Paolini showing a moral spine?

[torylltales]

It seems rare when Paolini does something worthy of praise, but when he does I feel it is important to give him credit where it's due. That's the difference between a group that is deeply critical of his published work, and a group that just hates reflexively.


Recently Paolini shared a series of tweets on the topic of Inheritance or Fractalverse NFTs, and I have to give him credit for drawing a line in exactly how and how much he's willing to exploit his fans.

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9 Jun

 

1/2 I had so many folks in the #NFTCommunity approach me about doing #NFTs based off my work. I'm generally a big fan of new technology, especially stuff that allows artists to support themselves, but the more I looked into NFTs, the less tangible benefit I saw.

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9 Jun

 

2/2 NFTs just feel ... exploitive. Plus, although I understand the blockchain tech, I still can't see why anyone would pay for a .jpg/gif that anyone could copy off their screen. I'd rather sell prints and other real items/objects.

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9 Jun

 

The reason I'm not doing #NFTs is the same reason I turned down a lucrative offer from Amazon to publish licensed fan-fic. It felt like it would be exploiting the very folks who love my work. Heck, I released an entire novella for free last year. I'd rather give back than take.



Hats off to you, Paolini, that is an admirable stance to take on the issue. And I don't mean to damn with faint praise, so to speak, but it is admirable that he is taking a stance at all, especially one which is against further profiting off his fanbase.

Comments

[epistler]

If he does he'd better watch out, because the CYOA format is copyrighted and the people who own said copyright aren't shy about suing people who use it without permission. They sued over an episode of Black Mirror, for one thing.

(Nobody tell him. A copyright infringement lawsuit against him is way overdue).

[torylltales]

Oh, how I hope this plays out and he gets sued. That might open up the gate for everyone else, like Bruce Coville, the Eddings and Tolkien estates, Lucas Arts/Disney, the McCaffrey and Le Guin estates, etc etc... to present a class action plagiarism lawsuit.

Extremely unlikely, but one can dream...

[epistler]

It would be massively satisfying for us, and a badly needed and far too long awaited wake-up call for him.

[torylltales]

Do you think he would actually get the message, though? Arguably his little splash in the pond hasn't harmed the income of any of the mega-yachts he's paddling around beside, so I doubt any judge would hand down significant damages. But maybe the attention and negative press would make it much harder to secure future publishing contracts, and would probably kill any plans for a Disney Eragon reboot dead in the water.

And that's enough boat metaphors for now, I'd better set sail before I sink...

[epistler]

Do you think he would actually get the message, though?

I imagine he'd come out with some weasel-worded half excuse which included words like "misunderstanding" and "homage". But it would still damage his reputation. Quite possibly even more so if he refuses to own up to it.

[torylltales]

I imagine the bilgewater that comes with having your name being openly associated with unrepentant intellectual piracy would make it nearly impossible for Paolini to keep his writing career afloat. Many a better writer than he have seen their contracts cast adrift for far lesser crimes.

Okay now it's enough boating metaphors.

[epistler]

That's very true. Once you've proven that you can't be trusted to be publishing your own original material, you're out. No publisher with a brain will touch you with a bargepole. In fact I can tell you from personal experience that your standard issue publishing contract contains a clause you have to sign, stating that this is all your own work. If it turns out you lied when you signed it, it's grounds for having said contract rendered void and your publication cancelled or your book pulled from sale if it's already out.

[torylltales]

Bargepole? We don't need no stinking bargepole!

[epistler]

How about a clownpole?