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LET& #39;S TALK FAN IDEAS
b/c my last tweet seemed to put some folks in a tizzy. (and I gotta remind myself it& #39;s been 15 yrs. Some folks are new to all this. God I& #39;m old)
Anyway - I can& #39;t partake in fan ideas for legal reasons. Why& #39;s that? 1/7
b/c my last tweet seemed to put some folks in a tizzy. (and I gotta remind myself it& #39;s been 15 yrs. Some folks are new to all this. God I& #39;m old)
Anyway - I can& #39;t partake in fan ideas for legal reasons. Why& #39;s that? 1/7
First, someone could point to a story/character/element and claim I stole the idea from them. Maybe they seek monetary damages? Maybe they just torpedo the online presence I& #39;ve been cultivating my entire adult life? Either way it& #39;s bad news for me. 2/7
2nd, I might accidentally copy someone& #39;s great idea. They don& #39;t get any credit or compensation, and they look like the knock-off. That& #39;s not fair to them. And I can& #39;t catalogue & remember every single bit of media I& #39;m exposed to, that& #39;d be nuts. So I& #39;m basically in quarantine 3/7
What counts as a "fan idea" & what doesn& #39;t?
SAFE EXAMPLES:
"I& #39;m a big fan of Cream!"
"I wish Sally and the FF came back."
"I& #39;d like to see more good ol& #39; fashioned Sonic vs. Eggman"
Those are broad ideas or personal preferences, not a creative concept unique to one person. 4/7
SAFE EXAMPLES:
"I& #39;m a big fan of Cream!"
"I wish Sally and the FF came back."
"I& #39;d like to see more good ol& #39; fashioned Sonic vs. Eggman"
Those are broad ideas or personal preferences, not a creative concept unique to one person. 4/7
BAD EXAMPLES
"This is my OC Noun the Animal. This is their backstory and powers!"
"I& #39;d like to see a story where Sonic does X, Y and Z."
"If so-and-so comes back, they should look like this."
Those are all creative concepts, specific ideas, which are all your own. 5/7
"This is my OC Noun the Animal. This is their backstory and powers!"
"I& #39;d like to see a story where Sonic does X, Y and Z."
"If so-and-so comes back, they should look like this."
Those are all creative concepts, specific ideas, which are all your own. 5/7
The line can get fuzzy sometimes. e.g. Tangle is an established character. Tangle in an alt. outfit is iffy.
99% of fans would be thrilled to see their ideas realized in some form. 1% would cause a lot of problems, and so I& #39;ve got to play it safe. It sucks. 6/7
99% of fans would be thrilled to see their ideas realized in some form. 1% would cause a lot of problems, and so I& #39;ve got to play it safe. It sucks. 6/7
There& #39;s no hard rules on what "counts" and what doesn& #39;t, but since I& #39;ve got an active public presence in the fandom, I& #39;ve got to be especially cautious.
Don& #39;t stop creating. Share and revel w/your friends and groups. Have fun! Just (sadly) leave me out of the loop. 7/7
Don& #39;t stop creating. Share and revel w/your friends and groups. Have fun! Just (sadly) leave me out of the loop. 7/7
Man this thread blew up.
Listen to me talk about even more stuff on my weekly Q&A podcast @BumbleKast
And if you& #39;ve got the time/inclination, show a little love to my free webcomic @DroguneComic 8/7
Listen to me talk about even more stuff on my weekly Q&A podcast @BumbleKast
And if you& #39;ve got the time/inclination, show a little love to my free webcomic @DroguneComic 8/7
