What the?

[teh_kusogaki]

So...

I get this message from someone on the pit:

Subject: Hello :)

Hi! I'm just someone who has read a few of your fanfictions, and I read one
that I kind of want to copy. Sometimes I read something and think "This is how
I would write it." I read Forget Something? and I was wondering if it would be
okay if I rewrote it, gave you credit, and

Comments

[lawless523]

At first, I was "wtf" because s/he used the word "copy," which to me means "plagiarize." But it sounds more like s/he wants to do a remix, which is a legitimate use of your story to either tell it from another POV, write the same plot differently, or whatever. There are even remix challenges.

A remix needs to acknowledge the work that's being remixed, though. It's like using footnotes in a report to acknowledge sources used. So if that bothers you, say "no." You're right, though; asking for permission is a matter of courtesy, not morality or legality, as long as they're producing an original work based on yours and not a copy or a summary.

As for notifications: I haven't had problems, but other people have.

[teh_kusogaki]

I too was initially confused by/concerned with the language of that first part, but the rest of it sounds like they want to do some sort of rewrite.

I'm still kind of conflicted on how I feel about this, but for simplicity's sake think I will decline giving permission to this person.

So it's not just me then? I've gotten some notifications, and some of them late, but most of them for the last few days haven't come through.

[pandawolf]

Um, what? to copy and to rewrite it? the hell?

And yes, me too. No notifications, I thought it's me.

[teh_kusogaki]

Yeah, I'm still kind of 'Huh? What?' over it.

It looks like I'm starting to receive notifications again, so hopefully the problem is almost fixed.

[kageotogi]

I haven't noticed any problems from livejournal, but that might be more because I've been lurking than anything else lately.

If you honestly are curious about what they might do with the fic but are hesitant about letting them go at it (in case it's a total plagiarization or something to which you don't particularly want to attach your name), you could ask to read the fic before they post it -- kind of give it your OK or your 'nay' before it hits the public eye. I've done that with stuff before.

[teh_kusogaki]

Thank you; that is a very good suggestion.

I just worry that I would feel obligated to say yes if they did show me their fic. I'm a hopelessly stupid nice person.

[kageotogi]

It's always okay to say 'no'!

[ishkhanuhi]

Wtf indeed. :o I'm not sure what she wants to do with your story. I mean, there have been fanfics that I read and thought in my head, "What would happen next, I wonder?" But I never thought to write a fanfic on a fanfic, if that's what she's actually thinking of doing...

I would personally feel uncomfortable with it. What did you end up telling her?

I didn't receive a notification on one occasion, but other than that, no other instance to my recollection.

[teh_kusogaki]

I can't honestly say that I haven't gotten ideas from other fics, but I've never read someone else's story and thought 'this is how I would write it.'

I haven't gotten back to her yet. I was going to yesterday, but after a ten hour shift starting at two a.m. and spending the rest of the day playing in the rain with Sage, I was too exhausted to compose a coherent message.

It looks like the lack of notification thing has mostly cleared up, but I'm still not sure it's fixed yet.