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Is there any good rule of thumb for figuring out what is part of the public domain? I've heard a lot of different theories on this over the years.
To narrow the question somewhat: the "King In Yellow" and H.P. Lovecraft references in Dungeon and Pathfinder made me wonder if anyone was free to throw Carcosa, Lake Hali, Leng, or Hounds of Tindalos into their fiction. Tell me truly, Paizo folks, what is legal and will get you involved in a lawsuit?
Hello, everyone.
I'm a writer, not a gamer, who just happened upon this message board. I thought I'd give you a quick example of my own experience with Mythos fiction.
A noted author by the name of Ramsey Campbell started out writing Lovecraftian short stories. He worked original characters and settings into them. He was encouraged, I believe, by Derleth himself. Several of those tales were published in Lovecraftian anthologies while he was still a teenager (and later re-published in a collection by Campbell).
About five years ago, I asked Campbell's permission to use character names from his early fiction in a Mythos-inspired webcomic I did for an online magazine. He said sure, without hesitation. He almost seemed surprised that I'd even asked.
I'm not sure if it's still available to view (the photo-based artwork, by someone with no comic art experience, was terrific), but the point is, I asked as a courtesy, did my own spin on it, with a nod to those who inspired me, and never heard a whisper of threat or disapproval from anyone.
If another writer then used my contributions in his Lovecraftian fiction, I'd feel more honored than anything else--certainly not ripped-off.