Fan Fiction: Complementary
Fandom or Copyright
Infringement
This is a banner for a fan fiction about Harry Potter. James
What is it? Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing is the first of three
books written by Norman Lippert that follows the adventures
Fan fiction refers to stories or novels of James Potter, son of the famous Harry Potter. (Dee, 2010)
written by fans that use preexisting
characters and settings from other
already has written about it. If you
people’s professional work. It can
have
expand upon all forms of media,
not, chances are still that somebody
including but not limited to: books,
has already written about it.
television shows, video games, plays,
musicals, rock bands and even board
games. (Grossman, 2011) There is no Who cares?
limit to the places that fan fiction can
take a reader or writer. Imagine a time There are over 2 million pieces of fan
in which Harry Potter and Voldemort, fiction on FanFiction.net, the largest
two predominant characters in J.K. archive on the web, and it is only one of
Rowling’s Harry Potter series, were many. Other archives include
related. Think about a scenario in fanfictionnow.com, fanfiction-
which Jacob and Edward are best library.com, lotrfanfiction.com
friends in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (specifically for Lord of the Rings), and
series. Consider a world in which R2D2 numerous others. Fanfiction.net has
of George Lucas’s Star Wars is evil, and over 500,000 entries in the Harry
Darth Vader is a hero. There is even Potter section alone. (Grossman, 2011)
fan fiction for the game of Tetris, “L- Fan fiction did not become exceedingly
block has just found out that his life popular until the creation of the
partner, Square Internet, which gives fans access to
block, was cheating on him with his vast communities of people who share
similar interests and allows them to give
and receive feedback instantaneously.
Yet fan fiction can be traced back all
brother, Inverse L-block…” (Grossman, the way to the 1920s and 1930s in
2011). If you have considered these science magazines. (Thomas, 2011) Fan
situations, chances are somebody else fiction is not only for novices either.
Meg Cabot, author of The Princess
Diaries, disclosed that as a college writing their own or reading that of
student she wrote stories based on the others, fan fiction keeps series relevant
fantasy novels of Anne McCaffrey. for many.
(Young, 2007) In addition to Cabot,
On top of that, fan fiction opens the
Naomi Novik, whose Temeraire novels
door to diversity that audiences often
are bestsellers and have been optioned
cannot otherwise find. Fan fiction
by Peter Jackson (director of the Lord
encompasses all races, nationalities,
of the Rings movies), writes fan fiction
ethnicities, languages, religions, and
as well. She goes on to say, “Fanfic
sexual orientations, both in its
writing isn’t work, it’s joyful play… most
characters and
people…get confused why anyone
would want to write fanfic instead of
original professional material, even
though they don’t have any problem
understanding why someone would
want to mess around on a guitar playing authors. Somebody who cannot
Simon and Garfunkel.” (Grossman, 2011) recognize themselves in the media they
From novices to professionals, women read or watch can implement
to men, children to adults, fan fiction themselves into the stories they enjoy,
is, and continues to become, or find themselves in the stories
increasingly popular. written by other fans. (Grossman, 2011)
One writer of fan fiction went as far as
What are the advantages? saying, “for me, fanfic is partially a
political act…MGM is too cowardly to
When a series comes to an end,
put a gay man in one of their
whether it is in movies, television, video
multimillion-dollar blockbusters? And
games, or literature, fans can be
somehow want me to be content? Why
devastated. Fan fiction offers
should I?” (Grossman, 2011). While some
enthusiasts
stories may do nothing
the “People get confused why anyone would more than “fix” a
opportunity want to write fanfic instead of original particular character
to continue
professional material, even though they or scene that a fan
enjoying their
don’t have any problem understanding dislikes, others
favorite
why someone would want to mess around provide a place for
series even
after the
on a guitar playing Simon and Garfunkel” reader’s to explore
diversity that major
original - Naomi Novik, bestselling author studios do not
creator
decides he or provide. (Young, 2007)
she has had enough. Whether it be
Copyright Issues fan fiction, while flattering, is also an
Fortunately, J.K. Rowling and
Stephenie Meyer have given Harry
Potter and Twilight fan fiction their
approval. In fact, it can be seen as a
marketing agent for their work, rather
than infringing upon it. (Grossman,
2011) Other companies and authors
agree that fan fiction has the potential
to expand a company’s market by
bringing greater exposure to their
product, increasing interest in their
product, and developing fan unity.
(Ecks, 2001) However, not all authors
share these viewpoints. There are many
writers who do not approve of fan
fiction based on their work. For
example, Orson Scott Card, author of
the Ender’s Game books, has written on Spockanalia was the first modern fan
his website: “I will sue, because if I do fiction fanzine to be published.
NOT act vigorously to protect my (Fan Fiction, 2011)
copyright, I will lose that copyright…So
attack on my means of livelihood.”
Fan Fiction Vocabulary to Know (Grossman, 2011) Anne Rice, author of
Fan fiction: stories or novels written by The Vampire Chronicles, shares a
fans that use preexisting characters similar disdain for fan fiction, writing,
and settings from other people’s “I do not allow fan fiction. The
professional work characters are copyrighted. It upsets
me terribly to even think about fan
Canon: the facts and laws of a given fiction with my characters. I advise my
fictional universe as laid out by its readers to write your own original
creator stories with your own characters.”
(Grossman, 2011)
Alternate Universe (UA): fan fiction
that is not constrained by canon The question becomes, is fan fiction
legal? The answer, however, is not so
Fandom: fan culture organized
simple. In the legal world, there is a lack
around any given media franchise
of clear legal precedent in case law.
Slash: any fan fiction that pairs two U.S. Copyright law explicitly states that
same-sex characters
Fanzine: A magazine for fans of a
particular performer, group, or form
of entertainment
derivative works, or works based or violation of their rights and a potential
derived from another copyrighted attack on their wellbeing, while fans
work, is the exclusive province of the see it as a way of expressing their love
owner of the original work. (Ecks, 2001) of a work and a way to continue
From an authors’ standpoint, not enjoying it. The question remains
allowing fan fiction may protect their whether or not fan fiction should be
sole source of income, their works. condoned. Fantasy writer Robin Hobb
Another reason that authors do not wrote on her website, “Fan fiction
allow fan fiction is to prevent allows the writer to pretend to be
misinterpretations of their work, which creating a story, while using someone
may confuse an author’s audience. else’s world, characters, and plot…The
(Ecks, 2001). However, at what point first step to becoming a writer is to
does a piece of fan fiction have your own idea. Not to take
differentiate enough from the original someone else’s idea, put a dent in it,
to not be classified as a derivative? and claim it as your own.” (Young, 2007)
Again however, there is no legal Yet if we look to the past as our guide,
precedent to the issue, so the question creating original characters from
remains unanswered. scratch was not always a requirement
for an author. (Grossman, 2011) For
Condoned or Banned? example, Shakespeare did not invent
Hamlet and King Lear, but rather
Some authors see fan fiction as a
plucked them from historical and
literary sources. (Grossman, 2011).
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
by Tom Stoppard is essentially a fan
fiction of Hamlet, while Goethe’s Faust
retells Doctor Faustus, a story by
Christopher Marlowe. (Young, 2007)
For all we know, Marlowe and
Shakespeare may have been just as
unhappy about fans adapting their
works in fan fiction, but there is no
way to know. Should fan fiction be
condoned, or should it be banned? The
answer to that question depends on
whom you ask. However, as long as fans
have a desire to enjoy works beyond
what authors dictate, fan fiction is not
going anywhere.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Magazine was a
fanzine for a show with the same name that
aired from 1964-1968, yet still has devoted
fan fiction followers. (Johnson, 2011)
Sources
Dee. (2010, September 12). Booksy. Addicted to
Obsession. Retrieved from
http://addictedtoobsession.blogspot.com/2010/09/boo
ksy.html
Ecks, M. (2001). Fan Fiction, Novels, Copyright, and
Ethics. Whoosh.com, 57. 1-26. From:
http://www.whoosh.org/issue62/ecks2.html#backnote
04
Fan fiction. (2011). In Facebook [Fan page]. Rerieved
October 17, 2011, from
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fan-
fiction/113632631983441
Glee Fanfiction. (2010). GleeFanfiction.com. Retrieved
October 17, 2011, from
http://www.gleefanfiction.com/
Grossman, L. (2011). The Boy Who Lived Forever.
Time, 178 (3), 44-50.
Johnson, R. (2011). The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The
Pillars of Salt Affair – Bill Pronzini. Not the Baseball
Pitcher. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from
http://randall120.wordpress.com/tag/the-man-from-
uncle/
Thomas, B. (2011). What Is Fanfiction and Why Are
People Saying Such Nice Things about It?
StoryWorlds, 3, 1-24.
Young, C. (2007, February). The Fan Fiction
Phenomena. Reason.com. From:
http://reason.com/archives/2007/01/30/the-fan-
fiction-
phenomena#commentcontainer