Subject: * IMPORTANT INFORMATION * - UseNet Pern fiction
Distribution: world
Organization: Keristor Systems
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 15:52:05 +0000


                       *** IMPORTANT MESSAGE ***
                       Rules about Pern Fiction

I received this message from Anne McCaffrey on the subject of Pern fan
fiction being published on electronic networks.

(Note - for any who don't know, 'CIS' refers to CompuServe).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
    08-Oct-92 11:39 BST
Sb: InterNet Pern rules
Fm: Anne McCaffrey

The rules are that my characters may be referred to but not used.  BUT
there can be no adventure/stories set on Pern at all!!!!!  That's
infringing on my copyright and can bear heavy penalities - particularly
right now when there's a film deal (yet another) which has bought and
paid for the right to use the material - which, I fear, e-mail users
have not.

On CIS, I have asked people to limit Pern material to a discussion of
their persona and dragons, fire-lizards, etc., in a diarist form.
Fanzines have slightly more latitude as the zine is usually mailed only
to members so that's limited publication, and a due copyright notice is
included.  As there is no such protection on electronic mail, we authors
have to be insistent on these safeguards.

I know this can be confusing since Paramount and Star Trek are handled
differently, but that's the point:  they are, and have been.  Individual
themes and characters of s-f & fantasy novels are not.  And such
indiscriminate usage of our characters, worlds, and concepts on a
*public* media like electronic mail constitute copyright infringement
AND, which many fans disregard, is ACTIONABLE!  Both the e-mail company
AND the person.  My publishers are most insistent on that point!  So
it's to safeguard the interested e-mail user that I make these very
strong, and perhaps unpalatable points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please note - it's *not* Anne who forbids this:  it's her publishers -
and they are NOT required to tell her of any such actions which they may
be undertaking.  The first she will probably know of it is when someone
tells her, having heard over the net...

Don't bother sending flames to me - *I'm* not the one who makes the
rules.  My intention in posting this is to hopefully prevent anyone from
getting hurt because they didn't know what the rules were.  NOW YOU
KNOW!  If anyone still insists on posting Pern fiction on UseNet, or any
other public medium, they run the risk of being prosecuted themselves,
and if any sysop, sysadmin, etc.  knowingly allows such information to
be present on their public system without Anne's *express* permission,
they also are liable.

I have been informed that at least one of the MU*s did get Anne's
permission - that's fine.  I would suggest to any who do *not* have her
permission (for them, individually, not 'well, she said someone else can
so that covers me') that they seek to contact her if they wish to stay
within the law.  If anyone wants to contact Anne, I can pass on the
messages.  If they want instead to 'do their own thing' and take the
risk, fine - think of it as evolution in action...

Note - I do *not* want to see anyone closed down, imprisoned, or charged
with copyright violations.  I would like (in spite of recent flamewars)
to see alt.fan.pern continue...  Incidentally, *I* will not report
anyone for infringement - I'm not in the habit of 'telling tales'!  I
will only pass information on to Anne if asked *specifically* to do so,
and if it is in respect of a system (like a MU*) then from the sysadmin
only.  I will not knowingly be used as a 'channel' for someone with a
private grudge to 'grass' on someone else...

Chris

***********************************************************************
*  chris@keris.demon.co.uk      *                                     *
*  chriscr@cix.compulink.co.uk  *  FIAWOL (Filking Is A Way Of Life)  *
*  100014.3217@compuserve.com   *                                     *
***********************************************************************