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MOD POST: Fic Rules update coming--input needed!

I remember, in one of the threads I read, that if one creates his own characters, one can relate more to that character (I blame my ADHD).
 
Well, that's marginally so, but you can still relate quite a bit to someone else's characters, be they created by another fan or by the creator of the series.

On that note, how do you feel about disclaimers? I mean, it's understood when writing fanfiction that you're using someone else's settings/characters/etc so I don't care too much about that, but a lot of people insist on having them (I'm not sure why, I mean, if you do a painting called Rick and it's obvious that it's of the main character of Casablanca you don't need to have a copyright disclaimer on that, and if Warner Bros sued they'd be laughed out of court, so I don't know why it's considered so different for written work).
But I think we should at least have disclaimers if you're using something created by another fan, simply because we the reader would have no way of knowing that it's not your original stuff, as opposed to the canon which anyone could know.
 
Blackjack Palazzo said:

On that note, how do you feel about disclaimers? I mean, it's understood when writing fanfiction that you're using someone else's settings/characters/etc so I don't care too much about that, but a lot of people insist on having them.
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I think this is because some authors can be (pardon the language) real assholes about this kind of thing (Robin Hobbs and Anne Rice are some [in]famous examples).

In fact if you look at: http://www.whoosh.org/issue58/ecks1.html#note01 it seems that fan fiction is "technically illegal" but it's rarely (if ever enforced).

However, I do feel that a small disclaimer AT the beginning of the work is needed (for canon AND other fan created materials you used) solely to cover your ass if something does go wrong. One thing that is NOT to be done is put a disclaimer on every chapter. It's disruptive and redundant.
 
Really? I just disclaim everything to stay on the safe side. The last thing I need is 4Kids beating down my door.
 
Bumping this because it's a mod topic and I'd really like more input. PLEASE tell me what you'd like to see included in the rules.

...Heck, I should sticky this just to be sure.
 
I favor using disclaimers for canon characters and places, and especially for OCs created by another author.
 
Please note: The thread is from 16 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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