Using Other's Creations

[Bev Vincent]

Doesn't King do that in Dark Tower?

Spoiler

I think Wizard and Glass includes items from Wizard of Oz and Wolves of the Calla includes items from Harry Potter.

Wizard of Oz is in the public domain, so you could quote from it without obtaining permission. The items from Harry Potter, that would probably be considered homage, but it helps that King knows Rowling and he may have asked her permission to reference his items to her work.

 

[AnnaMarie]

Wizard of Oz is in the public domain, so you could quote from it without obtaining permission. The items from Harry Potter, that would probably be considered homage, but it helps that King knows Rowling and he may have asked her permission to reference his items to her work.

Wizard of Oz is from the movie, not the book. Ruby slippers.

I have no doubt King does it legally. Quite possible he gets permission even if not legally required. And both are done respectfully and I would say both would probably be considered homage.

I didn't know but am not surprised he knows Rowling. I have read things he's said about her work previously, and it's obvious he respects her.

 

[kingricefan]

Wizard of Oz is from the movie, not the book. Ruby slippers.

I have no doubt King does it legally. Quite possible he gets permission even if not legally required. And both are done respectfully and I would say both would probably be considered homage.

I didn't know but am not surprised he knows Rowling. I have read things he's said about her work previously, and it's obvious he respects her.

Steve and Rowling share very humble beginnings and both have become world wide bestselling authors.

 

[Kingunlucky]

This has many answers.

Yes, sometimes all it takes is permission, others a fee, and if its public domain it does not matter.

Also, homage and influence.

I mean Shardik is a Richard Adams novel about a bear.

 

[no bounce no play]

I just looked at my copy of the Mad Magazine that satires all the Harry Potter movies to see if they asked for any kind of permission from Rowling or the movie people and didn't find anything. It's a parody but I thought maybe the editors got permission anyways. They may have and just didn't state so. They were very complimentary of Rowling so she probably knew they were parodying the movies.

 

[Bev Vincent]

I didn't know but am not surprised he knows Rowling. I have read things he's said about her work previously, and it's obvious he respects her.

They did a fundraising event in New York a number of years ago with John Irving called "An Evening with Harry, Carrie and Garp."

 

[Gerald]

Those are things in the real world that writers can mention without paying a fee. A writer can't use Harry Potter or Spider-Man as characters, but his/her characters can certainly mention that they exist and talk about them.

But can you use an existing character in a new way? For example, in The Dark Tower King uses Shardik. It clearly is a reference to Richard Adams, but it goes beyond simply mentioning it - it is a full character in the series. Does he have to pay rights for something like that?

 

[mal]

I don't know much about the laws but there is currently a discussion going on up here in Canada about cultural appropriation. For example, a non-indigenous artist creating native art is frowned upon even though the style may be personally original, or an homage.

 

[Bev Vincent]

But can you use an existing character in a new way? For example, in The Dark Tower King uses Shardik. It clearly is a reference to Richard Adams, but it goes beyond simply mentioning it - it is a full character in the series. Does he have to pay rights for something like that?

I would say that the Shardik thing counts as homage. I think another writer could have a character who calls his dog Cujo without any issues.

 

[kingricefan]

I would say that the Shardik thing counts as homage. I think another writer could have a character who calls his dog Cujo without any issues.

But could another writer actually use the dog Cujo in their work? Not a character that calls their dog Cujo, but the actual dog Cujo? To me an homage is using a name, place or character briefly in one's work. The use of Shardik in King's novel is quite a bit and to me is more than an homage.

 

[Bev Vincent]

But could another writer actually use the dog Cujo in their work? Not a character that calls their dog Cujo, but the actual dog Cujo? To me an homage is using a name, place or character briefly in one's work. The use of Shardik in King's novel is quite a bit and to me is more than an homage.

King uses an electronic bear called Shardik. It's not the enormous but very beary bear from the Richard Adams novel. So, no, another writer couldn't use the Cujo from King's novel, but if they wanted to create a fantasy universe that has guardians, they could probably get away with calling the Dog Guardian Cujo.

 

[Gerald]

That's true. It's not the same bear from the original novel, it's an electronic bear that could also have been named differently and it wouldn't change the story. Now if King had written it as the same bear from Adams' novel, that somehow had come to Mid-World it would probably go too far.

 

[Bev Vincent]

That's true. It's not the same bear from the original novel, it's an electronic bear that could also have been named differently and it wouldn't change the story. Now if King had written it as the same bear from Adams' novel, that somehow had come to Mid-World it would probably go too far.

Maturin, the name of the Turtle, is another homage, to a character from the Patrick O'Brian novels.

 

[Gerald]

Maturin, the name of the Turtle, is another homage, to a character from the Patrick O'Brian novels.

Thanks. Didn't know that.

Stephen Maturin - Wikipedia

Actually, I always wondered did he call Roland's father Steven, because he himself is sort of Roland's spiritual father?

 

[Bev Vincent]

Actually, I always wondered did he call Roland's father Steven, because he himself is sort of Roland's spiritual father?

Possibly.

 

[Gerald]

Possibly.

Thanks. I thought he might have actually said so at some point. I just can't read it and not think about it that way.