What's a proper disclaimer for a fanfiction?

Question

most people say 'i dont own ___' and leave it at that. but that just doesnt sound right.
how should a proper disclaimer be set out, including information about your own plots and characters?

Answer 1

For my first C.O.P.S. fanfic, "A Novel Dishonour," I started out with "I don't own...", but through what I learned in business writing, I learned to be a little more formal: "I claim no ownership," "I own nothing of this cartoon or any of its syndicated characters." Then, you must mention the studios or comic book company, or anyone else who claims real ownership, as a credit to them.

For any original characters, let's say you have OC's named Mark Jones, Patty Warren, Terry Harris and Becky Wills as your protagonist group. If, for example, you're including various members of their families in your plot (ideal in many romances and drama fics), you can say, "Mark Jones, Patty Warren, Terry Harris, Becky Wills, and members of their respected familes are property of my imagination," or something like that. If they have successful careers, and you include any co-workers as OC's, include that, too. (However if other co-workers happen to be borrowed characters, you'll have to include them in the "claim no ownership section.")

Also, if you include any songs, or real movies or theatrical plays to be in the plotline (for scenes in nightclubs, renting movies, going to the theater - again, mostly seen in romances) you'll also have to say you claim no ownership of the material, that you didn't write or produce any of it, and mention credit with the song's artist, theater company or producer, or movie company to which the respected material belongs. I must also add here that they don't take kindly to "songfics", where musical lyrics of said songs can be found in between the story's plot - if you didn't write it, don't post it. This could get you in trouble with the fanfiction website masters.

Finally, I must say that it's not necessary to put the disclaimers in every chapter of the story. Reserve disclaimers for the first 1-3 chapters or so - your readers will get it by then. Unless, of course, you're introducing borrowed material in your story for the first time in, say, Chapter 10. Here, a disclaimer may be optional, OR you can include this in your Author's Note.

Thanks, and I hope I've been a big help.

Answer 2

Just put something around the lines of...

"I am not the owner of ______ nor the characters but the plotline of the story you are about to read is mine and any other charcters I have added in. The anime/show/ etc. is property of _______."

Something like that....don't take claim of the show or charcters but do show that the storyline of the fanfiction is yours and any characters you may add in are yours too.

Hope that helped. ^^

Answer 3

Some people also include that any original characters they might have made up are theirs alone. You can mention are warnings, like sexual activities or that it's a death fic. And maybe include a rating, especially for higher than PG-13.

Answer 4

Simply stating that you don't own the series you are writing abought and that you are making no money from it seems to cover everything.