Indy 5 How will the Disney merger effect fan fiction?

Lucasfilm has always been supportive of fan fiction. They even had the Lucasfilm wards. We've all be grateful for that. I'm in pre-production now on a Star Wars fan film. I can't help but wonder if thats going to be effected by the merger with Disney, who has been notorious for not letting people use their copyrighted characters.

 

Well, six years later, can you see an effect? I think its fine. As long as, you know, you don't try and make money from them or anything.

 

thats true, its been 6 years. but it may just have not cycled through yet? they haven't held the Lucasfilm awards in two years, so I'm a little worried things might change? I definitely dont plan to sell my film for profit, but still...

 

Honestly, I think it will be fine. I'm pretty sure fan films and the like have been produced over the last six years. I haven't heard of "gagging" or cease and desist cases or anything like that.

 

Disney has gobbled up -- and may gobble up more -- companies that have established reputations for being independent -- Lucasfilm and now 20th Century Fox. Every few months, I seem to come across some new company that Disney has snatched up.

Don't you think that 20th Century Fox creates unique films and television shows independent of Disney? The Disney merger with Fox risks eroding the differences between films that Fox produces and those that Disney produces. The problem is that Disney has expanded its businesses unchecked into about every area you can possible dream up.

No, I do not like the homogenization and corporate bullying tactics of Disney. The clout that Disney seeks over the entertainment industry erodes artistic expression -- fan fiction and fan films, included. The problem is that Disney has sought to control too much intellectual property. By controlling so many successful intellectual properties, Disney's legal officers can gain undue influence over the U.S. court system.

Personal freedoms can be eroded for the sake of protecting intellectual property owned by Disney. Artistic integrity in independent films can be diluted.

 

One wouldn't think much. However, there have been some odd business practices that are certainly much tighter than when GL was in charge of LFL. I dunno if this decision was made by Kennedy or Iger/Horn, but LFL recently lost a court case about unjustfully preventing a fan from releasing an interview with David Prowse

From one angle, I can kiiiiind of see why they did this. Sorta. The guy was basically capitalizing on the hype surrounding TFA in the days leading up to its release, but that's nothing new. And he wasn't using any copyrighted footage or trademarked names. It was just going to be an interview with Prowse, who has not been involved in SW for years anyways

So if the powers that be blocked this from happening, who knows what else could potentially happen?

Not to say I haven't seen plenty of successful new fan films

 

They do own a lot of things mainly the following
Lucasfilm
Pixar
Marvel
ABC
20th Century Fox
ESPN

However, I do want to point out that they are still not even close to a monopoly. Currently, they control about 27 percent of the film industry. https://screenrant.com/disney-buy-fox-percentage-film-industry/

Sure it's a lot, but it's still not even close to what the government would consider a monopoly.

On to the question about Fanfilms and fanfiction. Seeing as by October it will have been 6 years since the buyout I think at this time as long as you don't make money off of the movie or fanfiction they will leave you be.

 

https://business-law.freeadvice.com/business-law/trade_regulation/monopoly_power.htm

This article cites that courts need to see a market share of over 75% to find a company has a monopoly in a given market.

The problem is, Disney has business areas diversified into numerous areas: Cruise lines, film, television, recreation parks, memorabilia, animated kids features, etc. Disney's "footprint" affects too many other industries besides film.

For example, Marvel Comics could become a monopoly in the comics industry if it were to exceed 75% of market share (after all the promotion they get from Marvel films). Let's say DC Comics and all other publishers combined were to occupy only 25% of the remaining market share. That would put Disney and Marvel's relationship in dangerous territory towards being ruled as a monopoly.

 

That is true, but at the same time they might let that slide because Marvel would have grown naturally and not through mergers and buyouts.

 

Here is another article: http://variety.com/2017/politics/news/disney-fox-deal-antitrust-enforcement-1202637338/

According to this article, regulatory approval of the Disney-20th Century Fox merger is not guaranteed. This article points to a Justice Department lawsuit to block the merger of AT&T and Time-Warner (valued at 85 billion).

 

http://www.theforce.net/story/front...e_Fan_Plus_The_Return_Of_Fan_Films_180540.asp