Re: [DL] Deadlands Fiction (Shane/Goff)

[Chris Nelson <chris@pre-press.com>]

Actually, Fan Fiction, in it's most broad, general form, is very much
illegal, no matter where or how it's published.

Some of you have heard of the more recent banning of an EverQuest fan
fiction by Verant, the owners of the game.  Their reasons prevented the
argument from lying on one side or the other (see this thread on
PlanetCrap: www.planetcrap.com/stories/168/) but comments on a related
article on Slashdot explained the legalities a little more.
(http://slashdot.org/articles/00/04/16/1320228.shtml)

Now, I don't think PEG would ban web-published free fan fiction, mostly
because it can, with few exceptions, help PEG out.  Verant and EverQuest
are already making millions in a different, far more mainstream market. 
So I guess they have enough lawyers, guns and money to nitpick.

Anyway, I just felt compelled to send out this little heads-up to anyone
who's writing fan fiction on the internet