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I just read the post on selling fanfiction for Gaian gold, and something struck me: Doujinshi, fan created art, is most oftenly published unauthorized and without the original artist's permission and can be sold commercially, whereas fanfiction cannot! What's the difference? One involves art and the other words, but both are products of the person who makes them. So why can Doujinshi be sold, but fanfiction can't?
As far as I know, doujinshi is just as illegal, but that still doesn't stop people. Can someone point me to a place that says, for sure, that doujinshi is legal? This isn't me being haughty and arrogant, as I honestly don't know.
I believe doujinshi isn't completely legal too. One reason they can get away with it is it's in Japan; copyright laws aren't AS strict as the US. Plus, it can raise an interest in the comic, sorta like advertisement.

For some reason, I don't think a doujinshi based on my works would get to me at all, but I think a fanfiction might....I dunno why...
Believe it or not, most manga/anime-based doujinshi are legal. I don't remember the exact wording of it, but many anime companies permit a certain amount of fanwork to be sold (Cowboy Beebop is the only one I can think of offhand that asks that it's fans do not sell doujinshi). I'm not 100% sure (so if you really want to know, research is your friend), but I think it's the way their copywrite laws work. Also, most companies see it as free advertising -- one of the same reasons we can get away with AMVs.

Not too sure of all the semantics. Just remember this coming up at a fanfiction panel at the A-kon.
XanyKaos
Believe it or not, most manga/anime-based doujinshi are legal. I don't remember the exact wording of it, but many anime companies permit a certain amount of fanwork to be sold (Cowboy Beebop is the only one I can think of offhand that asks that it's fans do not sell doujinshi). I'm not 100% sure (so if you really want to know, research is your friend), but I think it's the way their copywrite laws work. Also, most companies see it as free advertising -- one of the same reasons we can get away with AMVs.

Not too sure of all the semantics. Just remember this coming up at a fanfiction panel at the A-kon.


Wow. Double standards sure are fun!

That's interesting, though. Do anime companies approve of fanfiction too?
ThePompousMan
Wow. Double standards sure are fun!

That's interesting, though. Do anime companies approve of fanfiction too?


The creators probably do. I know a few of them have given explicit permission (Ken Akamatsu is one that springs to mind), but they speak of it in terms of Japanese ficwriters. I'm not sure about the rest, or about fanfic in other countries. And the permission is for the writing of fanfic, not the selling thereof (which is probably not a good idea, even if nothing has been said on that matter).

As for American companies that redistribute the series, who knows?
Okay listen....there are NO COPYRIGHT LAWS IN JAPAN. Does that answer your question? Doujinshii and fanfiction can be sold alike with no problems in JAPAN ONLY.
Ebalicious
Okay listen....there are NO COPYRIGHT LAWS IN JAPAN. Does that answer your question? Doujinshii and fanfiction can be sold alike with no problems in JAPAN ONLY.


Incorrect. There are copyright laws in Japan. They're just different from what most of us are used to.
There ARE some copyrights in Japan. They are just no where near as strict!
As I understand it, the term 'doujonshi' can also apply to completely original works published independantly.

You know, just to add to the confusion.
Ebalicious
Okay listen....there are NO COPYRIGHT LAWS IN JAPAN. Does that answer your question? Doujinshii and fanfiction can be sold alike with no problems in JAPAN ONLY.


There are copyright laws in japan. They just aren't as strict... and the culture is such that most creators are fine with it.
Ebalicious
Okay listen....there are NO COPYRIGHT LAWS IN JAPAN. Does that answer your question? Doujinshii and fanfiction can be sold alike with no problems in JAPAN ONLY.


Well, technically, there are laws, they just aren't really enforced.
How are they able to create and sell Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings Djs since they're not based on an anime or manga? That one always confused me.

They do exist, I bought a Remus and Lupin Dj at the Ax just last month.
Prairie_Fire
How are they able to create and sell Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings Djs since they're not based on an anime or manga? That one always confused me.

They do exist, I bought a Remus and Lupin Dj at the Ax just last month.


Because the characters (How they look) Are created by the artists. It's like WK (Weiss Kruez) was done. It started out as a radio drama, and an artist drew the characters. How we see the guys of the anime WK is all fan done.

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Doujinshi are not just fan-comics. They are merely self-published manga. Most people just think they're fan-comics because the majority of doujinshi are.

Hm...I believe there's this one doujinshi convention in specific where artists are allowed to sell fan comics, but I heard that a long time ago.

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