Is this ethical?

[Henry_Hardstaff]

I have enjoyed a few stories written by authors who are no longer posting: one because he died: one because he got negative feedback which discouraged him: the others -- who knows why they stopped.

My actual question: Is it ethical to pick up where the original author left the story and add new chapters? Mentioning the origin of course.

 

[Rob_Royale]

All posted works on Literotica are copyright protected. So the answer is no.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

No.

Dozens, maybe hundreds of others have asked here.

 

[PennyThompson]

If you have a way of contacting the author and they give you express permission to write with their characters and setting, then go for it!

If it's not possible to do so or if they say no, then you shouldn't.

It's entirely acceptable to write your own stories with your own characters, "inspired by the works of," an author you admire!

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I know this is a well-worn conversation, but:

Literotica does have a Fan Fiction category, so presumably isn't actually against authors using characters to whom someone else holds the copyright - as long as they're in that category.

I just checked Lit's policies and all it says about fanfic is that characters may not be artificially aged up.

The fact that the fanfic category on Lit is pretty dead may deter authors from that route, however.

 

[Henry_Hardstaff]

If you have a way of contacting the author and they give you express permission to write with their characters and setting, then go for it!

If it's not possible to do so or if they say no, then you shouldn't.

It's entirely acceptable to write your own stories with your own characters, "inspired by the works of," an author you admire!

Thank you, Penny. I believe the "inspired by" was the idea I had in mind.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Can we create a sticky post about this - @StillStunned or @old_prof maybe?

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Thank you, Penny. I believe the "inspired by" was the idea I had in mind.

There are writers who don't mind sharing their sandbox. I've written in a world created by @Joe_Doe_Stories, and he even gave me permission to make him an offstage character in them.

If the creator doesn't like it ... yeah, make your own somewhat similar story. Shakespeare didn't invent Hamlet, but he did use a lot of the elements of Saxo Grammaticus' Life of Amleth. (There is speculated to be another work in between, which copied Saxo and was copied by Shakespeare. If so, that only strengthens my point.)

 

[AchtungNight]

I know this is a well-worn conversation, but:

Literotica does have a Fan Fiction category, so presumably isn't actually against authors using characters to whom someone else holds the copyright - as long as they're in that category.

I just checked Lit's policies and all it says about fanfic is that characters may not be artificially aged up.

The fact that the fanfic category on Lit is pretty dead may deter authors from that route, however.

If you call updated with one or two stories almost every day “dead”. A few of these have also earned an H, so they are being read presumably.

But yeah, it’s frowned upon to pick up another author’s story without permission, or at least giving them credit for the inspiration and noting that your story is non canon with theirs. Which means making your own story might be easier and more meaningful.

Good luck.

 

[old_prof]

Can we create a sticky post about this - @StillStunned or @old_prof maybe?

I have no power to make sticky posts. However, maybe it's time to make an update to my How To and include this an answer.

The AH moderator does seem to shine a kind eye on our local yellow feline who has a fondness for redheads. I wonder what color hair the moderator has?

 

[MrPixel]

Is this ethical?

If you have to ask the question, then probably not.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I have enjoyed a few stories written by authors who are no longer posting: one because he died: one because he got negative feedback which discouraged him: the others -- who knows why they stopped.

My actual question: Is it ethical to pick up where the original author left the story and add new chapters? Mentioning the origin of course.

https://forum.literotica.com/thread...-or-rewriting-another-author’s-story.1652309/

 

[StillStunned]

The AH moderator does seem to shine a kind eye on our local yellow feline who has a fondness for redheads. I wonder what color hair the moderator has?

I mostly assume they're just a cat person.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

I mostly assume they're just a cat person.

Do you mean like, a person who has 27 cats in their house, or Nastassja Kinski?

 

[SimonDoom]

Thank you, Penny. I believe the "inspired by" was the idea I had in mind.

It doesn't sound like that from your first post. If your story starts where the old story left off, using characters and settings from the previous story, then it is not just "inspired by" the previous story, it is a derivative work of that story. The site has stated very clearly that you are not supposed to use the copyrightable elements of other Literotica authors' stories without their express permission.

This ethics of this issue have been debated and discussed at great length in this forum, with sometimes heated disagreements. But there is no question what Literotica's policy is.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

It doesn't sound like that from your first post. If your story starts where the old story left off, using characters and settings from the previous story, then it is not just "inspired by" the previous story, it is a derivative work of that story. The site has stated very clearly that you are not supposed to use the copyrightable elements of other Literotica authors' stories without their express permission.

This ethics of this issue have been debated and discussed at great length in this forum, with sometimes heated disagreements. But there is no question what Literotica's policy is.

But while that may be true in the vast majority (nearly all) cases, this one may be an exception based on the links I provided. Contacting some of the posters in those threads might provide better guidance.

 

[Henry_Hardstaff]

It doesn't sound like that from your first post. If your story starts where the old story left off, using characters and settings from the previous story, then it is not just "inspired by" the previous story, it is a derivative work of that story. The site has stated very clearly that you are not supposed to use the copyrightable elements of other Literotica authors' stories without their express permission.

This ethics of this issue have been debated and discussed at great length in this forum, with sometimes heated disagreements. But there is no question what Literotica's policy is.

Rereading my original post I understand the confusion I created, SimonDoom.
There is one story I would like to continue but as the author died I cannot get his permission and therefore it is out of the question.
Other stories have triggered ideas on the themes of the original.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Rereading my original post I understand the confusion I created, SimonDoom.
There is one story I would like to continue but as the author died I cannot get his permission and therefore it is out of the question.
Other stories have triggered ideas on the themes of the original.

I have been tempted (not in the erotica field) to write an unrelated story where my characters speculate about (or themselves write fanfic about) how a dead author would have ended an unfinished series.