: Re: Other authors' fictional characters in writing If I wanted to write a novel using three characters from a book published in 1910 - is this ok? I want to write the back story (my own invention)

@Cugini967

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Copyright is a whomping complicated issue. The most likely answer to your question is "yes" as nearly all written works prior to 1923 are in the public domain. You should read this and this as starting points to understanding copyright law — and remember they are only the beginning, not the end, of understanding copyright law.

Now, you asked about a book published in 1910, but you mentioned Wide Sargasso Sea. I can easily find a Wide Sargasso Sea published in 1966. Off hand I can't find one published in 1910. What book are you talking about?

Note that you can kindof use characters from a copyright-protected book for the purposes of parody (in that it's protected free speech) and a lot of leeway is given to not-for-profit fan-fiction, but you generally cannot use characters for any other purpose. If it is in the public domain, then these rules are relaxed... However...

Please bear in mind that building on somebody else's story is generally taboo. The original author (assuming he/she is living) and the author's descendants won't be appreciative. Nor may many of the fans of the original work.

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