Matt Smith Admin Age: 32 Gender: Female Posts: 31134
June 16th, 2008 at 05:11am
Well, if unauthorised biographies and memoirs aren't illegal, then I don't see how people wanting to sue fanfiction writers would have a leg to stand on tbh. Fanfiction is, after all, nonprofit. So it is okay to write damaging and salacious things about people in memoirs and biographies, provided that they are true? It's just when you write fiction about people then it's wrong? I can't see it.
So it is okay to write damaging and salacious things about people in memoirs and biographie
Libel is illegal.
Pretty Like Drugs King For A Couple Of Days Age: 34 Gender: Female Posts: 2643
June 19th, 2008 at 06:39am
Kurtni:
Bloodraine:
So it is okay to write damaging and salacious things about people in memoirs and biographie
Libel is illegal.
Yes, but she said provided it's true. Salacious and damaging doesn't necessarily mean false.
Dear god, I temporarily forgot about the topic at hand. At which point I must agree, fanfics can be considered libel. Especially if there are unfounded claims of homosexuality involved.
Now I'm going to bed so that when I come back to try and be clever again, it might actually work.
Ol' Blue Eyes. King For A Couple Of Days Age: 35 Gender: Female Posts: 4816
June 19th, 2008 at 11:52am
As far as I knew, Libel is only if the facts are presented as true, even if the author knows them to be false. As any fanfic or slashfic written is usually posted on a fiction site, with a disclaimer, I think that would discount libel, as the author is not attempting to present their story as true.
Pretty Like Drugs King For A Couple Of Days Age: 34 Gender: Female Posts: 2643
June 20th, 2008 at 01:42am
I'm never again going to post here while on 3hrs sleep. I end up writing the stupidest things -_-
Anywho. I'm on the fence about disclaimers and libel and the whole using-public-figures-as-a-subject-in-a-fanfic thing. Firstly, libel in the press would be attributing defamatory things to the actual person, whereas in fanfics, the presence of a disclaimer should clearly state anything defamatory or otherwise expressed in the fanfic concerned is merely using the image/idea of certain public figures. Because of course the author is in no way affiliated with that person.
On the other hand, I don't really like disclaimers that much either. As courteous (or self-preserving) as they seem, they're still not some kind of agreement between the author and the public figure conerned that they can be written about. You could of course argue that once a person puts himself into the spotlight he gives up at least a certain amount of privacy. But I still think in the case of fanfics it's disrespectful. Just by throwing on a disclaimer and ridding yourself of the responsibility and affiliation doesn't, or should I say shouldn't, automatically give you the right use someone's image.
I don't know. I'm not anti-fanfics or anything. In fact, I love them. I'm a little self-contradicting on this topic
Sherlock Board Parasite Age: 38 Gender: Female Posts: 35331
June 20th, 2008 at 09:20am
I think its fucking brilliant tbqh. Harmless.. clean fun.
As far as I knew, Libel is only if the facts are presented as true, even if the author knows them to be false. As any fanfic or slashfic written is usually posted on a fiction site, with a disclaimer, I think that would discount libel, as the author is not attempting to present their story as true.
I highly doubt the little disclaimers composed by 13 year old MCR addicts cover all the legal bases needed.
Macfadyen Basket Case Age: 32 Gender: Female Posts: 16175
June 20th, 2008 at 06:35pm
like strawberry pie:
Slow Riot.:
And as for the non-sex fanfics... I'd just find it weird if a bunch of kids were writing random stories about my personal life.
But it's not really about their lives. It's inspired by them, but it's not about them. It's not real. Ideas have to come from somewhere, right? If an idea for a story comes from an aspect of your favourite band members life, is it really that bad to use them as a character to put that idea onto paper?
I don't see why it's necessary to use them as characters. I don't know, I'd just find it really creepy if other people were writing about... say... a day at the zoo with me, my wife, and my children. It's one thing to do it just for sexual gratification, because at least there's a decent reason for that. But when it's just intruding in on one's personal life like that, I just personally find it weird.
Sylar Falling In Love With The Board Age: 34 Gender: Female Posts: 5703
June 21st, 2008 at 12:41am
When it's written well and isn't a collection of smut it can be good.
Nevertheless though, I feel sorry for artists when it's brought up in interviews. That's just wrong.
Miley Cyrus Basket Case Age: 31 Gender: Female Posts: 15185
June 21st, 2008 at 11:09am
omg to be honest i would have so much fun reading fanfics about myself if i was famous.
and i really think some of you are taking it too seriously
it's not meant in a harmful or demeaning way and, as its name suggests, it is entirely a work of FICTION and (usually) there's a disclaimer to prove it. i don't anybody who thinks stuff that happens in fanfics happened in real life.
in addition, what about the stuff that's based off of like, TV shows? then it's not based upon real people or their personal lives in the least. authors like JK Rowling have said fanfiction is great and have encouraged readers to keep writing
Macfadyen Basket Case Age: 32 Gender: Female Posts: 16175
June 21st, 2008 at 03:34pm
victoria california:
authors like JK Rowling have said fanfiction is great and have encouraged readers to keep writing
Yeah, so she could copy/paste them for her seventh book.
har har har
Pretty Like Drugs King For A Couple Of Days Age: 34 Gender: Female Posts: 2643
June 21st, 2008 at 08:58pm
victoria california:
in addition, what about the stuff that's based off of like, TV shows? then it's not based upon real people or their personal lives in the least. authors like JK Rowling have said fanfiction is great and have encouraged readers to keep writing
And Anne Rice has asked for all fanfiction to be taken down. Having a disclaimer doesn't then mean the creator of these characters/the actual people who are used as characters automatically has to feel comfortable about it.
"I do not allow fan fiction.
The characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly to even think about fan fiction with my characters. I advise my readers to write your own original stories with your own characters.
It is absolutely essential that you respect my wishes."
I do actually think she was a little pushy about this whole thing
I remember Harry being asked what he thought about slash in an interview once, and at first he was like "...us together like...that?...okaaaaaay..." but then he said something like "well I guess we watch lesbian porn so it's logical that girls would like guys in the same way". And it's not fanfiction but they've seen some of the manips people have made where their heads are on the bodies of random models or their bodies are photoshopped together, and they're pretty cool with it. They think it's funny rather than offensive.
And tbh, just because something's illegal, there are a bunch of idiots on the internet who'll do it anyway.
yeah thats true
Miley Cyrus Basket Case Age: 31 Gender: Female Posts: 15185
June 29th, 2008 at 04:20pm
Pretty Like Drugs:
And Anne Rice has asked for all fanfiction to be taken down. Having a disclaimer doesn't then mean the creator of these characters/the actual people who are used as characters automatically has to feel comfortable about it.
"I do not allow fan fiction.
The characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly to even think about fan fiction with my characters. I advise my readers to write your own original stories with your own characters.
It is absolutely essential that you respect my wishes."
I do actually think she was a little pushy about this whole thing
okay if they have said that they really dislike it then obviously it's not okay
idk maybe books or something, in that page with all the publishing detail stuff, should have "no fanfiction can be written about this" or something
fun. 
