Is fan fiction protected by copyright law?

Fan fiction is a type of writing where people use the characters and elements from someone else’s work of fiction to create something new. In Nebraska, as with all U.S. states, fan fiction is not protected by copyright law. This means that the fan fiction author cannot use copyright law to prevent others from using, distributing, or creating derivative works of their fan fiction. However, the original copyright owner’s work still has protection. The original authors are the only ones who can decide whether or not they want the fan fiction to be published, and they remain the sole owners of the copyright for their original work. If the original author does not give permission for the fan fiction to be made or distributed, then it may be subject to copyright infringement. In general, fan fiction is a legal gray area. While there is no specific copyright law that applies to fan fiction, authors must be careful to not infringe on the original work’s copyright. It is generally best to get permission from the original author or copyright holder, or to create something completely original.

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Is fan fiction protected by copyright law?

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