[THE_EPISTLE] [SPAM] Books

[Ian Dickerson]

Currently a producer has an option from The Estate of Leslie Charteris to
create new Saint stories for TV. Obviously being an enterprising chap he'd
no doubt ideally like to have a successful TV show that will run for years,
spawn numerous offshoots and inspire loads and loads of officially licensed
merchandise.

Anyone creating new Saint stories will obviously conflict with this chap.

Let me put it another way: he has paid money to get permission to create new
Saint stories. Being a savvy businessman he no doubt expects to secure a
significant profit in creating these stories. Anyway else creating Saint
stories will impact on his business--put yourself in his position, wouldn't
you want to protect your business?

Let me put it yet another way, since Fliss emphasized the aim of not making
money: Charteris' original TV contract explicitly stated that Bob Baker and
co. couldn't kill the Saint, marry him off or let him contract some fatal
disease (can't remember the exact quote). That clause was certainly carried
into the Paramount film contract and I'd offer good money that it's included
in the present TV contract as well. It's about protecting the integrity of
the character. And since fan fiction is by its very nature unregulated, the
two conflict.

So, let me offer a final example, completely hypothetical and based on one
or two events I've been reading about on the internet of late:

Suppose someone wrote a novel where the Saint decided to become the gay
adventurer once more--only in the 21st century meaning of the word, rather
than the 1930s definition-- with Hoppy Uniatz as his partner. And then
decided to offer it for sale on Amazon via print on demand.

Put yourself in the position of either the producer who's paid money for the
right to create new stories, or the family of the chap who created them in
the first place.

What would you think? What would you do?

Ian




On 03/05/06, Fliss <dakhur at iinet.net.au> wrote:
>
> >Actually, Charteris was quite litigious in his day.
>
> I don't doubt it. He was protecting his interests, and as his books were
> in
> print at the time, he was still getting some quite respectable royalties.
> But let's face it; how does writing a fan-based story detract from his
> work? Surely the idea that someone reads such work, becomes interested in
> HIS work, and then buys the official books and therefore contributes to
> the
> royalitys, this must certainly be something to encourage?
>
> And Lord knows, we've all probably had ideas we'd love to write or read
> about the Saint. The only difference between others here and myself is
> that
> as I write fanfic already, I'll probably one day get around to writing the
> idea in my head. When I do, it will be for the love of writing, not
> because
> I want to make money off it. Fanfic writers don't make money; that's kind
> of the point.
>
>
> Fliss
> You enjoy your life.
> I enjoy living further South of normal.
>