issenllo: tsukasa from Tokyo Crazy Paradise (tsukasa's face cracks)
[personal profile] issenllo
So, I surface from a two-day binge* of reading HP fic to find a ruckus in the Hikago fandom involving an alleged case of plagarism (accuser: [livejournal.com profile] bookshop; accused: [livejournal.com profile] lundi--see this post). Also see a response from [livejournal.com profile] umarekawareru.

Have to admit, I'm frustrated at the drama of deleting journals and then restoring them ([livejournal.com profile] lundi) as it is unnecessary and only leads to contempt (the accusers), anger (accusers' defenders) and bewilderment (all).

Also, I can't comment on the similarities between [livejournal.com profile] two_if_by_sea's fic and [livejournal.com profile] lundi's, because I am 100% clueless about the canon. That's for the two of them to sort out.

Still, I don't find the example of plagiarism that [livejournal.com profile] bookshop detailed in her post to be convincing. Yes, I can see where the same words and phrases are used, but...

There're similar fics in every fandom, especially if it's a popular scenario or plot point, and sometimes they are similar to an alarming degree. In the Hikago fandom especially, hands up now, who has not read about a dozen Akira-confronts-Hikaru fics that you could actually swear were all written by the same person? The set-up is similar, as are the scenes of confrontation, the development of the plot, and even the very phrases used might be copies of one another. I think just about every newcomer to the fandom has tried her (and his?) hand at one of such scenes.

Other cliched fics:

- Hikaru confesses about Sai
- May Day angst
- Hikaru falls in love with Akira
- Akira falls in love with Hikaru
- Sai comes back
- sex in a hotel. Bonus for use of "hand of God".
- the new insei (reincarnated Sai)
- the new insei (Mary Sue--or more charitably, OC)

There are varying levels of similarities in plot, characterisation, jokes and shout-outs, but sometimes there're even identical turns of phrases. Some of it is no doubt due to coincidence. But this being the internet (and in places such as ff.net), I also don't doubt that perhaps a number of those are the result of plagiarism, unauthorised borrowings, unintentional liftings or 'inspired' takes on a well-liked fic (or fics).

But that does not mean a fic that sounds familiar must be the result of plagiarism.

Gah, thinking about this makes my brain hurt. I'd like to go back to Harry/Draco smut now, thanks.



*Owned, WIP, DH-compliant except for epilogue, Harry/Draco, slave!fic, by [livejournal.com profile] jordangrant. Up to chapter 99, soon to end. Hm, I don't often read slave!fics, but I like the idea of Harry as the head of Magical Law Enforcement. Heh.

Also read: Last man standing, Touya Akira, HnG, by [livejournal.com profile] thephoenixboy

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