Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Fanfiction printing: legal or illegal?

It all started when a website owner stated that she had printed a fanfic for her own personal enjoyment because she was going on a trip. Some on said that she should print off "The Office" by tby789 and Alsion asked for the PDF file. Some one tweeted her the link to a fanfic downloader and she tweeted the link to is several times. A pretty improtant person twilight wise tweeted her these few tweets (to understand better start at the tweet on the bottom :-)):

@TwiFans You, as a website owner should know that anything COPYRIGHTED should never be willingly distributed w/o owner's permission.
@TwiFans Stephenie isn't selling Midnight Sun and it's still illegal to print.
@TwiFans But how do YOU know that people printing this won't distribute for selling/profiting under another name?
@TwiFans Because you are distributing their work without their permission! Of course they have every right to take down their work.
@TwiFans Yes, but its a PUBLICLY COPYRIGHTED content that you are allowing people to print. Don't be suprised when you get served with a C&D
@
TwiFans You do realize that these authors can pull all their stories now that you have publicized this issue.
@TwiFans They want you to read it ONLINE. Printing= distribument without author's permission.
@TwiFans Yeah but that's just like having Stephenie's Midnight Sun PDF file and printing that... still illegal.
@
TwiFans Uhhhhhh I'm pretty sure thats illegal.. since these authors own all their content for the fan fictions...

Sooo this leads me to my post today. Is printing fanfictions wrong? Also notice that you see the word "distribute" alot. Alison was not going to sell it to anyone. Who want to be on a long flight with nothing to do? No one. I feel that if you sell the printed work for a profit that its wrong but for your own enjoyment? No- I feel that that is fine. Soooo tell me in the comments what you feel.

IS printing a fanfiction illegal or is it fine- but only if its for your own enjoyment?

4 comments:

  1. No, it´s not. I have been really busy and waited months to read The Office, finally I´ve got time to and it´s been removed. I wanna cry. If someone has it, please tell me.

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  2. I know it's been some time after this post came into being, but eh wot.

    The legality of printing fan fiction (or downloading it to a device such as an e-reader) is in a bit of a gray area. While some content that the fan fiction is the intellectual property of its author, each and every work of fan fiction violates copyright law, as it is not considered to be fair use under the guidelines of the original media.

    My stance, therefore, is that if a person is willing to violate copyright law to produce a work of fan fiction, I should be able to print or backup said fan fic without the "author" complaining.

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  3. Illegal maybe, but if something is illegal does NOT make it wrong. Some narcotics may be outlawed, but their use in medicine makes a crucial medicine. Printing out something as trivial as a FanFic for personal enjoyment is only natural. Wish major law makers would understand this at last. XP

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  4. Great stuff from you, man. Ive scan your stuff before and youre just too brilliant. I love what youve got here, love what youre saying and the way you say it. You make it entertaining and you still manage to keep it smart. I cant wait to scan more from you. This is really a great website.
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