What can you legally do when it comes to fan art?
The basic law is that whoever holds the copyright to a certain thing has the sole right to make and sell “derivative works” , including sequels, based on the original concept. Even characters in a book or plot elements can have copyright protection. Fan fiction can definitely be considered a “derivative work”.
Generally, you don’t want to do anything that would cause confusion as to whether or not a product is official. One thing that is usually fair game is a parody or a criticism, or something that is highly transformative. The more different it is from the original, the stronger your case is that your fan art falls under fair use laws.
Still, even when that line is crossed, there aren’t a huge number of trademark disputes over fan creations — but they do happen from time to time.
Avoid logos or trademarked names, as those are also more likely to lead to trouble.
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