Tax Dollars for Fanfic

[selenite0]

You, too, could get paid for writing Harry Potter fanfic:

http://www.strategypage.com/humor/articles/military_jokes_20052815.asp

Comments

[patgund.livejournal.com]

Rowling needs to lighten up. This is a parody, much like Mad Magazine. Yes, it's done to teach, but it doesn't change the fact it's a parody.

[wolfrick.livejournal.com]

That's debatable.

M-W.com defines "parody" as:

1 : a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule
2 : a feeble or ridiculous imitation

I think Rowling's solicitors will argue that there is a commercial purpose (namely, a training document) that makes thinly-disguised use of her characters.

I'm not saying I think she should win, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did. After all, what the Gubmint is doing is stealing her characters' popularity and using it for their own purposes, to no benefit to the author.
When I say commercial purposes, I don't mean they're selling this work for cash. I mean, it's a document they would have had to pay some author to invent in-whole, if it wasn't derivative of an existing work.

Damn, I'm glad I'm not a lawyer, and that I don't play one on tv.

~Rick

[selenite.livejournal.com]

I think the Army can make a good case for feeble and ridiculous.