Content ethics? [Hosting a fic w/out author's permission]

[MattW]

Content ethics?

Right now I'm developing a web site that's focused around the competitive Pokemon battling strategy that's in the video games. However, there are miscellaneous sections, like one I have with pictures of myself attending the mall tour in 2000. One of those sections I'd like to have is a fanfic section.

You see... there's this one fanfic that was very popular 5 or 6 years ago, but the author stopped writing, the community died, and no one was hosting the full thing. I haven't seen a complete archived version. His old web site still has two thirds of it, actually, but I can't get into contact with him. And the unfinished sequel to that fanfic, I can't find hosted... anywhere. So would it be unethical for me to host that on my web site (noting that I don't have his permission and that at his request it would be taken down)? I've done a lot of work reformatting it to HTML and organizing it.

 

[Archaic]

What fic by what author?

 

[Doctor Oak]

Technically it's his work, you should only really be using it if you've asked his permission - otherwise you're using his work for your benefit without his backing.

You should definitely find out some way to get in contact with him before putting it up otherwise you'd be more likely to be asked to take it down if/when he found out.

 

[Koroku]

I'm going to move this where it's going to get attention by people that'd have more knowledge on this.

Off to the Tales of the Pokémon World!

 

[MattW]

The specific fanfic is Hitmonchan's Diary by Stephen Huxman, but it doesn't really matter--didn't I say that I've spent a lot of time trying to get a hold of him, and that he wrote this 5 or 6 years back? That's because he's no longer part of the community, or any community. His web site is inactive at http://www.freewebs.com/newronin/ and his Livejournal has not been updated in three months so I doubt he signs on. Yeah, Doctor Oak, I know that it's technically not legitimate, and I've mentioned how I'd set it up that I'd remove it on request. It's not for my benefit though since I don't profit from the web site. (Clearly I would not consider putting that on my site if my site involved any money.)

Thanks for moving this topic back to its original forum, by the way.

 

[Doctor Oak]

Yeah, Doctor Oak, I know that it's technically not legitimate, and I've mentioned how I'd set it up that I'd remove it on request. It's not for my benefit though since I don't profit from the web site. (Clearly I would not consider putting that on my site if my site involved any money.)

Well, you'd benefit with more visitors to your site (at least in theory and obviously that's what you're hoping for too). I'm simply saying that putting it up without his word makes it more likely that he'd tell you to remove it if/when he found out about it.

The basic question of whether it would be unethical to put up would get the basic answer 'yes'.

I wouldn't do it and if I were in the writer's position i'd be unhappy to see it up without my permission but it's your final decision.

It's certainly not the most unethical thing you can do on the internet, and i've obviously indulged myself in much worse *cough*Raw Eps*cough* but it is general bad nettiquette to take someone's work without their permission.

 

[MattW]

Maybe I should have been more clear about the focus of this. (bolds edited in and changing the word "ethical" or "acceptable/fair/less unethical"

So would it be acceptable/fair/less unethical for me to host that on my web site (noting that I don't have his permission and that at his request it would be taken down)?

As far as legally I know whether I say "sorry if you don't like this I'll fix it right away" or not doesn't make much difference, but from a people standpoint, what do you guys think about this.

I wouldn't ever use the word "profit" liberally outside of monetary profits, I'd guess that you assume that person creates the web sites out of their own self-interest for their own self-indulgence or that they get an ego boost out of boosted hits, and also that those people are somehow better off. I don't post this out of my own self-interest; my exact words are "out of love for this", in the preface to what I would post on my site. And whether or not I get a happy feeling isn't really what matters to me, or should matter to other people (or at least that's what I personally believe). I do experience satisfaction, in any case.