Legal basics of Fanfiction

[eretria]

For anyone interested in the legal basics behind fanfic (since the debate is going strong again over what is and what isn't fair use), maybe this article will help clear some things up.
Also, the one that should be well-known in most fandoms by now: Rebecca Tushnet's article Legal fictions: Copyright, Fan Fiction and a New Common Law".

To quote from the first article: "Common inspiration based on public domain material is a legally acceptable defense."