Disclaimer

A disclaimer is a statement that indicates that the fan is not claiming to own, or to have invented, any copyrighted characters or concepts that they are writing about.
It is usually found in the header of a fanwork, such as a piece of fanfiction or fanart. It can also be included at the beginning or end of a vid.
Many fanfic authors post overall disclaimers on their websites, while some include disclaimers on each individual page containing a fanwork.
==Format==
Some disclaimers are very matter-of-fact, stating "I don't own these characters" or "Not mine," while others specifically credit individuals ("Firefly belongs to Joss Whedon") or the corporate TPTB who may own the actual copyright ("Due South belongs to Alliance Atlantis.")
Another common aspect of a disclaimer is for the author to state that they are making no profit from their fanwork.
Although a disclaimer would probably not do much to deter a company or individual who really wanted to sue a fan for copyright infringement, disclaimers are generally seen as a gesture of good faith from fans, and are traditional in many areas of fandom. Some communities, archives or mailing lists will not allow stories to be posted without proper disclaimers.
The Archive of Our Own does not offer a standard field for disclaimers, as their stance is that not-for-profit fanworks are Fair Use.
Disclaimers on RPF generally emphasize two things: first, that the author knows that her story is fictional, and second, that she does not intend for anyone to actually believe that it is true. However, some fans have noted with annoyance that RPF sometimes includes a copyright disclaimer, despite the fact that RPF characters are not copyrighted.Example at slashypunkboys: "Disclaimer: Don't own them." , 2003-06-24.
==Usage==
Use of disclaimers varies from fandom to fandom, and not all fans use them or take them seriously if they do. There is no one simple reason for the variations of fannish culture around this issue, but some fans believe that the decentralized control of fic posting that Livejournal made easy, led to more people making up their own rules.meta-ish type stuff posted on September 22, 2008 by bluefall, accessed November 1, 2010reference link It's possible that a lot of fans use them simply because the standard fic header they've picked up from a community or an archive has a space for it. A 2016 Fansplaining episode noted that usage of disclaimers varied between different fan archives such as Wattpad and AO3 and that posting a disclaimer "also shows that you're a member of an in-group" (i.e. that you understand the local fannish cultural norm).Fansplaining: Larry is Real, 15:20 minutes in, posted 24 February 2016.
===Disclaimers Get Snarky===
Humorous disclaimers started to become more popular later, and were a reflection of fans' understanding that disclaimers didn't carry a lot of weight. These humorous disclaimers also display fans' increasing boredom with the general wording. It is not uncommon to see disclaimers stating: "I don't own the show, if I did it would have more porn" or "The characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them for a while" (or more humorously, "kidnapping" them) or "Not mine, don't sue, I have nothing but student loans anyway." Some disclaimers would include rhetorical questions as to their necessity, referencing the well-established fact that everyone reading and writing these disclaimers was merely a fan and not TPTB, but indicating that the author had decided to disclaim anyway just in case.
The 2012 academic paper "But this is my story and this is how I wanted to write it": Author's notes as a fannish claim to power in fan fiction writing talks about this usage of disclaimers:
From a fan in 2015: 
Other humourous and creative types of disclaimers involved listing other things the author did not own, including the characters (often used to pointedly illustrate a fanfic creator's lack of money), breaking the fourth wall to have the characters address the audience, roleplay-esque dialogues, poetry and more.
==Examples of Disclaimers==
===Unknown Date===
From a Sentinel fiction website: "Disclaimer: These are works of purely speculative fiction. It is not intended to infringe on any rights by and of the companies and/or individuals involved in the production of any series mentioned here." Gena's Sentinel Fan Fiction, accessed November 1, 2010, now offline
This disclaimer is succinct: "Aw, bite me." from Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe at squidge.org
===1988===
From Samurai Errant #1: "But seriously, folks, this is a non-profit, nuclear-free, guaranteed bicentennial-free publication. We do not intend to breach anyone's copyright in any way. We simply love, and want to share in, the planet-wide day dream that is the Banzai phenomenon. None of the slash stuff (or straight stuff) is meant to imply that the actors or anyone else involved are gay (or straight) — these are harmless day dreams about fictional characters only. So please don't sue us, because we love you and don't deserve to be disillusioned."
===1990===
From a Blake's 7 zine: "We don't intend to infringe upon anybody's rights anywhere, at any time, in any way. This means, you Terry Nation." from Space Debris #2 
===1992===
From The Professionals zine, Arabian Nights: "This is a work of fiction and any similarity to reality is a dreadful accident."
===1994===
From Abstract Transmissions: "This copyright in no way infringes on the copyrights and/or trademarks of any mentioned media. (We'd only put ya in here if yuz was good, so ya oughta be flattered.)"
===1998===
From Stacy Doyle's Vids By The Bay songtape collection. Included with each videocassette: 
===1999===
From an X-Files fic header: "Disclaimer: Dear Chris, you know they don't belong to me. Also, you leave so many delicious little holes open in your characterization, we fanfic writers just can't help ourselves. Anyhow, please forgive me and remember that suing me is useless. I have lots of lawyers in my family who will provide me with pro bono legal aid. Besides, I'm broke. Love, Dasha PS- How about that big smooshy kiss in the last episode of season seven? With tongue, please. Oh, and whatever happened to the Mulderglasses?" Across a Crowded Room, posted to Gossamer (August 3, 1999)
===2005===
From a Stargate Atlantis fic: "I don't own them, and they're probably pretty thankful for that." ; archive link
===2006===
"Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I simply enjoy kidnapping the characters to amuse myself periodically."My Angel Without Wings Chapter 1, by Surrendered to Christ, published February 13, 2006. Accessed May 1, 2021.
===2008===
An example of the "rhetorical question" style disclaimer, from a Katekyo Hitman Reborn! fic: "Disclaimers: Are they necessary? Nothing is mine, WE ALL KNOW THIS."The Walk by Plasmea, published February 4, 2008 (Accessed May 1, 2021).
===2009===
From a Stargate Atlantis fic in 2009: "If I owned them I would be sitting on an island beach right now with a frosty drink and a pair of cabana boys. Instead, I just shoveled a foot of snow from the roof of my car. Draw your own conclusions." by LinziDay
===2012===
From a multi-part Yu Yu Hakusho drabble series featuring various humorous disclaimers, including a haiku disclaimer: 
:Disclaimer: I’ve decided to use this as an opportunity to practice writing in the voice of different YYH characters. First up is Kurama.
:“I believe I have already informed you that ownership of the series Yu Yu Hakusho is not mine to claim. It would be wise if you did not ask me again.”Dabbling in Drabbling Chapter 7: Deception, by enchantedsleeper. (Also on AO3) Published circa July 2012, accessed May 1, 2021.
==Fan Comments==
===1991===
===1995===
===1999===
===2015===
==Meta==
* meta-ish type stuff posted on September 22, 2008 by bluefall, accessed November 1, 2010 reference link
* So I’m on AO3 ...(the forgotten history of disclaimers) (2016)
* Every Disclaimer You Need in One Convenient Location (around 2002)
==References==
Category:Glossary
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