Hey seems like a good time to remind that a whole lot of things we do on a daily basis is illegal and heres a thread on why fan works getting sold is a culture in the first place https://twitter.com/hopeworldjhs_/status/1194822356012871680

Note: ive said this numerous times on this account alone but im making a new thread because im tired of people who keep having this superiority complex over fanwriters and fanartists. We dont deny that its illegal but the double standard between artists and writers in general-

is very noticeable. As an artist all i got was a dmca takedown on RB 2 years ago when i first sold some art, but i have never gotten shit for it at all. ANWAY LETS TALK ABOUT IT

So why is it so acceptable for fanworks to be sold at such a large and semi-public scale? Most of the time we see fanart but in some cases fanfic too but how does it even exist??

The answer is quite literally, fandom dynamic.

Fandom wouldnt exist without the amount of fanworks that keeps the fandom alive. Fans need content to consume, and sometimes big companies simply cannot produce them.

So fancreators sometimes take some money out of it to support their work and life in general

Fanworks take time and money to produce. Sometimes these creators make these at a loss (eg, writers not getting paid for their hours spent on the fic theyre selling, the cost is just the production cost), or some not even get the cost back at all.

Yes, selling fanworks with the copyrighted names is illegal, but there are very specific grey areas in selling these works.

For example: a keychain wont be flagged for copyright if its labelled as MIN YOONGI, because SUGA is the one thats trademarked by BH

Lets say i make a magic shop inspired keychain, i wont get coyrighted if i dont specifically include the lyrics, maybe just the color purple and the army anniversary date; then yes, that is LEGAL.

Unless bh copyrights the entire term for MAGIC SHOP, they cannot strike my keychain design, or for me for selling it.

Which comes to why its so hard for fanfics to be sold without stepping slightly out of these grey areas

A lot of fanfics are tagged as under the BTS fandom on ao3 or wattpad, which already puts it under a very grey area, and not able to profit off of it.

But, if the fic gets removed from the site, and reprinted as a new book, it MAY be legal.

You CANNOT copyright PEOPLE’S NAMES, and if the writer puts a disclaimer of all names and events being a coincidence and unrelated to real life events, then the fic is off the hook.

So if a writer wants to publish a fic about vampire taehyung, then yes, its LEGAL

But writers must be careful to not be too specific in their writing, because any mention of the character being related to the real life bts member CAN get it striked.

Of course, this all applies to fanart goods as well.

This all is still stepping on a very thin grey area. Sometimes companies will try to take these down, because it can ‘harm their image’

But think about it. How is a keychain or fanfic thats sold in a circle of 50-500 people be harmful to anyone’s image?

Theres a reason why a lot of creators only spread their works in a small circle, which is to avoid exactly that: harming someone’s image.

Orders are made through no-name websites, some just through DMs, or even among friends only.

But of course, you still want to say its ILLEGAL!!!

Well, let me ask you something. Will bh really care?

From the fanworks sold, bh’s losses is far minuscule to the amount of profits they gain from official merch sales.

An order of $30 can make a creator’s day, buy their groceries, but that same $30 barely makes a dent in bh’s financial reports.

Its not morally wrong, its harmless to be selling fanmade works and goods, yet too many people are condemning it.

And also, too many small creators with no money are getting lawsuit threats from companies with billions in capital worth

Im going to end this by saying the next time you enjoy a fanfic or fanart for free, remember that someone is paying with time and money to make that for you. The least you can do is not be an asshole about it and become what people call a snitch.

Dont like fanfic, fanart, or shipping in general? Its fine. But dont act like you are far superior to those who quite literally keep a giant chunk of the fandom alive and running. I left all of my previous fandoms precisely because theres no creators actively making content.

All in all, dont be an asshole. Remember that fancreators are dirt in these giant companies’ eyes. If anything, they’re just tools for them to gain free press.

Dont be an asshole, for the last time.

Hello uh okay i guess this really blew up huh . I have a more in depth explanation on why fandoms thrive on fanmade content right here if you wanna know more! Feel free to dm me abt any legal stuff or questions in general <3 https://twitter.com/smolmangie/status/1194925465716187136