Here's a roundup of stories on fannish modification of canon that might be of interest to fans:

• Electricpig posted about the best gaming hacks created by fans, comparing them to "fan-fiction: painstakingly crafted alternate stories, features and transformations born out of sheer love for the source material. In some cases they breed entirely new games in themselves."
• While the gaming hacks are presented as something that create more fan interest in the original content, one journalist wonders if fansubs really do create a larger market for anime. "[M]any are arguing that it’s fans like me that are killing the industry. Just the fact that we watch— and therefore support— fansubs is enough." She then questions how both the entertainment industries and the journalism industry she is a part of are actually resisting marketplace demand rather than finding a way to satisfy it. "Things aren’t perfect in journalism. It’s significantly less profitable than it used to be, and it’s a lot harder to get work as a reporter...Maybe this means I should be more sympathetic to the anime industry. But from my standpoint, I don’t see a dying industry; I see a changing one."
• In the case of E.L. James' new novel it is fans who are questioning fan actions. "[A] number of readers commented that the series, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, began as Twilight fan fiction. Some of the commenters went so far as to say there could be copyright infringement issues, because of the connection." James' publisher denied both claims of infringement and any real similarity to Twilight. "Twilight and Fifty Shades Trilogy are worlds apart, new readers are totally surprised it was ever a Twilight fan fiction story."

If you write or read fan fiction whether about Twilight, games, or anime, why not contribute your fandom experience to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on intellectual property issues that might be of interest to fans:

• Last month Crunchyroll.com reported that in a countrywide effort, police in Japan "arrested 30 people on suspicion of using file-sharing software" calling it "the largest simultaneous enforcement by the Japanese police against illegal uploaders ever." Tech entrepreneur Andy Baio concluded that young voters may be key to changing the criminalization of remix culture, and dubbed the current efforts against "piracy" as a new Prohibition. Certainly industries that have a stranglehold on entertainment distribution are able to keep increasing costs to fans and the effects are not limited to the young. A pop music critic writing about the rising cost of rock fandom noted "I’d love to continue the path I’ve been following since early adolescence, when my full membership in the rock-lover’s club began. But I’m just not sure I can afford it anymore."
• The Electronic Frontier Foundation recently filed exemption requests to the DMCA which "asked for legal protections for artists and critics who use excerpts from DVDs or downloading services to create new, remixed works." These exemptions build on and expand exemptions that EFF won last year. "In drafting the requests, EFF had the invaluable assistance of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Organization for Transformative Works."
• A post at TorrentFreak discovered illegal downloading being done by employees at major studios such as Sony, Universal, and FOX. "We aren’t the only ones to come up with the idea of revealing the BitTorrent habits of copyright advocates. Yesterday, the Dutch blog Geenstijl exposed how someone at the local music royalty collecting agency Buma/Stemra downloaded a copy of the TV-show Entourage and video game Battlefield 3." The company's response suggested that their IP-addresses were spoofed, an unlikely but welcome explanation since "if it’s so easy to spoof an IP-address, then accused file-sharers can use this same defense against copyright holders."
• To those interested in learning more about these issues some recent book reviews noted fans' stake in the discussion. The Times Higher Education in the UK discussed Fan Fiction and Copyright: Outsider Works and Intellectual Property Protection (citing the OTW's Rebecca Tushnet) and The Learned Fangirl reviewed Free Ride: How Digital Parasites are Destroying the Culture Business, and How the Culture Business Can Fight Back.

If you are interested in intellectual property issues such as fair use and the DMCA why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories on images of fans that might be of interest to fans:

• Fans have become accustomed over time to inaccurate or sometimes simply unpleasant portrayals in the media. For example, when a recent Saturday Night Live skit focused on manga fans, many of them were upset at the humor even though they felt it was a fairly accurate portrayal of the community. The reason? "For some fans, being cast into the limelight means many now feel judged for indulging in their hobby so enthusiastically."
• While manga fans felt that their behavior was being judged, a portrayal of Comic-Con cosplayers in Men's Fitness instead judged fans' physiques. However one fan took a deeper look at the incident to note not only why sexism hurts men too but how the media profits from it. "Men’s Fitness literally has the power to change these stereotypes and male beauty myths. But they aren’t, because they make money off telling men (and women) that their bodies are not perfect enough. Why would you buy Men’s Fitness unless you somehow felt bad about your body?"
• A post at the Good Men Project initiated a contentious discussion of sexism by pointing out how there may be more room for the "female nerd" in fandoms these days, but only if her opinions and behavior are convenient. "It’s definitely hot when a girl wants to play Halo or Gears of War or any other formulaic testosterone-fuelled first-person shooter, but it’s kind of a turn-off when she wishes that videogame developers take a more unisex approach to design and marketing. Time and time again, I have seen women run into brick walls of male privilege when they raise important issues about gender and equality within their chosen nerdy field. "
• Furries are a fandom that often feels judged, even by other fans. This experience means "members of the furry community are hesitant to talk to reporters and afraid of readers taking things out of context". The silence tends to encourage negative portrayals by outsiders, even as participants consider "the fandom to be an art form, with members drawing, designing costumes, performing and writing or composing music." As multifandom favorite actor Mark Sheppard noted in a recent interview, "I think the people who dress up and show their allegiance and their fandom and passion are incredibly brave... And truly exceptional as a group. You never see 'Gang of sci-fi fans rob 7-11' [in the news] do you?"

If you cosplay, are a furry are part of manga fandom, or have indeed robbed a 7-11 with your fandom gang, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

Here's a roundup of stories about transformative works that might be of interest to fans:

• The Telegraph reviews a new interpretive dance piece based on the life of Osamu Tezuka "revered in his homeland as “the god of manga”." The review uncovers the fannishness at the heart of the project: "To render one art form through another is not easy...“As an adult, we sometimes try to undo our childhood. We are discouraged from saying what we really care about – things like cartoon books – but now I want to uncover it instead.”
• Two other examples of how fans "render one art form through another" appear in Fandom in Stitches which pulls together quilt making patterns for a variety of fandoms, and the Post-It War taking place among office workers in France which "draws heavily on the nerd canon."
• Such creativity with fandom texts gets overlooked by videomaker CGP Grey who posted "Forever Less One Day" critiquing U.S. copyright law by using Star Wars and other texts as examples of how far copyright has been extended compared to its original intent. While informative, the video makes no mention of transformative works which fall under fair use even though his video is an example of commentary. (The video post also includes a transcript.)

If you're part of manga fandoms or are involved in fan crafts, why not contribute your experiences to Fanlore? Contributions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.