Bringers FAQ

What is your mission?
Broadly, our mission is to protect the rights of fans on-line. In the past this has meant primarily dealing with corporate copyright holders threatening fan webmasters with legal action over content/media. It has recently expanded to include domain name disputes that affect fans, and other activities which threaten the existence and enjoyment of fans on the Internet.

What are your objectives?
We want webmasters to be educated about their rights and we want corporations to cease attacking with their biggest and bluntest weapons. We want copyright holders to talk with and respect the Internet fans. We want the courts to clarify current law by ruling on fan issues and lawmakers to balance the needs of the fans with the needs of the fanned.

What exactly do you do?
We collect information. Fandom is segmented, so when something happens to the Simpsons fans, the X-Men fans may not hear about it. We educate people. We try to present information on our site and in our newsletter, both about current happenings and about the laws themselves. We raise awareness of the issue, both on-line and in other media. We strive to be a presence on-line so that people know where to turn to if they find themselves in a situation we could help with. We also contact traditional media about the issue of fansites in general and specific events as they come up. We provide support to threatened fans and fansites. We can resurrect fallen sites, serve as a ready-made action group to write letters, or provide advice based on our knowledge of past events. We contact corporations and individuals that are being "anti-fan" and plead our case, try to educate them on the consequences of their actions.

Why do fans and fan sites get threatened and shut down?
Nearly all fan sites rely on copyrighted material for their content. Screen shots, images, logos, audio and video clips, descriptions of the episodes, fanfiction - these are all things you will find on a typical fan site and they are all copyrighted material. That does not mean that no one can ever use them on a fan site. The law allows for "fair use" and the companies who own the copyrights have some standards for acceptable usage, or else everyone would be targeted. In the US, your ISP can take down your site upon notice of copyright infringement by the copyright holder. In addition, webmasters who use school or free hosts are at risk for being summarily shut down. For a longer explanation about the use of copyrighted materials on fan sites, please read Maya's Copyright for the Internet Fan FAQ.

Another problem can be the domain name of the fan site. For example, Warner Brothers went after people who owned domain names with "Harry Potter" trademarks included in them, and a few celebrities have gone after fans who owned domains with their name.

What is a "C and D" or a "C and D letter"?
It stands for "Cease and Desist". It is a threat of legal action sent by a lawyer to get you to stop doing something. In most of our cases, it is to stop a webmaster from using copyrighted or trademarked materials on a site. For examples of Cease and Desist letters look here or visit our "gimme a C, gimme a D" gallery (coming soon) of letters with comments. It is interesting to note that a lawyer can say whatever he or she wants to in a C and D: they can rely on untruths, make flimsy legal arguments, and threaten legal action they have no intention of following through with.

If the companies have the copyrights and trademarks, and the fans don't, doesn't that mean the companies are right?
No, not always. First of all, the law is an interpreted thing, not an absolute thing. Fans and fan webmasters are users of copyright, and copyright law has, both in fact and in spirit, provisions that protect copyright users. Companies have developed a habit of using the least-precise, most-threatening tactics available, and this produces extremely bad feelings and the appearance of a lack of respect for the fans. Fans also need to understand that there are, and there will always be, limits to what they can do. If fans choose to cross the line, we hope that they will make that choice based on all the information available.

How can I show support for the Bringers?
Check out our Campaigns to see some of the things you can do. You can also link to us, or display a ribbon on your site or on your person. You can join our newsletter. You can keep your ears open and let us know if you hear of a threat to fandom on-line. You can write to an elected official, member of the media, or the copyright-holding companies in question, and ask that they be more respectful of internet fans, and supportive of our cause.

How do I know if my site is "safe" from being threatened?
You don't. If you read Maya's Copyright for the Internet Fan FAQ, you will have an idea. You can also e-mail her, and we will look over your site. Based on our knowledge of previous threats, we can give you an idea how worried you should be.

What do I do if I get a C and D letter or if someone I know is targeted for their on-line fan activities?
If possible, do not reply to the letter. Contact us and we will evaluate the situation and do whatever we can to help. We are also working on developing a list of lawyers who will assist fans for reasonable fees.

Didn't you used to be called something else?
We began as the "Buffy Bringers" and were created by Solo84 in October of 1999 to deal with the "FOX-ing" of several Buffy sites. When FOX moved on, we wanted to keep fighting, not just for Buffy fans but for all people that enjoy being fans on-line.

Is there going to be another Fan Blackout?
In early 2000 "Operation Blackout" was staged to protest Fox's actions. While we supported the blackout, it was actually organized by other people. We hope to have another Blackout soon. Watch the Bringers Newsletter for details.

Whatever happened to Solo84?
Solo is still a Bringer in spirit, but life forced her to step down as our leader in September 2000.

Where did the old website go?
Our website was hosted by SlayMe.com, but it was lost when SlayMe disappeared in September 2000. In December of 2000 we moved into our new site at our new domain, www.bringers.org

How do I contact the Bringers?
If you want to report a threat to fandom, send an e-mail to underground@bringers.cjb.net If you are a member of the media, please contact Laura Hale at lhale@niu.edu (telephone number and address available on request) Contact the webmaster at mizudax@yahoo.com For other queries, please contact vickyhall@bringers.cjb.net