Unauthorized fannish remix

[schmevil]

I want to do a post on this subject, but I've got to run off to work. So I'll just throw up a few questions, and get back to this later.


1. Is unauthorizied remix a fannish 'crime'?

2. If yes, why? Or: if all fanworks are transformative works (i.e. remixes of one kind or another), and are by nature unauthorized (save a very few exceptions), why is it 'criminal' to transform the creative works of other fans?

4. How does this strike you:

Capitalist copyright is about property is about money.

Fannish copyright is about credit is about status.

4. If the original creator is properly credited (Original vid by Dude. Remixed by Dude 2), does s/he have a leg to stand on if s/he hates the transformative work, and wants it gone? Can s/he do more than publicly eviscerate it?

Comments

[torachan]

I think it's ridiculous and hypocritical for fanfic authors to complain about fanworks of their fic.

[schmevil]

That's my pov as well. Plagiarism is worth getting worked up about, but not sequels, or remixes. I mean, of course you'll be annoyed if someone does a horribly shitty remix of something you put your soul into, but imho that's something you should rant about privately. Or at least, refrain from pulling the 'theft' card, if you're going to talk about it publicly.

[noracharles]

1: No.
2: I'm not against it, but I can see why people would fear being humiliated by a better version of their idea, or feel that others are coasting on their hard work.
4: Capitalist copyright is about both property -> money and credit -> status. Fannish copyrights is probably mostly about credit -> status. Also your numbering scheme is aggravating my ocd.
4: If the original copyright holder can prove a loss of income because of consumers buying the transformative version as a substitute for their work, or because the transformative work has caused consumers to feel an unwaranted dislike of the original work, then yes.

[schmevil]

Whoops! I didn't notice the numbering issue. Thanks for pointing that out.

I'm not against it, but I can see why people would fear being humiliated by a better version of their idea, or feel that others are coasting on their hard work.

I've absolutely seen this position articulated, although usually it's been concealed by other things. Who wants to admit to being artistically insecure, right? The 'coasting on hard work' thing smacks too much of pro writers arguments for fanfic being evil, in the first place. Totally out of place in the discussion, imho.

If the original copyright holder can prove a loss of income because of consumers buying the transformative version as a substitute for their work, or because the transformative work has caused consumers to feel an unwaranted dislike of the original work, then yes.

But how does this work in the fannish context? Ad revenue? How does one measure like/dislike of fic, to prove that my fic of your story, has caused everyone to turn against yours?

[noracharles]

In a fannish context, I don't think anyone can suffer any measurable loss by being remixed. I understand the emotional reaction against it, but I think ideas are and should be free.

I've certainly written fics inspired by other fic without a qualm, and I think most writers have. Most fics are so transformative, and draw on so many sources of inspiration, that it would never occur to anyone that they were inspired by particular fics, unless the author mistakes original elements for canon. I've heard of a few examples where OCs or little original details that sounded very true to canon got recycled.

Sometimes someone is inspired to rework the exact same plot with the same story structure and identical scenes, and it's obvious to anyone which fic theirs is inspired by, but in my opinion that's just fine. It's no different than rewriting canon. Some fan authors call that plagiarism, but I don't think it is, as long as the fic is a rewrite and not a word for word copy.

[schmevil]

Yeah, I tend to think that in a fannish context, there can only good flows from being remixed. It's possible to compare unfavourably with the new, transformative work, but it's still going to drive new readers your way. In the last remix redux, I had an influx of new readers for my older stories, and that is awesome.

Working in a shared fic verse is awesome fun, and people who shy away from this kind of thing, or are resistant to their fic being remixed, don't know what they're missing out on.

[noracharles]

I also got some new readers out of it, and found some great new fic myself! :-D

There were definitely some remixes that were better than the original fics, but I don't think that's anything to be ashamed of. In many ways, it's easier to comment on and fix a fic you like and see potential in, than it is to write something completely new. And for the author, it's like the most awesome, in depth analytical feedback ever!

Sometimes I think that because of the social rules fandom enforces, we miss out on some link backs. I know that I don't link to fic which has inspired me, unless I lift recognizable elements from them. I just don't want to start any trouble with anyone.

[schmevil]

I think it would be great if it were more common for writers to link to each others work, and show where their inspirations come from. That might be starting to change though, with the popularity of things like remix, and DVD remixes. I wonder if a "Who were you inspired by?" meme would have any traction...

[noracharles]

I think we should try it and find out! I don't think I can remember titles and authors very well for most of my fic, but I could definitely write a paragraph about fic trends and fanon and interpretations that inspired me, even for the ones I can't put into a more definite context. It might be really fun, if we could get it to catch on :-D

[schmevil]

Yeah, I'm not sure if I can remember particular fics and writers at this point, but I might be able to point to some more recent influences, and to some general trends. Will work on this tonight! :)