Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 10:52:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: dicconf <dicconf at radix.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Harry Potter fanfic?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005, ecf wrote:

> Michael Walsh wrote:
>
>> "The bookies are telling us that Albus Dumbledore's days are numbered.
>> But how the Dickens will he meet his end? Try your hand at our
>> Alternative Potter project"
>> <http://books.guardian.co.uk/harrypotter/story/0,10761,1521060,00.html>
>>
> Maybe I'm taking the wrong tack on this... but isn't the Guardian asking
> people to violate copyright by publicly suggesting the create fanfic
> with Rowling's characters?  It's one thing to create fanfic to share
> privately and for no financial gain... but to ask them to submit it for
> publication in a newspaper???
>
Do they have permission from Rowling?  Remember what a great advertising
ploy this would be.

Fanzines can get away with violations a lot of the time because they're
too small to bother with or even hear about.  The Guardian, though a
charter member of the Vast Left Wing Media Conspiracy, is too big to
overlook and certainly has a legal office of its own to watch out for
problems like this.

-- Dick Eney

  OPERATION CRIFANAC PUBLICATIONS
http://www.crifanac.net/Index.htm
  prozines and fanzines 'n' stuff