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« on: May 27, 2006, 12:15:51 PM »
Here's the thing. In cases like Star Trek & Star Wars, the officially endorsed fiction is checked and vetted by the copyright holders (Paramount & Lucasfilm), who have final say on just what gets published.
In the case of a Dresden tie-in novel, if Jim doesn't give permission, it's still fan fiction, no matter how well-written (and I've seen fanfic written better than the "official" works, like Kid Dynamo). And even if _he_ doesn't mind, I'm willing to bet his publisher will.
Y'see, there's another aspect to this. I'm an admin on another board, connected to a specific comics series. And we recently had to impose a solid ban on fanfic, simply to prevent the creator from potential legal implications. And that's in a different medium entirely.
Picture this. A fan writes a story where Harry becomes king of the Green Court. In a later book, Jim has the same thing happen. The fan decides that Jim took his idea and asks for credit (at best) or money (at worst). And it all ends up in court.
It's happened before. And a lot of creators are skittish.
So there are really only a few possible approaches.
1: Ban all tie-in fiction, approved or otherwise.
2: Allow certain stories, but maintain a tight hold on what happens to the characters (this is Lucasfilm's approach).
3: Allow certain stories, but decree that they are not necessarily "canon" (see Star Trek).
I'm not sure which route Jim might take.