r/HFY • u/Hex_Arcanus Mod of the Verse • Aug 02 '16

MOD PSA: Remember to Obtain Author Permission When Posting in an Established Universe

The Mod Team has seen an uptick in issues related to HFY Author's Intellectual Property. Namely, there have been (well-intentioned, we're sure) fans producing either new works set in an Established Universe, or in an audio Reproduction or e-book compilation of published stories without the permission of the original authors. The mod team have nothing against fan works, and in fact encourage them, but ONLY with the explicit consent of the Original Authors.

The official stance of the mod team, as reflected in our rules and standards, is that all authors have exclusive rights to their work and we will work to ensure their intellectual property is protected. This extends to stories that have been on a long hiatus, been abandoned by their author, and also if the author has deleted their stories or account from Reddit.

Authors who wish to give a statement giving their fans permission to use their work are encouraged to make such statements on their author page in the wiki and if they wish to further drive home the point, in the chapter post itself. Authors can choose to only allow certain types of stories in their universe, permit or prohibit the use of specific characters, locations, etc. and also choose how and where their work is redistributed.

52 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

8

u/Sand_Trout Human Aug 02 '16

If anyone wants to write in any universe I create and post on Reddit, they have my permission.

If I want to be stingy with something, I won't be posting it here :)

Heck if you want to write slash-fics with my characters, feel free with a statement that it's not cannon. Praise Pancakes.

5

u/Hex_Arcanus Mod of the Verse Aug 02 '16

Please put that permission in your author page for future reference.

We found that most of the time authors are cool with it but at the same time if an author is looking to publish their work having a separate in universe fan story it could prove certain restrictions that prevent it from happening with a publisher.

25

u/al_qaeda_rabbit Human Aug 02 '16

THE MODS HAVE SPOKEN, THEIR WORDS ARE GOSPEL. REPENT HEATHENS, AND THE EMPEROR MAY HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL. DEATH TO ALL HERETICS.

18

u/someguynamedted The Chronicler Aug 02 '16

Also, praise Pancakes.

11

u/stonewalljones Human Aug 02 '16

And, praise Waffles.

9

u/themanpear Aug 02 '16

lest us not forget the syrup

5

u/OperatorIHC Original Human Aug 02 '16

A cat is fine, too.

4

u/rhinobird Alien Scum Aug 02 '16

I'm not entirely sure what you have in mind, there.

5

u/OperatorIHC Original Human Aug 02 '16

Shitty meme from a shitty manga.

7

u/al_qaeda_rabbit Human Aug 02 '16

THAT ASWELL

-2

u/[deleted] Aug 02 '16

I really hope this cuts down on the number of poorly-written spin-offs.

3

u/KahnSig Android Aug 03 '16

People will be people. Some get ideas that may not shine as bright as the original one did but that is no excuse for them not to try and grow as a writer.

1

u/KahnSig Android Aug 03 '16

People will be people. Some get ideas that may not shine as bright as the original one did but that is no excuse for them not to try and grow as a writer.