really interested). She posted a bunch of these things to her website, and each story started with a note saying that all characters and situations were the sole trademark and copyright of her...and she didn't actually create any new characters...just used the existing ones! In her case it was Warner Brothers who went after her, and with good reason. Consider how much they paid for those rights! Even if you aren't making money off of it (this woman wasn't), claiming ownership of someone else's work is just wrong.
While I don't know the story behind it, it seems that Anne Rice is also quite adamant that people not write fanfics based on her works...
Again I don't have a problem with fanfics per se...there is an established community out there. The problems occur when people abuse it. That abuse comes very close to people who try to sue the creators of a successful franchise when they see the money is there (A gentleman tried to sue George Lucas back in the eighties, claiming he created the Ewoks in a script he sent to Lucas...wanted all profits from Return of the Jedi as a result...and then there's the woman who occasionally claims she created The Matrix). Sadly, I think most people in that situation would have to take a "once bitten, twice shy" approach and come down hard on fanfic writers.
Let's face it...it only takes one person to ruin something for the rest of the world.
Keith
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