question about copyright stuff

[thatlonewolf]

hello everyone, i'm a newbie author and recently i finally wrote and finished my first story. I'm very pleased it was well liked, has a 'hot' rating, so above 4.50 in about 2 days. definitly not bad if i say so myself

but i have a question. in my spare time i also play video games and i was wondering how much can i use of specific games? i usually have little inspiration for characters or names, so that's why i'd be interested.
for example if game1 has a character named Triss, can i use a character with that name? (i'm guessing names don't matter that much relatively)
if i use a character named triss, can she be based on the character in-game? how big can the similarities be?
would it be okay if i used the names of geographic locations? like the land of Temeria or something? for sci-fi stories

i was thinking about these question, wether they could get me or literotica in trouble
sorry if this is clarified elsewhere and i missed it or if i placed it in the wrong section

 

[PennLady]

Hi, and good luck.

I doubt anything you put here is going to get on anyone's copyright radar, so in that sense you could use names and such. However, Literotica doesn't have a fanfiction section, and if the characters are -- or normally are -- underage, the site won't accept the story (underage sex is one thing Lit does not accept).

So you can do whatever you'd like, but if it doesn't fit the site rules*, then it won't be accepted, but not on copyright issues, at least not most times. And if the site owners did think it would cause some sort of issue, I imagine they'd reject it and say why.

----------------
* The rules -- somewhat (over)simplified -- are no underage sex and no bestiality. Ideally there is no rape; in the non-con/reluctance section, at some point the "victim" is supposed to enjoy it. However, there is no doubt that sometimes stories get through that shouldn't.

 

[glynndah]

hello everyone, i'm a newbie author and recently i finally wrote and finished my first story. I'm very pleased it was well liked, has a 'hot' rating, so above 4.50 in about 2 days. definitly not bad if i say so myself

but i have a question. in my spare time i also play video games and i was wondering how much can i use of specific games? i usually have little inspiration for characters or names, so that's why i'd be interested.
for example if game1 has a character named Triss, can i use a character with that name? (i'm guessing names don't matter that much relatively)
if i use a character named triss, can she be based on the character in-game? how big can the similarities be?
would it be okay if i used the names of geographic locations? like the land of Temeria or something? for sci-fi stories

i was thinking about these question, wether they could get me or literotica in trouble
sorry if this is clarified elsewhere and i missed it or if i placed it in the wrong section

Hi, and good luck.

I doubt anything you put here is going to get on anyone's copyright radar, so in that sense you could use names and such. However, Literotica doesn't have a fanfiction section, and if the characters are -- or normally are -- underage, the site won't accept the story (underage sex is one thing Lit does not accept).

So you can do whatever you'd like, but if it doesn't fit the site rules*, then it won't be accepted, but not on copyright issues, at least not most times. And if the site owners did think it would cause some sort of issue, I imagine they'd reject it and say why.

----------------
* The rules -- somewhat (over)simplified -- are no underage sex and no bestiality. Ideally there is no rape; in the non-con/reluctance section, at some point the "victim" is supposed to enjoy it. However, there is no doubt that sometimes stories get through that shouldn't.

There is a celebrity category. Perhaps that would be an option.

 

[oggbashan]

This is from the start of the Celebrity category of stories:

DISCLAIMER:

The stories in the "Celebrity" section of Literotica are all fictional parodies - none are true, nor are they approved of by the celebrities named in the stories. Authors write these fictitious stories about famous people for the same reason that Larry Flynt made fun of Jerry Falwell, because they can. The Supreme Court of the United States, the country where this site is located, has ruled that parodies involving famous people are perfectly and totally legal under the United States Constitution. The specific case law on this was decided in the case of "Hustler Magazine, Inc. et al. v. Jerry Falwell" in 1988. No harm is intended toward the celebrities featured in these stories, but they are public figures and in being so, they must accept that they are fair target for parodies by the public. We believe in the first amendment, and more broadly, in the basic principle of free speech and this section may push the boundaries of that principle, but the United States Supreme Court has approved of this type of material. We believe that the Supreme Court was correct in their decision.

 

[PennLady]

There is a celebrity category. Perhaps that would be an option.

I had that in mind but forgot to write it down. Such is the peril of writing during dinner time.

 

[NaokoSmith]

This is from the start of the Celebrity category of stories:

DISCLAIMER:

The stories in the "Celebrity" section of Literotica are all fictional parodies - none are true, nor are they approved of by the celebrities named in the stories. Authors write these fictitious stories about famous people for the same reason that Larry Flynt made fun of Jerry Falwell, because they can. The Supreme Court of the United States, the country where this site is located, has ruled that parodies involving famous people are perfectly and totally legal under the United States Constitution. The specific case law on this was decided in the case of "Hustler Magazine, Inc. et al. v. Jerry Falwell" in 1988. No harm is intended toward the celebrities featured in these stories, but they are public figures and in being so, they must accept that they are fair target for parodies by the public. We believe in the first amendment, and more broadly, in the basic principle of free speech and this section may push the boundaries of that principle, but the United States Supreme Court has approved of this type of material. We believe that the Supreme Court was correct in their decision.

Og is on the button. In the course of some, ahem, essential background research, I noticed that the Celebrity category has a lot of fanfiction. I am a bit old for video games but I saw quite a bit of Batman and comic stuff. Not that I was looking except in a purely research way, you understand.

I'm sure video game fanfiction could go in there and that you'd be fine publishing to this free site any fantasies you wished to write about these. I think the main rule with fanfic as opposed to celebrity parody, is that you should not be making money out it. Profits from stories about made up characters properly belong to the franchise which thought up the character/world.

 

[mynameisben]

If one of your characters is named Mickey Mouse and his interspecies gay lover is named Donald Duck, you can bet your mouse ears the Disney corporation will find you even here on Literotica and squash you like the little worm [they think] you are.

 

[NaokoSmith]

If one of your characters is named Mickey Mouse and his interspecies gay lover is named Donald Duck, you can bet your mouse ears the Disney corporation will find you even here on Literotica and squash you like the little worm [they think] you are.

There are squillions of Star Trek stories, in some of which are interesting scenes in which Captain Kirk and Spock are marooned on a planet and have to console each other. The rule with these is that as long as you're not making money out of it, you're entitled. I think the video game thing would be similar - you're increasing the fan base potentially, after all. It's perhaps not quite the same for Mickey Mouse, whom you could be deemed to be bringing into disrepute by allowing him to fuck a duck.

And Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck would be bestiality, which is not allowed on here.

 

[mynameisben]

I may be wrong, but I think at least one of the participants has to be human for it to be called bestiality.

 

[oggbashan]

I may be wrong, but I think at least one of the participants has to be human for it to be called bestiality.

Yes. I have a story (White Scut) involving a fox and a rabbit with no humans involved...

It is very low rated.

 

[NaokoSmith]

I may be wrong, but I think at least one of the participants has to be human for it to be called bestiality.

Webster dictionary says yes, but Wikipedia adds that it could be 'fixation on such relations', so borderline?

My word there are some interesting pictures around on the net these days. The most delicate being the Japanese ones, of course.

 

[mynameisben]

Yes. I have a story (White Scut) involving a fox and a rabbit with no humans involved...

It is very low rated.

That reminds me of a poo-poo nasty joke I heard a long time ago. To wit:

A bear and a rabbit are squatting over a log in the forest, taking a dump. After a time, the bear looks over at the rabbit and says, "Hey there, woodland buddy! Does shit stick to your fur?"

"Oh, yes. All the time."

At that, the bear reaches over, grabs the rabbit, and wipes himself with it.

- The End -

 

[Stella_Omega]

If we could not use any names that have been used in published works, we would not be able to write named characters at all.

If we could not base our work to some extent upon something we loved, Shakespeare would have been out of a job -- not to mention Disney. Also every single script that gets the green light in the entertainment industry. Also pretty much every video game ever.

However unless you're writing fan fiction on purpose, my suggestion is that you either give a character the name, Or the personality-- not both.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Yes. I have a story (White Scut) involving a fox and a rabbit with no humans involved...

It is very low rated.

I gave it 5 stars.
That idiot comment about why the buck rabbit ... well, anyway, don't want to spoil it. You made it perfectly obvious why.

you Og.

 

[Handley_Page]

I may be wrong, but I think at least one of the participants has to be human for it to be called bestiality.

That's my understanding of it.

I gave it 5 stars.
That idiot comment about why the buck rabbit ... well, anyway, don't want to spoil it. You made it perfectly obvious why.
.

Well, let's face it; he's one of the good ones.

 

[thatlonewolf]

thank you very much everyone
i'm not planning to use bestiality, rape or planning to make profit of this stuff.
so did i summarized it correctly if i say i can use stuff to some extent? as long as it's no perfect copy with both behavior/personality and name?

 

[oggbashan]

thank you very much everyone
i'm not planning to use bestiality, rape or planning to make profit of this stuff.
so did i summarized it correctly if i say i can use stuff to some extent? as long as it's no perfect copy with both behavior/personality and name?

The easy way to see what is allowed is to read a few stories in the Celebrity category.

That's something I never do. Most of the celebrities written about are people I have never heard of.

If the story was about Mae West, Mary Pickford? Then I might know them.

My preference is to be original, to write stories about characters I have created. I would find the Celebrity category too restrictive because real fans would be very picky about what you involve their hero/heroine in.

 

[Stella_Omega]

thank you very much everyone
i'm not planning to use bestiality, rape or planning to make profit of this stuff.
so did i summarized it correctly if i say i can use stuff to some extent? as long as it's no perfect copy with both behavior/personality and name?

That's a good summary, yes

 

[sr71plt]

Who knows what the parameters are on what works of this sort Literotica will accept? (I'm not sure the Web site even knows.) But in the greater world, to be classified as a parody (which widens the limits on what you can get away with in fiction significantly), the work actually has to be a parody. It can't just identify with real or trademarked personalities.

For here, you could just submit it and take your chances on acceptance/rejection.