Legality & Translations

[Dagdamor]

Hello everybody. I'm here for the first time.
The question is: Is it legal to translate fanscripts to another language and post them publicly? Or should I certainly contact the writer first. I can take the translations of some scripts into Russian, here we love Simpsons as much as you are , but sometimes it's so hard to find the script's author online and talk with him.

[Kif White]

I would definitely be a good idea to contact the author and okay it with them first. In fact, I'd say it's a must.

[Dana]

Welcome aboard, Comrade!

Like Kif said, it's proabaly a good idea to get permission from the author first...or at least try anyway. At the very least, make sure his or her name is credited for the script. Good luck!

Dana

[arpulver]

Not only would it be common courtesy to let the writer know, I'd contact him or her simply for the fact that it gives the writer a bit of an ego boost! Having a work translated to another language is something to be proud of.

[Bothead]

I'd just be repeating what the others have said. It would be best if the author knows what is happening to his/her scripts.

[Kwyjibo]

Is it legal to translate fanscripts to another language and post them publicly? Or should I certainly contact the writer first.

In order to publish a work, you must have the permission of the copyright holder.

In other words, yes, you'll need the author's permission before you may post a translation, or even the original script.

(It may be possible to obtain a license from your government to translate a copyrighted work, providing that the translation is not exported or made accessible outside your country; that the copyrighted work has not been translated to your language before or that such older translations are no longer available at a reasonable price; that the copyright holder denies you a license or you cannot contact the copyright holder; that this has been the case for half a year or more; and that the work is more than 7 years old. Also, I think the work has to be published physically for this to apply.)

Of course, fanscripts being already in the grey area of copyright law, I'd recommend trying to contact the author, and if that fails, just translate and publish it anyway. You can call it "fair use" if that makes you happy.

[Dagdamor]

Kwyjibo

It may be possible to obtain a license from your government

Ehhh... let's try not to make things harder then they are. I'm not trying to publish your scripts for profits, just as you are, I guess. It's just for information purposes, to introduce your works to people.

IMHO, all copyright laws oriented just to 3 things: 1) to save copyright; 2) to protect author from distortion of his works; 3) to help author earn money.

I can guarantee items 1 and 2 for you, but not 3.
And, of course, I won't do any formal law steps. All I can is to translate and to publish.

[Kwyjibo]

Ehhh... let's try not to make things harder then they are.

Well, I did also merely include those details for, uh, completeness. As I said, I'm not even sure it applies to electronic literature.

IMHO, all copyright laws oriented just to 3 things: 1) to save copyright; 2) to protect author from distortion of his works; 3) to help author earn money.

I can guarantee items 1 and 2 for you, but not 3.

Copyright law is about giving the author control of his/her work. Authors may not want you to publish translations of their work, and you must respect that.

However, most fanfic authors probably won't mind. So, if you can't contact the author, just do it. Technically, it will be illegal, but the legality of (unauthorized) fanfiction is in itself disputed. In other words, I wouldn't worry about legalities.

If you manage to contact the author later or the author contacts you, and the author request you to remove your translations, you will of course have to comply with the author's wishes.

[SirMustapha]

If you manage to contact the author later or the author contacts you, and the author request you to remove your translations, you will of course have to comply with the author's wishes.

And remember to make them feel horrible for forcing you to discard your hard work.

[Dagdamor]

Thank you all for help.

I've already chosen the script (actually, it's a story) and the author has agreed with the publication.
It will take about a month to translate (the story is long), maybe less.
Which story has been chosen is a secret by now

[SirMustapha]

Lisa Fitzgerald?

[archonix]

I think secret means secret...

[Marco]

I wanted to translate Lisa Squared some time ago, but i don't remember if i asked Graham about it.

Can i get that cell over there?

[Dagdamor]

Mr Snake

Lisa Fitzgerald?

Nooo... wrong guess. Lisa Fitzgerald is likely a great story, but it's extremely long. I'm afraid it's not real to translate it for me but... who knows.

[Dagdamor]

Finally, it's done
It was "Child of Darkness" by Graham Dawson.
Should you be interested you may look at it here.

P.S. Graham, I just have to say it's a really great story.