Fanfiction is commonly misunderstood. In short, fanfiction is considered fair use in the US if certain variables are met, such as the work being transformative[0]. There is no precise equation between the factors involved, as it's a complex issue with decades of legal analysis[1], but if "fair use" is met, then the fanfiction writer owns the copyright for their work.<p>A few startups have tried monetizing the freely available fanfiction from platforms like Archive of Our Own. However, they do not seem to understand that they are in violation of copyright by monetizing these works without the consent of the fanfiction author. Fair use also takes into account commercial activities, and most fanfiction authors elect not to monetize their works as it means the other factors of fair use would be under further scrutiny.<p>As someone at the intersection of tech and fanfiction, I felt this was worth sharing.<p>[0] <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/92-1292.ZO.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/92-1292.ZO.html</a>
[1] <a href="https://fanlore.org/wiki/Legal_Analysis" rel="nofollow">https://fanlore.org/wiki/Legal_Analysis</a>
There isn't any jail time for copyright infringement, so I guess he's not part of the "30 under 30 to Prison" pipeline. But maybe he's just getting warmed up.