Even though the concept of fanfiction is so often defined by the concept of copyright, Xianwei Wu proves in their paper on female ACG fandom in China how the relationship between the two concepts is beyond a simple opposition.
The practice of piracy has already become an integral part of China’s grassroots popular culture; not only is it taken for granted but it is also usually appreciated. (…) Fansub and scanlation groups have become the de facto distributors of Japanese ACG products in China, and their translations are often recognized as the definitive versions. Even though the group does not have legal rights, they are, in fact, the copyright holders in the eyes of the community.
Wu, Xianwei. 2019. “Hierarchy within Female ACG Fandom in China.” Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 30. https://dx.doi.org/10.3983/twc.2019.1456.
What are your experiences around copyright and piracy in your own fannish community? What practices our communities have to recognize these non-legal authorship statuses?