Is it okay to...

[Kamelingil]

Is it okay to make a novel and use all the characters in Lovecraft's works then claim it as original?

 

[Sleds]

Yes, lovecraft stories are public domain now you can use them, except maybe a few of them who was written in his late years. But saying it's original may be a lie, it's up to you.

 

[Rhaps]

Is it okay to make a novel and use all the characters in Lovecraft's works then claim it as original?

You can freely use them as Lovecraft allows other authors to use his work to write their own story.

Claim it as your own? No, you can't claim characters like Randoph Carter as your own original character, and they are in public domain. They don't belong to you only.

You can make your own rendition of the characters. You can claim your own version as original in your novel, but you cannot claim other people's renditions in other novel, even if that version is obviously based on yours (unless someone copy your story completely, that would step into plagiarism).

So, can you claim them as original? Not really, because they originally belonged to someone else. Unless you change the names.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Is it okay to make a novel and use all the characters in Lovecraft's works then claim it as original?

No. You cannot produce a complete "original" from public use, neither in terms of authorship, nor ownership, which would also exclude its commercial use by extension.

Unless you use them merely as a template, but then public domain or not doesn't matter at all.

 

[Ellen_Dunkel]

You can write a work with Lovecraft's characters and treat it as basically original work, but it's best to acknowledge the way it's influenced by Lovecraft. It's the right thing to do, and it actually increases the appeal (I'm not sure if it's illegal to pretend that you created public domain characters, but if so I doubt it's strictly enforced)

 

[BouncyCactus]

Don't listen to the haters here, man. What is he gonna do? Come back to life and haunt you? sue you? What stopping you? Your guilt when you realize that you are just a dirty little thief, incapable of creating a whitebread of a racist character all on your own?
/s

To be serious, you can claim that your rendition of HP character is your own original, like how Fate did with most of their characters (The Pendragons, last I check, were not chicks), or, well, Disney for that matter. Sure as hell the Snow White is not their original character, nor is it the Grimms, but Disney's Snow White is original.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Is it okay to make a novel and use all the characters in Lovecraft's works then claim it as original?

No.
Yes.
Maybe.
Define "original"
And if you mess with my Shoggoth, I will end you.
I see one RULE 34 of a cute and cuddly Shoggoth, I will introduce you to pataphysical levels of pain.
Do you know what the physical is?
How the metaphysical are concepts?
The Pataphysical are mental concept you cannot conceive.
I will make the Pataphysical Metaphysical for you, and you will never know joy again.
DO NOT FUCK WITH SHOGGOTH.
THEY ARE SWEET AND INNOCENT BLACK BLOBS OF POISONOUS PLASTIC-LIKE NECROFLESH THE SIZE OF ANGRY BLUE WHALES PUMPED FULL OF TESTOSTERONE AND LOVE. IF YOU MAKE SHOGGOTH PORN, I WILL COME FOR YOU. THE ELDER THINGS TOTALLY HAD IT COMING. #TheShoggothDidNothingWrong

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Don't listen to the haters here, man. What is he gonna do? Come back to life and haunt you? sue you? What stopping you? Your guilt when you realize that you are just a dirty little thief, incapable of creating a whitebread of a racist character all on your own?
/s

To be serious, you can claim that your rendition of HP character is your own original, like how Fate did with most of their characters (The Pendragons, last I check, were not chicks), or, well, Disney for that matter. Sure as hell the Snow White is not their original character, nor is it the Grimms, but Disney's Snow White is original.

They aren’t haters. The OP did not mention that they would be making their own rendition of the characters, only that he would be taking their characters (like a fanfic). Everyone else responded accordingly.

 

[BouncyCactus]

They aren’t haters. The OP did not mention that they would be making their own rendition of the characters, only that he would be taking their characters (like a fanfic). Everyone else responded accordingly.

I know, I wasn't serious. that '/s' was meant to indicate that it was sarcasm. Perhaps it came out as a little off. I'm Cactus, can't I be a bit prickly? No? Fine...No fun.

I also say that they can claim an already established character as their own original, as long as they make it really their own, and not just a Crtl+C. Like how Disney did it with their own fairy tale characters.

 

[SailusGebel]

that '/s' was meant to indicate that it was sarcasm.

Bruh.

 

[georgelee5786]

The story would be original, but the characters wouldn't

 

[BouncyCactus]

Bruh.

?
Is that not the norm? '/j' to represent joke or jest, and '/s' to represent sarcasm? Have I been lied to?

 

[SailusGebel]

?
Is that not the norm? '/j' to represent joke or jest, and '/s' to represent sarcasm? Have I been lied to?

It is not the norm. People lied to you.

 

[BouncyCactus]

It is not the norm. People lied to you.

Motherfu-!
I trusted those fuckers! Man, my weekend is packed enough, and now I have to find time to bury a few corpses.

How would you even indicate what is said in jest over text then??? I HAVE BEEN USING IT EVERYWHERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW

 

[SailusGebel]

How would you even indicate what is said in jest over text then???

 

[owotrucked]

?
Is that not the norm? '/j' to represent joke or jest, and '/s' to represent sarcasm? Have I been lied to?

Its not the norm for Sailus because he'll never let you know if he was being sarcastic or not

 

[Succubiome]

You don't have to call it fanfic, I think -- all the Sherlock Holmes writers certainly don't -- but not acknowledging the material you're drawing from there is probably bad form.

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

The only version of Lovecraft's characters that you can claim is the version you write in your story, because it's your story. But since the characters are in the public domain, that means that other writers can do the same. That's why it's call the public domain. They're free to use, but acknowledging the original author shows respect.

 

[PrinceDinero]

Yeah don't worry about it bro go for it

 

[EldritchPotato]

No.
Yes.
Maybe.
Define "original"
And if you mess with my Shoggoth, I will end you.
I see one RULE 34 of a cute and cuddly Shoggoth, I will introduce you to pataphysical levels of pain.
Do you know what the physical is?
How the metaphysical are concepts?
The Pataphysical are mental concept you cannot conceive.
I will make the Pataphysical Metaphysical for you, and you will never know joy again.
DO NOT FUCK WITH SHOGGOTH.
THEY ARE SWEET AND INNOCENT BLACK BLOBS OF POISONOUS PLASTIC-LIKE NECROFLESH THE SIZE OF ANGRY BLUE WHALES PUMPED FULL OF TESTOSTERONE AND LOVE. IF YOU MAKE SHOGGOTH PORN, I WILL COME FOR YOU. THE ELDER THINGS TOTALLY HAD IT COMING. #TheShoggothDidNothingWrong

I second this. The shoggoth are entirely innocent and unthreatening and are definitely under no circumstances in the process of amalgamating humanity into an incomprehensible mass of screaming mouths and gnashing teeth. #TheShoggothDidNothingWrong