”There is not a single original thought in Eragon”
Authorship and fandom in internet's fantasy book conversations
Main funder
Funds granted by main funder (€)
- 12 480,00
Project timetable
Project start date: 01/05/2018
Project end date: 31/10/2018
Summary
This contemporary culture's doctoral thesis called ”’There is not a single original thought in Eragon’ – Authorship and fandom in internet's fantasy book conversations” studies fantasy literature’s cultural dimensions when considering intertextuality. This study focuses on online conversations, and these conversations are approached from the perspectives of intertextuality, fandom and interpretive communities. In this doctoral thesis she continues the themes of her master’s thesis ”’Did J. K. Rowling rip of Tolkien?’ The Lord of the Rings -trilogy’s and Harry Potter’s parallels in fantasy reader’s internet conversations, with narratological approach and intertextually”, only this time she focuses more in the opinions and reactions of fantasy readers. This doctoral thesis is a sub-project of the following research project:
The research project “Art, Copyright and the Transformation of Authorship” (2016-2019) focuses on the status and rights of the author in the contemporary art world, especially in literature and the visual arts.
The project investigates, firstly, the terms and conditions under which artists are able to utilise existing works of art to create new ones, as well as ways in which these terms differ from the principles of the copyright system. The project’s grounding hypothesis is that practices within the art world are independent of, and partly even in contradiction with, copyright law. Thus, copyright law does not have the kind of hegemonic and legitimate power to define authorship in the art world as it is often assumed to possess.
Secondly, the project examines how copyright has been justified within art worlds and the judicial system. In the arts, conceptions of authorship stem from many different contexts, and concequently their justifications are not mutually compatible. When evaluating the judicial system, it is vital to analyse to what extent the rationales of the copyright law are in alignment with the authors’ civil rights and existing legislation. In addition, the project studies the justification of the copyright law empirically by examining how the copyright law in fact protects the artist’s livelihood.
Artistic creation and the norms that govern it are both undergoing a transformation. Digitalisation and the related redefinition of producers’ and consumers’ roles are leading to irreversible changes in many practices of production and distribution of art works. Simultaneously, new opportunities are opening up for art that traditional practices and systems are unable to regulate. Hence, there is clearly a demand for academic research on the status and rights of the author.
This multidisciplinary research project combines the perspectives of law, art research, and the sociology of art on authorship. By combining theoretical analysis with empirical research the project provides a multifaceted analysis of the elements that govern contemporary authorship. In addition, it searches for creative and scientifically sound solutions for deadlocked copyright disputes between different interest groups.
Funders and site of research
The project is funded by the Emil Aaltonen Foundation. The research of the principal investigator Sanna Nyqvist is funded by the Academy of Finland. The project will be implemented at the Department of Philosophy, History, Culture and Art Studies of the University of Helsinki during 1 January 2016‒31 December 2019.
The research project “Art, Copyright and the Transformation of Authorship” (2016-2019) focuses on the status and rights of the author in the contemporary art world, especially in literature and the visual arts.
The project investigates, firstly, the terms and conditions under which artists are able to utilise existing works of art to create new ones, as well as ways in which these terms differ from the principles of the copyright system. The project’s grounding hypothesis is that practices within the art world are independent of, and partly even in contradiction with, copyright law. Thus, copyright law does not have the kind of hegemonic and legitimate power to define authorship in the art world as it is often assumed to possess.
Secondly, the project examines how copyright has been justified within art worlds and the judicial system. In the arts, conceptions of authorship stem from many different contexts, and concequently their justifications are not mutually compatible. When evaluating the judicial system, it is vital to analyse to what extent the rationales of the copyright law are in alignment with the authors’ civil rights and existing legislation. In addition, the project studies the justification of the copyright law empirically by examining how the copyright law in fact protects the artist’s livelihood.
Artistic creation and the norms that govern it are both undergoing a transformation. Digitalisation and the related redefinition of producers’ and consumers’ roles are leading to irreversible changes in many practices of production and distribution of art works. Simultaneously, new opportunities are opening up for art that traditional practices and systems are unable to regulate. Hence, there is clearly a demand for academic research on the status and rights of the author.
This multidisciplinary research project combines the perspectives of law, art research, and the sociology of art on authorship. By combining theoretical analysis with empirical research the project provides a multifaceted analysis of the elements that govern contemporary authorship. In addition, it searches for creative and scientifically sound solutions for deadlocked copyright disputes between different interest groups.
Funders and site of research
The project is funded by the Emil Aaltonen Foundation. The research of the principal investigator Sanna Nyqvist is funded by the Academy of Finland. The project will be implemented at the Department of Philosophy, History, Culture and Art Studies of the University of Helsinki during 1 January 2016‒31 December 2019.
Principal Investigator
Primary responsible unit
Web page
https://blogs.helsinki.fi/taidejatekijanoikeus/
Follow-up groups
Profiling area: School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well
