Quote:
Originally Posted by sirbruce
Tribute works can indeed preclude and devalue the copyright holder's efforts in the same domain; that does not mean it cannot also serve as a stepping stone, or that sometimes the other merits of tribute works do not outweigh the downsides from a financial point of view.
|
The only situation I can see where pre-existing tribute work would pose any threat to new "official" work in the same medium is if the new work does not meet the standards of quality established by the tribute, which is inexcusable on the part of the copyright holder. They have every advantage: the simple stamp of authenticity, the capital, the promotional machinery, and very likely the original tribute material and the efforts of those who produced it, if they only ask for it.
I agree with you, though, that the best approach is to assess it on a case-by-case basis. If your creative empire is so large that you cannot hope to do so, then I wish I had your problems
