Why ban Tintin fan fiction?

I've been writing fianfiction for quite a while, I'm working on a Tintin fanfict right now, but I can't find anywhere to post it!

I was writing one, too, and was posting it on a site that I cannot mention here (or fear getting yelled at by Admin, lol) but I decided to stop writing it, just because Moulinsart is so dang finicky and annoying. They own everything. In fact, I think the phrase "Blistering barnacles" is copywritten by Moulinsart...

I know! Its so darn annoying that Moulinsart rules with an iron-fist! I mean even Disney and Harry Potter stuff can have fan fic and fan art, but no Tintin stuff. Bah... humbug.

Trolling the site's owner, who keeps this site open for one and all with very few rules isn't a great start to your argument, to be honest...

Tintinrulz
I mean even Disney and Harry Potter stuff can have fan fic and fan art, but no Tintin stuff.

I don't know about how the Harry Potter juggernaut deal with such matters, but Disney will behave exactly like Moulinsart as far as copyright violation is concerned, have no doubt about it.

All that Moulinsart are doing is protecting their livelihood; it may not be what you want, but they are obliged to do so...

As part of the fanfiction-writing community, I've seen plenty of Disney-themed fanfictions, fanart, etc... And I've heard no threats of shutting down the site on which thousands of these are posted. As far as I'm concerned, Moulinsart has to chill out...

Okay, so Disney would do the same. Moulinsart is trying to protect their livelihood, but in all seriousness we're talking about fan-fiction and fan-art. It wouldn't be sold or thought of as Herge's! So, I think they don't have a good reason for fans doing non-profit Tintin stuff!

MoonRocket
As far as I'm concerned, Moulinsart has to chill out...

I think you have missed the point: they and the Fondation are obligated to pursue people who use Hergé’s work without permission. It isn’t personal. Hergé made the request of his estate, and Mme Hergée bis enacts it: no new Tintin after his death.

Tintinrulz
in all seriousness we're talking about fan-fiction and fan-art. It wouldn't be sold or thought of as Herge's!
You’ve been around here too long not to have seen this topic discussed at length before: to use the work of Hergé without consent is as good as stealing. You wouldn’t like it if someone took your stuff, even if they didn’t make any money from it. And how does it being by a “fan” (acting explicitly against Hergé’s wishes) make a difference? Are you suggesting that that absolves automatically? Can’t see how myself.

Look on it this way - the law protects the big and the small equally: if you use Hergé’s stuff without permission, you will have to answer to the law, just as much as they would if you were ripped off by them. That’s equality under the law… Sounds fair to me...

Simon - you're sounding like Judge Dredd there! I agree with you though (well, it's facts you're expressing, not opinions).

Just as a point of interest, I have very recently got broadband and wanting to try it out I downloaded 'Star Wars: Revelations', a 'fan film'. It's really qute incredible work (and 250Mbs!). Apparently George Lucas allows these things to exist as long as they don't make any money out of it, or pay anyone to appear in the films, or do animation etc...

Star Wars is a big universe and the focus can be (has to be, really) on new characters. With Tintin, he'd be the character a fan would want to use, so it's quite different from George Lucas' feelings on it.

I draw my own comic strip, and I would feel very odd - I wouldn't like it - if someone else took my characters and made their own stories with them (highly likely, I know). I created them, I know back-story to them that no one else knows that all helps to define their actions in my stories. I know it sounds like a cliché, but these characters do become like your children.

tybaltstone
Simon - you're sounding like Judge Dredd(†) there!
Drok! So I am! It was very hot in MegaCity One™ this afternoon, so apologies if that all sounded heavy, but as you say it was an attempt to state fact, not an opinion, and to steer us away from a possible “Let’s all take it out on Moulinsart…” thread.

Synchroncity or what? I downloaded SW: Revelations yesterday! That and “I.M.P.S.” are just amazing. I’d also recommend “Duality”, which looks like a bona fide ILM production, the CGI stuff is so well handled, but was actually done by two guys on a Mac to learn to use the software!

I still think that Stephen King has a very good model for protecting his copyright: if you want to make a student/ non-profit/ amateur film of one of his stories, he will license you to do it for $1US, and a copy of your movie when it is done. He does not relinquish his rights over the story or characters as such, he just grants permission reasonably freely.


†Just to be on the safe side;-): Judge Dredd appears in 2000AD (Concept: Jack Adrian, Development: Pat Mills) Judge Dredd is created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. Judge Dredd is copyright © Rebellion AS. Any similarities to judges living or dead is purely coincidental.

Star Wars: Revelations had great effects and sets and design, but the lead villian and the acting was terrible. Check out the Star Wars fan film called Broken Allegiance. The effects, sets and design aren't quite as good but the story is much better and also the acting.

Anyway, I see where you are coming from Jock but I see making a Tintin fansite and using images, talking about the characters etc is paying tribute to Herge and not trying to make a fast buck! I'm pretty sure Herge wouldn't approve of Nick Rodwell's monoply of the Tintin market. When he said he wanted Tintin protected I don't think he meant to the extent where fans can't even appreciate and share their knowledge and images with other like minded fans.