There are 18 messages totalling 760 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. ATTN: All Fan Fic writers (12) 2. Reunion Locations (2) 3. Highla-L' has been around for how long? (Was: Re: [HL] ATTN: All Fan Fic writers) 4. .Re: The Tracker (3) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 16:41:01 +0100 From: "John Mosby (B)" <a.j.mosby@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers > And in my original post I said just that. > Trademarking a character is not the same thing as copyrighting it, though. > > Annie Legally, possibly not. But MORALLY it is. Which is where there seems to be the disagreement. John ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 17:44:02 +0200 From: Marina Bailey <fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers John wrote: >I don't believe that a single person here is saying that fanfic is wrong. >Certainly I've never said that and I happen to have read the odd piece which >I think is very good. Oh, good. I was getting a distinct feeling from some of the other posters that they felt fanfic was a Bad Thing, and that slash was Even Worse. Which annoyed me. People often say, "Write original stories." While I am a good writer and could write original stories, I prefer to write fanfic. The characters inspire me, and I just feel that people who say I shouldn't write fanfic are being mean. >But I can understand that if a straight >actor gets holds of material in which the character he has links to is >having sex with another man (and vice sexual versa), he may well not be too >happy about it. Nor the people who originally created the 'straight' >character. Ah, there's the rub. What fan in their right mind would show such material to an actor? We know that PW thinks slash is funny, but I still wouldn't go up to him with my slash story and expect him to like it. That's just insane. >If generations of slash fans can't see that I'm not criticising their >choice, but simply pointing out the implications of widely circulating the >material, then that's their head in the sand, not mine. Noted. >Who wants to make it go away? I hope it continues for generations to come. >It's an outlet for people and a way to express to their love of a franchise, >character etc etc. People are only saying that legally, you can't protect >your work because you didn't create the characters yourself. I guess that's a risk an fanfic writer takes. To be fair, when people do plagiarise other stories, the fanfic community itself is very quick to police their own. But you are dead right that all this should stay far outside the courts. >I know very few people who hate fanfic. I know many more who agree that its >best not to wave flag too high or shout too loudly. I have to agree with that. Did you ever read _Textual Poachers_ by Henry Jenkins? He makes some good points about how fanfic exists because people want to have some input into modern myths (i.e. TV programs) and that just because these modern myths are owned by corporations doesn't mean people won't want to 'deal in' to them the way they used to do in times gone by. It's very interesting. - Marina. \\ "Marina Bailey? She waves a flag. ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // // In South Africa." || R I C H I E >> \\ \\ - Stan Kirsch at SyndiCon, May 1997 ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // //===Marina Bailey==fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za===|| \\ \\============Chief Flag Waver and Defender of Richie=============// "The captain's on drugs and the first officer is a complete lunatic... Sounds about right for Star Trek." - My brother, discussing the DS9 episode "Valiant" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 17:24:06 +0100 From: "John Mosby (B)" <a.j.mosby@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers Marina: > I was getting a distinct feeling from some of the other > posters that they felt fanfic was a Bad Thing, and that slash was > Even Worse. Which annoyed me. People often say, "Write original > stories." While I am a good writer and could write original stories, > I prefer to write fanfic. The characters inspire me, and I just feel > that people who say I shouldn't write fanfic are being mean. I hope no-one thinks I'm anti Fanfic. Fanfic is great. But as a professional writer I look at the big picture and simply point out that copyrighted/trademarked (whatever!!!) characters carry legal baggage which COULD be acted upon should the Tm/c holders want to make a point. Not saying WILL. Not even saying SHOULD. Saying COULD. > >But I can understand that if a straight > >actor gets holds of material in which the character he has links to is > >having sex with another man (and vice sexual versa), he may well not be too > >happy about it. Nor the people who originally created the 'straight' > >character. > > Ah, there's the rub. What fan in their right mind would show such > material to an actor? We know that PW thinks slash is funny, but > I still wouldn't go up to him with my slash story and expect him > to like it. That's just insane. Okay. This the web. You put something on the web and immediately several million people can download it. Even if you attempt to limit access, there's very little control. It's like a tape-tree.It may be aimed at a small group, but chances are that sooner or later someone will send it to someone who will send it to someone who will...blah blah blah. You don't put it on the web, but distribute it in a fanzine...same thing could happen only slower. If you charge for your fanzine you are breaking the law. I see no problem in people writing slash fan-fiction. I see a huge problem when it becomes distributed widely - simply because someone who sees it without knowing context is going to be offended and the wider the circulation, the more likely that is . > >Who wants to make it go away? I hope it continues for generations to come. > >It's an outlet for people and a way to express to their love of a franchise, > >character etc etc. People are only saying that legally, you can't protect > >your work because you didn't create the characters yourself. > > I guess that's a risk an fanfic writer takes. To be fair, when people > do plagiarise other stories, the fanfic community itself is very > quick to police their own. But you are dead right that all this > should stay far outside the courts. Yup. Exactly. Plagiarism is appalling and should be exposed for what it is. But legal action isn't possible for fanfic. > Did you ever read _Textual Poachers_ by Henry Jenkins? He makes some > good points about how fanfic exists because people want to have some > input into modern myths (i.e. TV programs) and that just because > these modern myths are owned by corporations doesn't mean people > won't want to 'deal in' to them the way they used to do in times > gone by. It's very interesting. No I haven't. Sounds interesting. John ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 13:51:36 -0400 From: "Carrie V. Key" <reeana1@home.com> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers ----- Original Message ----- From: John Mosby (B) <a.j.mosby@BTINTERNET.COM> To: <HIGHLA-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU> Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 12:24 PM Subject: Re: [HL] ATTN: All Fan Fic writers > Marina: > > I was getting a distinct feeling from some of the other > > posters that they felt fanfic was a Bad Thing, and that slash was > > Even Worse. Which annoyed me. People often say, "Write original > > stories." While I am a good writer and could write original stories, > > I prefer to write fanfic. The characters inspire me, and I just feel > > that people who say I shouldn't write fanfic are being mean. > > I hope no-one thinks I'm anti Fanfic. Fanfic is great. But as a professional > writer I look at the big picture and simply point out that > copyrighted/trademarked (whatever!!!) characters carry legal baggage which > COULD be acted upon should the Tm/c holders want to make a point. Not saying > WILL. Not even saying SHOULD. Saying COULD. > To me it seemed like one minute you liked it and the next you hated it. I'm not saying everyone should like it. I write it and love reading it. My hubby on th eother hand can't stand it and sees no point in my interest of it. And I think the vast majority of fan fic writers realize that legal action could be taken at any time. Like I said before, that's why we put disclaimers in our work, to hopefully soften the blow if it should ever come to that. And I know that with all that I have written and poste don my website and others, if TPTB ever asked me to take it down for whatever reason they thought I was violating their copyright or trademark, I wouldn't be happy yes, but I would do it. > Okay. This the web. You put something on the web and immediately several > million people can download it. Even if you attempt to limit access, there's > very little control. It's like a tape-tree.It may be aimed at a small group, > but chances are that sooner or later someone will send it to someone who > will send it to someone who will...blah blah blah. > > You don't put it on the web, but distribute it in a fanzine...same thing > could happen only slower. If you charge for your fanzine you are breaking > the law. I see no problem in people writing slash fan-fiction. I see a huge > problem when it becomes distributed widely - simply because someone who sees > it without knowing context is going to be offended and the wider the > circulation, the more likely that is > . Dosen't matter where you put it, even in a little black box burried deep somewhere, at some point in time it will be out in the open for all to see. You are right in saying that it's darn near oimpossible to limit access on the net. And even if you put things on your site to keep people from downloading your fan fics, people are still going to find ways around it. So no argument there. > > Yup. Exactly. Plagiarism is appalling and should be exposed for what it is. > But legal action isn't possible for fanfic. That was the point behind the Fight Plagarism campaign my friends started up. It was teh fan fic community trying to take care of its own. The only thing that I think really started up this debate was when I said that the story that had been plagerized was a copyrighted one. The main reason behind copyrighting that story was to protect the person who's journal it was based on. A copyright (and a trademark) are still just what they are. They should be respected as such and if you are writing fan fic, you should have deceny to let people who read it know that you didn't create Duncan or Methos and that the idea behind Immortals was not yours. Just an example, but there you go. --- Carrie Key reeana1@home.com vatazes@home.com http://members.home.net/reeana1/my_domain.htm http://members.home.net/vatazes/welcome.htm http://www.angelfire.com/celeb2/hornygurlz/index.htm LadyReeana, Ana Vatazes, Javina Jinn, PWFC, OFEB, QJEB, Clan of the Eternally Clueless, Proud Owner of 'Oasis Bathing Ardeth' Clone #1 "Tas! You Doorknob!" Flint Fireforge, Dragonlance "I came, I saw, I broke a hip." Johnny Bravo ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 13:58:19 -0400 From: KLZ <zklee@patriot.net> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers ::::: paddling lazily in inflatable wildly-colored dragon floating toy in the Weezul's private pool, as frightened ferrets run back and forth with cool fizzy drinks, snacks, and scantily-clad grouchy USAF officers, with one eye on the clock to beat a fast retreat before the Weezul gets back ::::: Sheesh. Where's the Weezul when you need her? There have been incidents where material has been practically waved under TPTB's noses, when they have put out "cease and desist" letters. There have been occasions when a person has received a C&D letter for quoting, indented, with attribution, a two-line passage from a written work. That, I thought, was silly; it was as clearly "fair-use" as my non-writer's eye could tell. If that kind of rule applied, there would be no research papers, term papers, or any books except for original fiction. :::: attempting to read through GE Electric Kitten :::: I enjoyed reading f*nf*c until the Kronos eps, when a lot of extremely violent and nasty stuff was coming across on HLFIC. I sure as heck couldn't download it at work (the IL&F birthday bash .jpg was about as far as I could go and then I hit the "maximize" button instead of the "minimize" button oy vey ;-D). I still enjoy occasional stories. I'd hate the f*nf*c universe to get shut down (would be hard to do, of course)401584//'.>: (<<<< gray kitten on keyboard there <g>) because people were careless. ::::tapping foot impatiently against side of pool while glaring in the direction of upstate NY :::: Nice to see everybody! <g> Leave it to something with lots of shades of gray and moral ambiguity and angst to wake this list up! :::: sending ferret for another shrimp cocktail :::: ZK (Sorry about the pool party; fell down on the job this year) zklee@patriot.net ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 14:03:47 -0400 From: KLZ <zklee@patriot.net> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers Leah said: > Sherlock Holmes was (and still is) very much the > intellectual > property of the Conan Doyle estate. Although some > pastiche writers do bother > to go to the trouble of getting permission to write a new > Sherlock Holmes > story, many more do not, and their work is published with > little or no > contest worldwide, I may be wrong, but I thought that copyrights expired after a certain length of time and works went into "public domain". I vaguely remember something in the '70's, around the time of the Seven Percent Solution (great movie btw), about Nicholas Meyer being able to write the stories because the copyright had expired. I also remember back in the late 60's, how annoying it was to buy music by Debussy, because it was all published by one French firm, was prohibitively expensive, and printed on the most brittle, acidic, cheap paper imaginable. A number of years later, the works went into public domain, other publishers could publish the music, and the musical world heaved a sigh of relief. ::::: listening happily to sound of gently lapping water ::::: ZK zkle@patriot.net ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 19:10:45 +0100 From: "John Mosby (B)" <a.j.mosby@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers Without specific legalise: My understanding is that a person's (c) ownership or rights can be passed on to a relative/estate as long as the process is official. That means the (c)/(tm) stays active. In past centuries and where no official arrangement exists, a work could/can become public domain. John ----- Original Message ----- From: "KLZ" <zklee@patriot.net> To: <HIGHLA-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU> Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 7:03 PM Subject: Re: [HL] ATTN: All Fan Fic writers > Leah said: > > > Sherlock Holmes was (and still is) very much the > > intellectual > > property of the Conan Doyle estate. Although some > > pastiche writers do bother > > to go to the trouble of getting permission to write a new > > Sherlock Holmes > > story, many more do not, and their work is published with > > little or no > > contest worldwide, > > I may be wrong, but I thought that copyrights expired after a > certain length of time and works went into "public domain". I > vaguely remember something in the '70's, around the time of the > Seven Percent Solution (great movie btw), about Nicholas Meyer > being able to write the stories because the copyright had > expired. > > I also remember back in the late 60's, how annoying it was to buy > music by Debussy, because it was all published by one French > firm, was prohibitively expensive, and printed on the most > brittle, acidic, cheap paper imaginable. A number of years > later, the works went into public domain, other publishers could > publish the music, and the musical world heaved a sigh of relief. > > ::::: listening happily to sound of gently lapping water ::::: > > ZK > zkle@patriot.net ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 19:24:02 +0100 From: Jette Goldie <jette@blueyonder.co.uk> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers KLZ > (Leah) > > Sherlock Holmes was (and still is) very much the > > intellectual > > property of the Conan Doyle estate. Although some > > pastiche writers do bother > > to go to the trouble of getting permission to write a new > > Sherlock Holmes > > story, many more do not, and their work is published with > > little or no > > contest worldwide, > > I may be wrong, but I thought that copyrights expired after a > certain length of time and works went into "public domain". I > vaguely remember something in the '70's, around the time of the > Seven Percent Solution (great movie btw), about Nicholas Meyer > being able to write the stories because the copyright had > expired. Normally, yes, copyright expires 70 years after the author's death (UK) however there are exceptions. With the story "Peter Pan" (by JM Barrie) copyright exists so long as the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital does and all royalties go to the hospital - Barrie *gave* the copyright to the hospital. There are other examples of this kind of situation - Agatha Christie's "Mousetrap" I believe. Jette Glory may be fleeting, but obscurity is forever! bosslady@scotlandmail.com http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fanfic.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 20:28:42 +0200 From: Marina Bailey <fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers John wrote: >My understanding is that a person's (c) ownership or rights can be passed on >to a relative/estate as long as the process is official. That means the >(c)/(tm) stays active. In past centuries and where no official arrangement >exists, a work could/can become public domain. This makes me think of a discussion years ago on why people often use Shakespeare quotes as titles of novels, stories, etc. And someone wrote, "Because he's dead and can't sue." :) - Marina. \\ "Marina Bailey? She waves a flag. ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // // In South Africa." || R I C H I E >> \\ \\ - Stan Kirsch at SyndiCon, May 1997 ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // //===Marina Bailey==fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za===|| \\ \\============Chief Flag Waver and Defender of Richie=============// "Cultural artifacts always come alive and take over the ship." - My brother, watching Star Trek Voyager. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 20:30:45 +0200 From: Marina Bailey <fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers ZK wrote: >Nice to see everybody! <g> Leave it to something with lots of >shades of gray and moral ambiguity and angst to wake this list >up! Just what we needed, don't you think? The heated arguments on here are always the best discussions we have. Other lists with their terminal politeness rules pale in comparison. Give me Highla-L any day. >ZK (Sorry about the pool party; fell down on the job this year) But I had my flag ready and everything!! - Marina. \\ "Marina Bailey? She waves a flag. ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // // In South Africa." || R I C H I E >> \\ \\ - Stan Kirsch at SyndiCon, May 1997 ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // //===Marina Bailey==fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za===|| \\ \\============Chief Flag Waver and Defender of Richie=============// "Cultural artifacts always come alive and take over the ship." - My brother, watching Star Trek Voyager. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 19:34:59 +0100 From: "John Mosby (B)" <a.j.mosby@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers Hmmm Not sure any of this got heated this time. Very polite so far. I prefer a good debate with no hair-pulling at hair or scratching. John "Don't you ever get tired of being right?" - Dayna "No. Just with the rest of you being wrong."- Avon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marina Bailey" <fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za> To: <HIGHLA-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU> Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 7:30 PM Subject: Re: [HL] ATTN: All Fan Fic writers > ZK wrote: > >Nice to see everybody! <g> Leave it to something with lots of > >shades of gray and moral ambiguity and angst to wake this list > >up! > > Just what we needed, don't you think? The heated arguments on > here are always the best discussions we have. Other lists with > their terminal politeness rules pale in comparison. Give me > Highla-L any day. > > >ZK (Sorry about the pool party; fell down on the job this year) > > But I had my flag ready and everything!! > > - Marina. > > \\ "Marina Bailey? She waves a flag. ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // > // In South Africa." || R I C H I E >> \\ > \\ - Stan Kirsch at SyndiCon, May 1997 ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // > //===Marina Bailey==fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za===|| \\ > \\============Chief Flag Waver and Defender of Richie=============// > > "Cultural artifacts always come alive and take over the ship." - My > brother, watching Star Trek Voyager. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 20:46:09 +0200 From: Marina Bailey <fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za> Subject: Re: ATTN: All Fan Fic writers John wrote: >Not sure any of this got heated this time. Very polite so far. I prefer a >good debate with no hair-pulling at hair or scratching. The hair-pulling and scratching is fun, too. I just whack people with my flagpole. :) - Marina. \\ "Marina Bailey? She waves a flag. ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // // In South Africa." || R I C H I E >> \\ \\ - Stan Kirsch at SyndiCon, May 1997 ||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> // //===Marina Bailey==fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za===|| \\ \\============Chief Flag Waver and Defender of Richie=============// "Cultural artifacts always come alive and take over the ship." - My brother, watching Star Trek Voyager. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 18:32:45 EDT From: Chris Hatfield <CMH25@aol.com> Subject: Reunion Locations Hi, Pardon this question but where are the conventions this year. I have been off-line for several months now and am a bit behind. Thanks for your time, Chris ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 18:53:03 -0400 From: "Carrie V. Key" <reeana1@home.com> Subject: Highla-L' has been around for how long? (Was: Re: [HL] ATTN: All Fan Fic writers) ----- Original Message ----- From: Marina Bailey <fdd-tmar@netactive.co.za> To: <HIGHLA-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU> Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 2:46 PM Subject: Re: [HL] ATTN: All Fan Fic writers > John wrote: > >Not sure any of this got heated this time. Very polite so far. I prefer a > >good debate with no hair-pulling at hair or scratching. > > The hair-pulling and scratching is fun, too. I just whack people > with my flagpole. :) Well I tell you I feel better and a lot less paranoid now that things didn't end up with blood and flag pole thwaping (should we run the next the time there's a war? Ouch, that would hurt!). I'm pleased with the more positive responses going on in all the posts. I should know better than to worry over people that have been on this list in one form or another for, gee, years. Highla-L is nearing a decade soon isn't it? I know I've been on here on and off since 1996. I don't recall exactly when the list started. Is our gracious list goddess about to key us in? --- Carrie Key reeana1@home.com vatazes@home.com http://members.home.net/reeana1/my_domain.htm http://members.home.net/vatazes/welcome.htm http://www.angelfire.com/celeb2/hornygurlz/index.htm LadyReeana, Ana Vatazes, Javina Jinn, PWFC, OFEB, QJEB, Clan of the Eternally Clueless, Proud Owner of 'Oasis Bathing Ardeth' Clone #1 "Tas! You Doorknob!" Flint Fireforge, Dragonlance "I came, I saw, I broke a hip." Johnny Bravo ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 19:08:45 EDT From: MaryAnnBMc@aol.com Subject: .Re: The Tracker In a message dated 6/13/01 10:00:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time, LISTSERV@LISTS.PSU.EDU writes: > <<Hey, thank you for the information! > If the Relic Hunter people are involved, > my hopes climb higher. I happen > to think that show is pretty good. > Also enjoyed Covington Cross very much > while it was on. Never say The Cape, so > can't say anything.>> . I greatly enjoyed Covington Cross, but can't sit through five minutes of Relic Hunter without dying of boredom -- so I'm just going to *hope* that the new series does Adrian justice. Anyone know when it will begin airing? MaryAnn ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 16:59:46 -0700 From: Merrie Gail Foerster <damemehri@qwest.net> Subject: Re: .Re: The Tracker Principal Photography, the lead actor(s) in front of the cameras, starts July 30th for October release per Lion's Gate. Different markets will begin airing it at different times - syndicated show. We're gradually filling in the blanks in the USA and Canada. LG has promised a list, too. Merrie Gail - Damemehri, WIW List Bitch, Adrian Paul Tracker - "From the depths of space, he will find you ... Promises, promises http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adrianpaul_tracker Mehri's Mountain http://www.dame-mehri.com/damemehri MaryAnnBMc@aol.com wrote: > > In a message dated 6/13/01 10:00:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time, > LISTSERV@LISTS.PSU.EDU writes: > > > <<Hey, thank you for the information! > > If the Relic Hunter people are involved, > > my hopes climb higher. I happen > > to think that show is pretty good. > > Also enjoyed Covington Cross very much > > while it was on. Never say The Cape, so > > can't say anything.>> > > . I greatly enjoyed Covington Cross, but can't sit through five minutes of > Relic Hunter without dying of boredom -- so I'm just going to *hope* that > the new series does Adrian justice. Anyone know when it will begin airing? > > MaryAnn ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 20:33:40 EDT From: Dotiran@aol.com Subject: Re: .Re: The Tracker In a message dated 7/8/2001 6:09:16 PM US Eastern Standard Time, MaryAnnBMc@aol.com writes: > . Anyone know when it will begin airing? > tentative plans are for a late October premiere ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 21:28:22 EDT From: List Kathy Avery <Lynxf19@aol.com> Subject: Re: Reunion Locations > Hi, > Pardon this question but where are the conventions this year. I have been > off-line for several months now and am a bit behind. Thanks for your time, > Chris The Highlander Reunion Convention is going to be at the Los Angeles Airport at the Westin Hotel on August 24th through the 26th. Follow this link: <A HREF="http://reunioncon.org/">Reunion</A> Kathy ------------------------------ End of HIGHLA-L Digest - 8 Jul 2001 (#2001-184) ***********************************************