Firestarter

702

(107 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Charles_F_Bell wrote:
njc wrote:

But see Mickey Mouse Copyright.

Do you mean the distinction between corporate trademarking of an image which is perpetual and an individual's copyright of art that can have a long life but not perpetual after death because the assumption is that a corporation is chartered into perpetuity and a human being cannot be so? Why is a drug patent seven years and Disney's Micky Mouse copyright was 96 years? A patent on a product is seen as most productive within a short time span, but the economic benefit from art may not accrue even within the lifetime of the artist -- in traditional sensibility, that is, and not in the phenomenon of Pop music which is rather more like a patented packaged manufactured product.

Disney has lobbied for and gotten several extensions for the Mickey Mouse copyright, but it will still run out unless extended through further palm greasing by Disney. But even without an extension of the copyright, Mickey Mouse has been trademarked up to his eyeballs and characteristic ears and thus the very mention of Mickey Mouse is now considered by many to be synonymous with corporate Disney. Therefore, Mickey Mouse may likely never enter the public domain as long as the trademark is renewed. Should Disney go bust and/or forget to renew the numerous trademarks, then the immortal Mickey will enter the public domain. Take care. Vern

703

(107 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

CFB wrote:

To meet this legal bar, the specifics of the contest would have to require a parody/satirical nature.

Although I don't particularly care for the fanfic idea, it seems that almost any depiction of two opposing fictional characters who would normally never meet could/would be considered parody/satirical in nature. However, the obvious solution to the gray area being considered for the contest (for any who would want to someday publish outside tnbw) is to simply not use it.Take care. Vern

704

(107 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Charles_F_Bell wrote:
SolN wrote:

How about a closed room murder that must also combine two fanfics that would never go together? I'm liking the idea.

Fanfic is theft of intellectual property. Salinger, et al. vs. John Doe, et al. U.S. District Court, NY. (2010)

Another case addressing  Alice Randall's "The Wind Done Gone" had an opposite ruling. The link provided below highlights the difference between the cases for anyone interested. Take care. Vern

http://reporter.rit.edu/views/fanfictio … creativity

Pear-de-farce

706

(107 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

A.T.Schlesinger wrote:

I have a great idea!

Fanfiction!

Take an established character and write a 1000 words about it. 

Luke Skywalker
Harry Potter
Robert Langdon
Wonder Woman
Sheldon Cooper

Character must be a work of fiction (no, not even Donald Trump) and must be well-known.

To add another twist; combine two fanfics that would never go together.  What would Conan the Barbarian meets Hermione Granger or Pinhead from the Hellraiser movies be like?

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w315/Anastazja_2007/c30c1a17-3016-45a8-bdc4-1e3a634c9de5_zpsfuldbqbi.jpg

I'm confused; you say no to Trump and then mention possibly using -- oops, never mind, you used Pinhead and I automatically thought Dickhead which of course would be a Trump calling card. My bad. Take care. Vern

707

(107 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Say, we had a "mystery" contest and nobody knew the genre -- unless they read this thread. Take care. Vern

708

(15 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

RIP, Sonny. It's a shame many will never receive a review from one of the best.

The mystery continues.

As for me and grandpa, we know

Not before grandma got run over

Airplane pier

stickrhoid

Jump the broom -- much more dangerous

hilaurus
means big laugh at big jokes

Dinosaur

misdirect

718

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

How about something like this: Have a list of all groups (single line for each) show up initially when you click on "Groups" from the home page. Then you click on any number of them you wish (or all) and get the full description of all those checked. You then have to scroll only through those you checked. Never give up. Take care. Vern

Trump and Flynn

720

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

Okay, I envisioned that also, but then if you might be interested in more than one group you would have to click back to the list again and then click for that description and so on for any group you might  wish to explore more than a name; or alternatively you would scroll through the list with the descriptions. Seems a bit like six in one and 6.999999999... in the other. Works for me. Take care. Vern

Happy nachos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InRw8JtIgzU

722

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

You are probably entirely correct that it might help, but then I fully expect someone would be asking why we can't have more information about the groups listed (I'm assuming name only), which ironically is what the list does now. But to each their own. I'm not voting against it -- I probably would never even notice if it was implemented -- merely playing the devil's advocate wondering about the overall benefit as I'm prone to do; perhaps I'm the only one. Take care. Vern

723

(8 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)

You have four pages of groups listed when you click on the "Groups" banner at the top of your home page. From the looks of the names I'm not sure how much good an alphabetical list would be if you didn't know exactly what you were looking for when you have names such as Texas Authors, Close Friends, Eternal Enemies, and Mama, Trains and Pickup Trucks to name just a few. Of course if you were already acquainted enough to know the exact name, there is a good chance you could be invited by a current member of such group. Scrolling through the list might also be educational as to other intriguing groups we may have never envisioned. But then I suppose you could scroll through an alphabetical listing also, but doesn't seem nearly as much fun as the random sampling. Just random group thoughts. Take care. Vern

Hang down your head Tom Dooley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBSApzDTeRI

Nissan Rogue