Debate Fanfiction.net

Ah, a sane newbie. How rare.

- Ark

 

Heh. I think it has something to do with the fact that, at 23, I'm somewhat older than the regular run-of-the-mill M2A member. ^_^

— C-chan (who's over the hill at 23 ^_^)

 

Most of us agree about the thing about NC-17 stories being banned, but what about the other stuff that's been banned? like stories about real people?

Tbh, the stories about real people like celebrities is just wrong in my opinion. If I were a person someone was writing a story about, I'd be freaked out. (please note, there are these stories that i love reading, the Royal Diaries, but there's soemthing different about them. the people in there are dead and events that did happen in their life are incorperated into the story. That's the difference)

Now about the NC-17 shitake, yes I am all for it. It's their webspace, and if they get in trouble for soemthing someone else wrote, they cna by all means take it down. The author does not own the space, the staff of FF.net do.

Now then.... I wonder how long till J.K. Rowling sees FF.net and all the HP fanfics on their and goes for the same thing Anne Rice did, request no fanfics of her stories be put up....That'll like clean up 50% of FF.net's webspace i tell ya....

 

I guess i get the point now for the NC-17 stuff...but why do i care? what i care about is why did they ban stories about real people. ( i was hopin to write a story about myself someday jk) I mean why ban it...its not like the peoples lawyers go there everyday or something. This I surely do not understand.

PS> Im not an over the hill m2a member.....cuz i happen to live downhill. LOL

 

Vicious, they banned it because there are kids who read there, and kids have parents, and parents have lawyers.

- Ark

 

But what does that have to do with the banning of the stories about real people. Like i said i understand now why they banned the other stuff but why this??Why ban stories about real people its pointless.

 

Now i may be drunk (Hell yes) but wouldnt the answer be simply that the sed "Real person" not like what is being written about them? It happened before except in different circumstances... for example replace the word "Story" for "Music" & the real people are say... Metallica & people take there stuff & distort/copy to a degree then viola... i beleive that the whole Napster thing is a prime example of this crap, from the eyes of a drunk that is.

 

I can understand why FF.net took down those types of stories, since, as someone mentioned before, it's too easy for an underaged reader to just click a button and get into an adult story. I know that some adult sites require a copy of a birth certificate to check the ages of viewers, but that's a lot more troublesome for FF.net than just saying "No more NC-17" and taking that kind of content off.

Also, while people have been talking about hosting issues, I was surprised that no one seems to consider that there ARE sites for "adult" fics out there if you really want to find them. Those desperate for that kind of thing can find it somewhere else than FF.net. No one's taking that kind of thing away from them forever, just away from a site that caters to all ages.

 

Exactly. Most of what they were having problems with were stories about the people from Survivor and their lives after words or before. --; god, who'd want to write that anyways?

 

They ban stories about real people because such stories can be construed as an invason of privacy, a violation of a person's rights to protection against the defamation of his or her character, etc. If you want the full legal ramifications, you can look it up yourself. The point is, such stories are blatantly illegal. That's why they were taken down.

Now, you said something about why bother banning such stories since it's not like the lawyers go there everyday... That argument is so full of holes it's not even funny. Have you ever heard of the maxim "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? To use another analogy (they can be so useful! ^_^): Why bother locking the door of your house? It's not like thieves go there everyday, right? Might as well just leave the door open.

The FFnet admins look upon it the same way. Just because lawyers don't make it a regular practice to visit their website doesn't mean they won't. Besides, if you paid any attention you would realize that FFnet is already under fire from certain parties. The rules and provisions they've put up is a compromise that allows them to continue hosting a free service and appease all the legal vultures.

 

Whoops, you're right. I didn't think about that since it's a site with a variety of things, not *all* bad stuff, but since it does have adult content as well as relatively tame stuff, it's best to stay on the safe side. Changed it, thanks a lot.

I can't begin to imagine what those "certain parties" had to say. I can bet that the first target for a lawsuit over NC-17 stories was FF.net's site and its creators, and not the authors of said fics. Instead of "I was offended by katbaby124's story" it would likely have been "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU PEOPLE ALLOW THIS FILTH TO BE ON YOUR SITE!" Seems that when people complain about objectionable content on a big database type site like that, they target the place hosting the stuff first, and *then* the people responsible for creating the fanfics. Sad stuff. But FF.net did what it had to in the end, for the benefit of everyone, I think.

 

I understand what you are trying to say ( would be a lie...dont forget that your talking to a mindless 15 year old ) The thing is why would they care so much. People should be allowed to write stories about real people. I mean, think about it if you were writing about a popular band...do you think the band would care? I doubt it... I mean it is fanficrion so you should be able to write something fictional if youre a fan of a certain somebody.

(sorry but i happen to be very persistant...or ignorant....i think)

 

*sigh*

Vicious, I wonder about you sometimes. Do you really not understand? This persistence of yours is frustrating, almost like talking to a brick wall. Not to mention that your counter-arguments are nonexistent, relying instead on sheer bullheadedness. That effectively kills a debate. Nonetheless, I'll give it one last shot to clear the air before I hightail it out of here to prevent any more frustration on my part.

Fanfiction resides in a gray area of the law. Or to be accurate, fanfiction about fictional characters reside in a gray area of the law. To quote a study:

Since fanfiction is a derivative work (i.e. a work based on someone else's work), it is vulnerable to copyright laws. Not all fanfiction authors find themselves under fire for copyright infringement, but there have been a few. Different companies and authors have different ways of dealing with fanfiction. Some actually encourage fanfics since fanfiction could actually help boost their sales. Others take a more hardlined approach, actively pursuing hapless fanfic authors with cease-and-desist orders and legal action. Most, on the other hand, prefer to play a waiting game, ignoring fanfiction until they see something they really don't like.

As regards to fiction dealing with real people... This is an extremely dangerous area from a legal point of view. If you were to define fiction from a legalistic viewpoint, it would be: "Something untrue that is intentionally represented as true by the narrator. (Dictionary.com)" Apply that to fiction about real people and you have a couple of ugly words: slander and libel. This type of fanfiction is not protected by the First Amendment, unless it's parody, and parody has its own laws. Write a fanfiction about a real person and you will almost certainly be the recipient of a call from that person's lawyers or several ugly cease-and-desist orders once they become aware of your story.

To quote one fanfic author:

To put it in a more personal note, how would you feel if someone wrote stories about you depicting you as having homosexual relationships or drug problems, turning you into some kind of creep who crawled out from under a rock? Wouldn't you feel insulted and debased? The fact that it's not true makes it all the more insulting.

Think about that sometime.

— C-chan, who's leaving this thread to Ark and the others before she gives in to the urge to strangle someone. ^_^

P.S. — If anyone's interested about fanfiction and it's legal ramifications, here are some sites to check out:

• Chilling Effects Clearinghouse — Fan-fiction FAQ
• Fan Fiction Electronic Pathfinder — Websites
• Fan Fiction Electronic Pathfinder — Legality
• Writer's University (browse the menu on the right under the section called "law")

 

Actually i wouldnt find it insulting cuz it isnt true..(someone like that must be really cocky about themselves) I do see your point and without a doubt your right. Ima stop debating for 3 reasons.
1: I have the feeling im heading back to history class.
2: Obviously i have been proven wrong.....
3: Its 7:48 in the morning.

(I have learned something though.......never debate with someone incredibly smarter than you.)

 

C-chan, you are my new idol. <3

Um, Vicious, let's put it this way. If some schomoe was writing a stoyr about me finding a new love and getting married I would find out where that son of a ***** lives and bash his head to a bloody pulp. It DOES piss people off. Espcailly some of the things they write. I'd feel pretty violated, it's almost the same as taking pictures of me while I'm sleeping. Invasion of privacy.

 

I agree with Rockna, a lot of real person fic can be really offensive, especially if one imagines being the person written about. There's a fanfic review site that I found once where a girl wrote in to talk about how she'd found slashfic of the Monkees, and she was grossed out since she was RELATED to one of the Monkees talked about in the fic. She was offended by the fact that people would write things like that without knowing anything about the person they wrote about, and ashamed that a fanfic was making her relative out to be someone he wasn't.

It's like if I wrote a story about someone and made the whole thing out so that person looked really stupid -- if they found it and read it, they'd be VERY upset. Same with a lot of real person fanfiction. People find it insulting that others can make up things about them and post it up where EVERYONE who wants to can see it -- there's always a chance that someone might think it's true.

 

fanfiction.net still has R rated stories. some of the Aruthors just reposted some of the stories there. Just because theres no nc-17 dosent mean that there gonna stop you from posting the stories.
if the people wanted to write about real things all they pretty much have to do is turn them in to characters and post it.
you don't have to be a member to get there stories you just click a few things and your computer makes you demands come true.


WARNING POSTED THIS AT 3:30 IN THE MORNING WHILE DRINKING PEPSI.:dizzy2:

 

Yeah but there's also a 'report this stoyr thing'. If find one of those, being the goodie goodie I am, I would press, and let them know. they're not blimey idiots ya know, they go around looking for such stories.

lol, soem anime fanfic writers have been labeling their fics pg 13 whne they're obviously not, (mor elike g or pg )