As for the fanfiction, so much of it is about coloring outside the lines of the original source material, being critical, subversive, outrageous, and occasionally unflattering. Corporate oversight is not only unnecessary, but potentially harmful. Limitations placed on content will inevitably stifle creativity.
This, this absolutely! There is no way to "legalize" fanfic if that means I can only write and share stories the copyright holders would be comfortable with. As for the making money part - there has been some discussion that sites like Fanfiction Net makes money through advertising, too. But it is different in so far that when I decide to post there, I know this already, and that the site still is more about providing a service for the users than about making profit off their content. Still, it does not allow any adult material, which is a pain, and carries a part of this stiffling element (or would, if there were no alternatives around. Which thankfully there are.)
In Mander's case, however, he *bought* a fannish non-profit site that was already there. the users of the site did not agree to post their story on a site that would make money - they weren't even warned.
That is the part that irked me most and one of the reasons I pulled my stories from there.
Absolutely true...
As for the fanfiction, so much of it is about coloring outside the lines of the original source material, being critical, subversive, outrageous, and occasionally unflattering. Corporate oversight is not only unnecessary, but potentially harmful. Limitations placed on content will inevitably stifle creativity.
This, this absolutely! There is no way to "legalize" fanfic if that means I can only write and share stories the copyright holders would be comfortable with. As for the making money part - there has been some discussion that sites like Fanfiction Net makes money through advertising, too. But it is different in so far that when I decide to post there, I know this already, and that the site still is more about providing a service for the users than about making profit off their content. Still, it does not allow any adult material, which is a pain, and carries a part of this stiffling element (or would, if there were no alternatives around. Which thankfully there are.)
In Mander's case, however, he *bought* a fannish non-profit site that was already there. the users of the site did not agree to post their story on a site that would make money - they weren't even warned.
That is the part that irked me most and one of the reasons I pulled my stories from there.