Xena Online Community board current down

This was an expected downtime event. The board should be back up and running by 3pm EST. Sorry for any inconveniences folks.

The main website is also not working at the moment. The website should be working again soon.

Rob Tapert discusses the series finale to Xena: Warrior Princess

On the sixth season DVD set (Best Buy Version), there was a series of interviews that covered a lot of ground. All of the DVD release contained special cut footage from the episode interviews that were included on the set. My goal is to provide fans with a sampling of what was in those interviews.

Do not comment asking if I’ll post the entire interviews. What you see is what you go. No more. No Less. Once something is captured, I will not go back and capturing additional clips.
This is the last interview from that feature. (NOTE: this interviews are only available on the Best Buy version of the sixth season). Rob Tapert talks about the finale the decision to end it the way they did. I don't provide disclaimers for any vidoes that I post. Consider this your first and only warning.

To download this clip and more clips (note: I will not provide the complete feature) click here.

In the beginning

With the relaunch of the website, I plan on adding a few more features to the website. Among these include the adding of new video clips to not only the XME website, but also adding them to YouTube (since they usually end up there anyways).

The first clip is alread up. It’s called In the Beginning and it’s from the sixth season DVD release set that contains behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the first season. It’s most likely a promotional thing geared toward advertisers and station programmers.

Some new features on the blog

I've added some new features to the blog. First, on the right I've RSS'd the Xena Online Community so that the five "newest" (not replied/updated) posts show up. I've also RSS'd the website so that the latest news show up.

Another feature is at the bottom of the page. I've added in a little widge that features some Lucy Lawless products. I'll change it up every month or every couple of weeks with new Xena/Hercules/Lucy/BSG related products.

Redesigned Xena Online Website

The parent Xena website (the one that keeps you up-to-date with all things Xena and Hercules) is now live! It's taken me a long time to decide on what I was going to do with the old girl, but I figured to make my life a lot easier and to allow for more contributors to the website. With that being said---the website now boasts a WordPress layout!

It's pretty nifty. Check it out!

Xena Online

The wonderous thing called the Internet

In a few days, I'll hopefully be able to discuss more about it. It's a good news, I assure you! More personal news than anything!

Yes, today is a glorious day!

Quake and Wake

I had a jolt this morning. Got woke up by a little shaking. An earthquake centered near Mt. Carmel, IL (south IL near the Indiana border around Evansville) rocked the Midwest this morning around 5:37 am (E.T.). I'm in Northern Indiana so I had a was a little shaking.

Warner Brothers and J.K. Rowlings vs. RDR Books and Steve Vander Ark

I’m not a huge fan of Harry Potter. I’ve read a couple of the books (they’re okay) and seen a couple of the (they’re okay). Not a huge HPphile, so I can’t tell you about the meanings of this or that in the books.

The lawsuit between J.K. Rowlings) and RDR books, who is publishing the Lexicon book written by Steve Vander Ark, is one that will set a precedent in terms of the fair use doctrine and could send ripple effects throughout the HP fandom (they’re already divided with some clearly for JKR and some for SVA.
It comes down to the interpretation of the Fair Use doctrine under U.S. Copyright Law.

From the U.S. Copyright Right Office:

One of the rights accorded to the owner of copyright is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords. This right is subject to certain limitations found in sections 107 through 118 of theCopyright Act (title 17, U. S. Code). One of the more important limitations is the doctrine of “fair use.” Although fair use was not mentioned in the previous copyright law, the doctrine has developed through a substantial number of court decisions over the years. This doctrine has been codified in section 107 of the copyright
law.

Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered “fair,” such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

2. the nature of the copyrighted work;

3. amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The distinction between “fair use” and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission.

The 1961 Report of the Register of Copyrights on the General Revision of the U.S. Copyright Law cites examples of activities that courts have regarded as fair use: “quotation of excerpts in a review or criticism for purposes of illustration or comment; quotation of short passages in a scholarly or technical work, for illustration or clarification of the author's observations; use in a parody of some of the content of the work parodied; summary of an address or article, with brief quotations, in a news report; reproduction by a library of a portion of a work to replace part of a damaged copy; reproduction by a teacher or student of a small part of a work to illustrate a lesson; reproduction of a work in legislative or judicial proceedings or reports; incidental and fortuitous reproduction, in a newsreel or broadcast, of a work located in the scene of an event being reported.”

Copyright protects the particular way an author has expressed himself; it does not extend to any ideas, systems, or factual information conveyed in the work.

The safest course is always to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material. The Copyright Office cannot give this permission.

When it is impracticable to obtain permission, use of copyrighted material should be avoided unless the doctrine of “fair use” would clearly apply to the situation. The Copyright Office can neither determine if a certain use may be considered “fair” nor advise on possible copyright violations. If there is any doubt, it is advisable to consult an attorney.

To understand the lawsuit, we must first go back and look at where it started. Vander Ark had idea about publishing his Lexicon website in book form. But he had serious questions and doubts about copyright violation. He tried several times to contact Rowlings and Warner Brothers about publishing Lexicon in book form. They never responded. (I’ve had a similar experience with Universal—unless you’re represented by someone, they won’t talk to you.) It was only after RDR Publishing contact him and told him that it wasn’t a copyright violation that he decided to go through with it.

Vander Ark was smart enough to have it in his contract that if he was sued, they’d have to cover his lawyer fees and court costs.

Much talk has been given about how he lifted passages and descriptions to describe characters and events. This is where I have an issue with the book. If Vander Ark copied verbatim from the books, then he clearly should “footnote” the reference. However, if the description of a character reads: he was big, tall and hairy… there’s little wriggle room for someone to describe it without it becoming wordy and lengthy.

Here’s the definition of plagiarism (wiki):

Plagiarism is the practice of claiming or implying original authorship of (or incorporating material from) someone else's written or creative work, in whole or in part, into one's own without adequate acknowledgement. Unlike cases of forgery, in which the authenticity of the writing, document, or some other kind of object itself is in question, plagiarism is concerned with the issue of false attribution.

Author Steven Ambrose was pummeled late in his career as a historian for “plagiarizing” other works because he failed to acknowledge.

The best thing Vander Ark could do is at least credit Rowlings. It’s only right, especially if he’s lifting material from the books.

The judge’s recent ruling that the two-sides reach a settlement on their own sends a powerful message: the fair use doctrine is too murky to issue a ruling. It would send a ripple effect into various of other fandoms, not just Harry Potter.

What are the possible consequences? If the judge was to rule for Rowlings and Warner Brothers, it would sent a message that all fan-interpreted works are in danger of facing possible lawsuits.

Ten years ago, Warner Brothers was one ring leaders of a massive witch hunt by a handful of studios to send out cease and desist orders to fan websites with “fan encyclopedias.”

The flip side would open the floodgates to allow fans free reign to publish their own works based on their favorite books or websites, etc.

So a settlement has to be reached between the two parties to save “fandoms” across the board. The consequences could be dire if it continues. All this could have been avoided had Warner Brothers and Rowlings responded to the requests. They didn’t and so here we are.

I’m not arguing on behalf of Vander Ark or for Rowlings. I feel that the lawsuit is purely money and lawyer driven with little concern for either author. It’s about rights, it’s about the rights of a fan to publish an unofficial book and the rights of the author who doesn’t want her work to be misused.

The one thing that steps out in my mind is this: Rowlings had stated previously that she “might” do a book. She’d been quiet on it for a number of years—that is until Vander Ark and Lexicon appeared on the radar.

Convention Primer -- London Convention

The guest list is set:

Lucy Lawless
Paris Jefferson
Adrienne Wilkinson
Brittney Powell
Steven L. Sears
Joe Lo Duca

So here's a few quick pointers.

One, it's not Creation's fault for the lack of convention guests. It costs them a lot of money to put a convention on--it's even more when it's abroad. That being said, unless you want to pay a higher ticket price, don't complain.

Paris Jefferson is based in the UK. The rest of the guest list has to come from LA. There's also the Creation staff to consider. So, let's not go down the route of blasting Creation for the weak guest list. Okay?


The Q & A with the stars

* Don't ask questions that have been asked over and over again. (Subtext and who's the better kissers are the frequent questions.)

* Don't ask for a kiss, hug, say hello to someone, etc. It's selfish and self-centered. (Not to mention, you'll get booed and hissed at by the audience.)

* Asking questions about participating in a charity event. This is just wrong and should not be done. The reason being, one it puts the person in a very tough position and two if they say no, they look bad and three if they say, yes they have to commit to it. All requests to participate in a charity event should be directed through the guest's representation.

* Be clear in your question.

* Don't CRITICIZE! You'll get booed.

* Questions to ask:
-- Ask about acting, directing, singing, writing.
-- Ask about current work projects.
-- Ask questions about the series--favorite episodes, what was it like, etc---it's a Xena convention!

Autograph Line Etiquette

* When in the autograph line, it's important ot have your item ready. You can only get one item signed (unless you bought tickets for more). That being said, think about what you want to get signed.

* Listen to Creation. If they tell you to move, move.

* Don't monopolize time, Creation will get really edgy with you.

* Personalization of items---Creation goes back and forth about this. Sometimes it falls upon the guest---sometimes the guest ignores Creation and does their own thing. But if you're told no and the person in front of you gets it done, don't get bitchy about.

Convention Schedule

* The days are long, so plan accordingly. Get snacks and drinks (I seriously suggest water and fiber bars---stay away from sugars and pop) to have with you if you don't want to miss anything.

* If you can pre-register, do so. It'll save you time.

* The convention schedule can change at any moment, so be aware of that. Things get delayed, something doesn't work--a guest is delayed or something else happens, so Creation has to adjust the schedule accordingly. This can happen right up to the day of the convention it self.