MPAA Attacks Against Fanfiction, Round 1

[CrystalCheyenne]

I got really interesting information today: MPAA has sent letters to people who write fanfiction / has fanfiction on their websites. And the reason of this attack is the rating system we (fanfiction authors / readers / webmasters etc.) use when we rate fics (you know, G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17)

And now you think: ‘This is joke, right?’ That was my first impression, too. Is this joke? Unfortunately, NO. I don’t have first hand information or details about this situation, but I have some information / comments that may prove these (ridiculous?) news right.


You can check these links:

Museum of Hoaxes:
www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/mpaa_ratings_crackdown/

Jori’s Ratings Free Journal
www.livejournal.com/users/likebunnies/2005/02/14/





www.livejournal.com/community/fandom_lawyers/10204.html

If these news really are true, what does it mean to us, or fanfiction communities, websites, discussion groups etc. ?

Do we really have to change fic ratings? If this attack leads to that point, what will happen? Think about how many fics have to be re-rated. How many webmasters / webmistress’ have resources to do this job? How many will just take the easy road and delete their sites?

Now I have gone through our side of this situation, what about MPAA?

I understand their need to protect their rights, but this way? I’d understand this attack if we used MPAA rating symbols, but usually it is used only simple letter markings G, PG, PG-13 etc…<br>
OK, I know they’re not simple letters, they have meaning behind them, but… There is one important question we have to ask: ‘Why now? Why not before?” How many years people have used this rating system with fanfiction? 10 years? 15 years? More? Isn’t it a little bit too late now to make these attacks?

Why now?

Who has received this MPAA letter? Who are the ‘victims’? And what are they gonna do? I haven’t heard if any big fanfiction archive sites would have received this letter, but think about what would happen if they received.

What should we do now? Does fanfiction need its own rating system? How many of us would be ready to take this new (possible) rating system?

My own little Bookshelf is still quite small, so I don’t think I’m gonna get any MPAA letters soon. BUT… If there is any need to change fanfiction ratings, I’d like to change my own site before it grows too big to control.

I don’t like the idea that we should change fanfiction story ratings because MPAA has suddenly found a need to protect its rights against individual fanfiction authors.

I know this situation is quite absurd and unbelievable, but I wanna make sure my own ground is secured. I’ll probably figure out some rating system that I use on my site. I’m not sure about this yet, but I gotta think that really seriously.

Give me some ideas, opinions, suggestions etc., so I’ll know what YOU think about this situation.

You can give your comments either here or on my Journal.

I’m gonna try to find more information about this, so stay tuned!

[Lena]

Well, at fanfiction.net, on the 27th they changed their rating system. It used to be G, PG, PG-13, and R (there was no NC-17 rating as NC-17 fics weren't allowed at fanfiction.net). Now it's K, K+, T, M and MA, the rating system adopted from Fictionratings.com. Fanfiction.net didn't say why they changed their rating, but we can guess pretty well at the reason.

[CrystalCheyenne]

I just found out about FictionRating.com, and I think my little Bookshelf will be using their rating in the future. I have registered to use the rating system, and I will probably change the ratings of the fics I have here (soon hopefully). I think it is better to change them before this whole place grows too big.