On Disclaimers in Fanfic

On the issue of disclaimers: I’ve always put one on but for me it’s never really been about trying to give myself some legal protection (since it was obvious that the protection it might afford is really dubious anyway).

The impetus which makes me write fanfic has always come from a deep respect for the work itself and for the people who originally created it. I can stand in front of any actor you like and my knees will not knock (yep, even our Mr Marsters) but put me in front of a writer and watch my brain melt out of my ears! Joss Whedon. I totally froze. Stephen Moffat. I babbled like an idiot.

The “disclaimer” is for me a place to declare my respect and acknowledgement of the debt I hold to the original work and to the original artist who created it. It’s not really about legality to me.