The fight for creative ownership in franchise fiction
Abstract
So-called franchise fiction, such as texts set in the Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars universes, as well as newer iterations based on video games, has an obvious and enduring appeal, most notably from a commercial perspective, with public recognition and built-in audiences. Creative practitioners, who are often fans themselves, embrace the opportunity to deepen the lore and possibilities of the property, as well as to make an original contribution to something they are invested in. However, there are some downsides, particularly issues surrounding the maintenance and expansion of an established canon and the management of fans who feel a protective and curatorial sense of ownership.
Copyright (c) 2020 Cailean Alexander McBride

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
TWC Nos. 25 onward are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For an explanation of the journal's reasoning, see the editorial, Copyright and Open Access.
TWC Nos. 1 through 24 are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License with TWC, not the author, retaining copyright. For more information, see the Copyright Section.