http://fictionwritersreview.com/blog/the-controversy-in-the-rye fiction matters Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:23:21 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 http://fictionwritersreview.com/blog/the-controversy-in-the-rye/comment-page-1#comment-2573 Laura Roberts Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:47:47 +0000 http://fictionwritersreview.com/?p=3779#comment-2573 Using a famous writer's most infamous character without permission is illegal. Sure, you can write a fan-fic story starring Holden Caulfield if you want, but you sure as hell can't publish it without permission from Salinger! And since Salinger never gave his consent for this type of usage, I'm totally on his side. Caulfield is his creation, copyright protected, fair and square. For someone like Fredrik Colting to try to make a buck off of someone else's hard work is unconscionable. Especially since "spin-off" novels about characters from Jane Austen books are currently in the public domain (their copyrights long expired), whereas characters from Salinger absolutely are not. There is no comparison, and Salinger's still alive and kicking, with every right in the world to be pissed. I'd be suing this hack, too, if I were him! Using a famous writer’s most infamous character without permission is illegal. Sure, you can write a fan-fic story starring Holden Caulfield if you want, but you sure as hell can’t publish it without permission from Salinger! And since Salinger never gave his consent for this type of usage, I’m totally on his side. Caulfield is his creation, copyright protected, fair and square. For someone like Fredrik Colting to try to make a buck off of someone else’s hard work is unconscionable. Especially since “spin-off” novels about characters from Jane Austen books are currently in the public domain (their copyrights long expired), whereas characters from Salinger absolutely are not. There is no comparison, and Salinger’s still alive and kicking, with every right in the world to be pissed. I’d be suing this hack, too, if I were him!

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