I do think Fans, in general, need to recognize (and be reminded of) their responsibility and the attendant (however minor) risks of doing what we're doing, and not pretend that they didn't know there were *any* risks.
Absolutely. The risks are definitely there, and everyone should know that they run a risk whenever they publish a derivative work. It's up to them then whether they want to run the risk but denying that it's there is foolish IMO.
And I also agree that fans who wage war on other fans run the risk of bringing the attention of TPTB on us all. Pity that some people can't see that (I'm totally on the side of the vidders in the Firefly kerfuffle BTW, just in case that wasn't plain. Wish those idiot fan-boys just would go away and not come back until they've grown up - if that ever happens).
It would be ironic if the actual precedent setting case that establishes the legal status of derivative works (in the US) were the result not of TPTB flexing some impressive muscle, but because two fans found themselves in the middle of a case of irreconcilable differences, no?
Ironic, but also potentially tragic if the courts rule against fannish derivative works. In my view the risk simply isn't worth it as the status quo works nicely as is.
Re: Just to clarify (continued)
Absolutely. The risks are definitely there, and everyone should know that they run a risk whenever they publish a derivative work. It's up to them then whether they want to run the risk but denying that it's there is foolish IMO.
And I also agree that fans who wage war on other fans run the risk of bringing the attention of TPTB on us all. Pity that some people can't see that (I'm totally on the side of the vidders in the Firefly kerfuffle BTW, just in case that wasn't plain. Wish those idiot fan-boys just would go away and not come back until they've grown up - if that ever happens).
It would be ironic if the actual precedent setting case that establishes the legal status of derivative works (in the US) were the result not of TPTB flexing some impressive muscle, but because two fans found themselves in the middle of a case of irreconcilable differences, no?
Ironic, but also potentially tragic if the courts rule against fannish derivative works. In my view the risk simply isn't worth it as the status quo works nicely as is.
Oh, and no problem with the quibbling. *g*