Derivative Copyright Works - A Grievous Act?

[SPBlitz]

So I’m having a bit of trouble with copyright, and knowing whether or not violating it is always and everywhere a grievous act. Specifically when it comes to things like fan works (fan art, fanfiction, etc). I know that these are considered derivative works, and thus are protected by US copyright laws, but I’m wondering how serious of a moral violation these things are. A couple of things to note:

1. I’m not talking about acts of piracy, as in illegally downloading music, watching music videos on Youtube, watching bootlegged movies, etc. These are obviously very wrong and should never be done.
2. I’ve already chatted with a priest about this, and he said that there’s nothing wrong with viewing these things. My only problem is that he’s not originally from the US, and I don’t think he’s very familiar with US copyright law - I’m not even sure if he properly understood the question.
3. I’m familiar with Fair Use, and how it can be used for parody, teaching and commentary. Many fanworks don’t technically fall under any of these.

So ultimately my question is, would it be a grievous act to view/read/create fanworks? Even memes can infringe upon copyright, but since they are so ubiquitous across the web, I’m curious on their morality. Is drawing and posting a picture of batman or Luke Skywalker a mortal sin? Or am I just being scrupulous?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’ve already chatted with a priest about this, and he said that there’s nothing wrong with viewing these things. My only problem is that he’s not originally from the US, and I don’t think he’s very familiar with US copyright law - I’m not even sure if he properly understood the question.

I’m from the US and intimately familiar with copyright law.
I agree with the priest.

Yes, you sound a bit scrupulous.

 

[edwest211]

Scrupulous is a fake word here. Either Christians follow the rules or they don’t.

I’ve worked in the book business for a long time. In fact, I’ve been asked to do some copyright research and should be done in a few days.

Good advice about copyright is not free. Or the person can read up on copyright law at the US Copyright Office web site or their country’s equivalent.

Fan fiction used to exist only in printed form. I know because I did it. Today’s fan fiction ranges from good to totally morally corrupt.

That said, each company has its own rules regarding fan fiction, whether it’s Star Wars or Star Trek, for example. Go to their web site and their parent company’s web site, if there is one. Read it all carefully. I will post no links or give legal advice.

Not being from the US or not being sure he understood the question is something the OP should have clarified at the time. Since he or she did not, the priest is not to blame.

 

[mythbuster1]

I wrote a prize-winning essay defending the right of fans to create and publish fan works; as far as case law goes, the matter has never been ruled on because nobody wants to be the test case. If the creator objects to fan works, the fan sites respect their wishes. That said, there’s another danger about fan sites that I urge you to tread cautiously about, and which is the primary reason I no longer read fanfiction: There is a great deal of material on such sites that is sexually explicit, glorifies perversion, and/or causes fierce arguments as though they were debating matters of religion, and these items are not restricted to material labeled for mature audiences.

 

[edwest211]

This matter was never ruled on? Wait till some fan site gets a cease and desist letter.

 

[mythbuster1]

That’s what I’m saying: Every time they get a cease and desist letter, they comply with it rather than going to court.

 

[MiserereMeiDei]

If you draw batman for a meme how much did you “steal”? A “small” amount? A “large” amount? A day’s wages? Nothing?

Was the company going to profit from the same meme until you came along and ruined it for them?

Civil law is just that. The Church defines morality not the US federal government.

 

[edwest211]

The Federal government is in charge of copyright. And there are attorneys who look into copyright matters. The company I work for has had to send out takedown notices. Those who don’t know about copyright law had better be prepared.