This varies from country to country, but is generally the norm. Or, if the work is published anonymously or for hire, 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation (whichever is shorter). In the US, the author retains their rights over a work for the entirety of their life, plus the 70 years that follow their death. Public domain characters like Tarzan and Dracula are yours to use. There are several ways a story can enter the public domain (the author could, for instance, give up their rights to the work), but the most common is simply the passage of time. This includes characters such as Robin Hood, Hercules, Tarzan, Dorian Grey, and Dracula (which is why there’s an almost constant stream of movies, books, and video games starring these characters). If a thing is in the public domain then it can be used freely in any work. To that end, we’ll start out with the simple stuff. So, in this article, I’ll provide some legal facts to help fan fiction authors stay out of trouble while they create, and work in harmony with the creators of their beloved source material. This is doubly the case when they publish their work for others to enjoy. By writing stories featuring someone else’s characters, fan fiction authors are treading on risky legal ground. The fly in the ointment is that fan fiction deals with legally protected works. In fact, the quality is frequently high enough to sustain entire communities who share, appreciate, and write fan fiction. For these readers, writing fan fiction stories featuring pre-existing aspects of other works is a fantastic outlet for their creativity and their love of a particular story.įan fiction stories can be incredibly high quality, after all they’re labors of love written by people who possess an encyclopedic knowledge of stories that have already been proven to work. Some stories involve us so deeply that they can no longer be enjoyed passively: a character or setting grabs a reader in a way that only creation can satisfy. As an Amazon Affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases. This article may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
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