Ad astra per aspera @conqueringthespace - Tumblr Blog

In recent days, there have been a number of posts on tumblr about third party apps that host AO3 fic on them. A lot of people are worried and even more people are pissed.

There is no need to send in emails to AO3 Support or to the Policy and Abuse team. They are fully aware of the situation and are probably drowning in emails right now.

Here’s what I know and what you can do about it.

Fluff app / Fanfiction Pocket Archive Library app / Archive Track Reader app:

These apps work as a sort of skin for the AO3 site itself. They don’t download works and redistribute them. They provide an access point to AO3.

The developers of these apps are making money from the app itself (through tips and subscriptions - both voluntary), which wouldn’t exist without the free content created by AO3 authors. Since people post their work to AO3 because it is free to access and hosted without ads, authors are understandably angered by this.

Because these apps are basically just a portal to the site, a DMCA notice will not apply in this case. All works currently hosted on AO3 will show up on these apps, because these apps are simply letting you view AO3 through their interface.

Woodsign company apps (including MCU, Harry Potter, Sherlock, Creepypasta, and more):

These apps seem to curate some fic from the various fandoms and rehost it. They allow users to read offline, so it’s possible they are redistributing it. In this case, a DMCA takedown might be effective.

This app developer is also making money by hosting fanfic that was written and posted for free on AO3. They have put up a paywall so that you can only access the complete fic if you pay for it or rate the app in the App store.

If you want to post a negative review, consider saying things like:

* these fanworks are free already at archiveofourown.org * you can kudos, comment, bookmark, subscribe, and mark to read for later for free with an archiveofourown.org account * you can also download fics to read later in various file formats - both pdf and formats that are usable by ereaders * archiveofourown.org is a website with full mobile browser accessibility. Anything you can do in this app, you can do on the site - for free, and without ads * the Archive is a fully-licensed non-profit organization run by volunteers, unlike this for-profit app

There is no official AO3 app. The website is mobile friendly and if you want to have quick button access to it, you can Add to Homescreen on your phone and you can click in just like you would on an app. None of these third party apps can provide you with AO3 support. Only AO3 can do that. The best version of the site will always, always be the site itself.

If you’ve read this far, please signal boost so that AO3 Support can get fewer tickets. And if you love AO3, consider donating to them. They accept donations year round, not just during their pledge drives.

winchestersingerautorepair

🚨ATTENTION🚨

All Writers Published on Ao3:

This app, "Fanfic Pocket Archive Library", is lifting all public content from Ao3 and making it available through a service they profit from.

Your work has been stolen and is being used to make money for a third party.

^above are the ways in which the app makes money off of Ao3 content. The developer is called Simple Soft Alliance. Here's the app's Terms and Conditions.

Any fanfiction that can be accessed without a password on Ao3 is already available in this app. Yours, mine, every fan creator's. Whether this is illegal I do not know, but it is certainly unethical and needs to be fought. Ao3 is a site of unparalleled integrity and shows the utmost respect to creators, so this content grab is an even bigger slap in the face for that reason.

🚨Please flag/report this app in your app store. 🚨

🚩Google Playstore link

🚩Apple Store link (download app, then go to report it here )

Feel free to contact Ao3 as well to alert them to this issue. Let's take em down, folks. In the meantime, you can put your Ao3 in private mode to prevent any more data theft.

Please reblog and tag your writer friends. Signal boost this.

geekout-f-t-w

If the app developer wasn’t making money I wouldn’t care, but as it is all my fics are on this app and I’m NOT happy. Reported and also reported to Ao3

wanderingcas

email someone got - reported on the twitter feed. looks like as authors we’ll have to individually report that our content is stolen on the app.

links

google: https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905

apple: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/appstorenotices/#/contacts?lang=en

wanderingcas

if you are a fanfic writer posting on ao3 and this app has your fics on there, IT IS COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.

so here’s what you can do. go to the google report form or the apple report form and say that it is copyright infringement. you’ll have to just show your ao3 profile link to prove it.

this is how i’m phrasing it, but please modify what you say so it doesn’t look like a mass complaint and ruin the legitimacy of the claim:

“I post my fanfiction works on www.archiveofourown.com, a platform that hosts transformative works. This app is reposting all of my writing content (at least 29 of my works) without my knowledge or consent. I did not give permission to the developer of this app to do so. Since I have copyrights to my own fanworks, as well do all writers that this app is reposting without their permission, I strongly urge the Apple Store to consider the legality of this app, which basically exists just to repost/copy all the works of fanfiction authors of archiveofourown.com.”

again, PHRASE IT IN YOUR OWN WAY but this is just an example of how to go about it, if the “explanation for complaint” seems intimidating to you.

i strongly urge every ao3 author to report this, and get this app down. otherwise, as AO3 suggests, we’ll have to issue DCMA Takedowns. those are a bitch to file. they take a lot of time and a lot of fees. hopefully, enough of us reporting this to apple/google will simply ban the app, and we can put this whole mess behind us.

princessvicky01

Wtf !?!?

purplebuddhaquotes

“Be prepared to let go of familiar faces throughout your journey. Be ready to let go of anyone who doesn’t clap for you the way you clap for them.”

—

makesgoodchoices

I am in the 1% of the population with this, but I really do not enjoy summer. I love winter, like… if you are cold, you can put on a hoodie, you can grab a blanket and snuggle…. Like… when you’re hot, what do you do? Rip your skin off?

lupinsclassroom-deactivated2021

Hello All! As my gift to you this lovely holiday season, I have made 60 new palettes and named them all after some great songs. Sooooooo, here is my updated Palette Challenge!

Feel free to send me one of these palettes along with a character(s) and I will try to get it done as soon as possible. I will draw stuff from any fandom I actively reblog. Feel free to contact me with any questions you have!

These can be used by other artists as well.

starsandskies-archive

It’s been almost three years since the last time I did a palette challenge, so I’ll be accepting some requests to practice a little in my spare time.

Only canon characters (Far Cry 5, Dragon Age and Mass Effect/Andromeda. Maybe Overwatch and Detroit Become Human too, it depends on my mood, lol).

Feel free to send me an ask, specifying the character and the palette you’d like me to draw.

♥

#starsandskies palette challenge

antivancorvo

I made a DA themed palette challenge! Send me a character + palette ^^

Also anyone can totally reblog and use this if you like it.

starsandskies-archive

It’s been almost three years since the last time I did a palette challenge, so I’ll be accepting some requests to practice a little in my spare time.

Only canon characters (Far Cry 5, Dragon Age and Mass Effect/Andromeda. Maybe Overwatch and Detroit Become Human too, it depends on my mood, lol).

Feel free to send me an ask, specifying the character and the palette you’d like me to draw.

♥

#starsandskies palette challenge

baldurians-deactivated20230226

Redcliffe Village

#DAI

acecroft

DISHONORED 2 [24/?] - Dunwall

#Dishonored 2

thepersonalquotes

They leave you when you become a mess and they try to come back when you clean it.

vardaelcntari

That’s it, the Professor is truly the King of Sass

nimium-amatrix-ingenii-sui

The letter didn’t come from the Nazi party, but from the publishing house which had expressed an interest in the German translation of The Hobbit. Tolkien’s response really is a thing of beauty, though, so it deserves to be quoted in its entirety:

25 July 1938 20 Northmoor Road, Oxford

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter. … I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people. My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject - which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.

Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had (as it has not) any bearings whatsoever on the merits of my work or its suitability for publication, of which you appear to have satisfied yourselves without reference to my Abstammung.

I trust you will find this reply satisfactory, and remain yours faithfully

J.R.R. Tolkien.

(Letter 30)

The Hobbit wasn’t published in German until 1957.

correspondingnerd

This might just be the politest “fuck you” ever written.

geekandmisandry

W.h.a.t.

bramblepatch

Not just “I wish I had Jewish ancestors, but I don’t,” but also “you do realize that’s not what ‘Aryan’ actually means, right,” and “you guys are making it pretty hard to be proud of my German heritage.”

steakplissken

Nazis: Are you Aryan?

Noted linguistics freak Tolkien: Are you?

zevrans-archive

top 5 asks → @alixmayhew asked: my top 5 dishonored missions

#Dishonored

elliksni-deactivated20200228

Foggy morning in Falkreath

#Skyrim

starsandskies-archive

3 years - 3,000 Followers - 3 prizes!

Thank you so much! ♥

PRIZES

1st Prize: Colored Lineart - Two Characters.

2nd and 3rd Prizes: Colored Lineart - One Character.

RULES

I won’t draw armors or complicated outfits for the giveaway.

Any fandom is welcome (both OCs or canon characters) as long as you send me references. Anyway, since this is a follower appreciation giveaway, my preferred fandoms are Far Cry 5/Far Cry New Dawn, Mass Effect and Dragon Age.

The conditions about what I’ll draw or I won’t draw are the same as for my regular commissions (you can find them here).

You must be following me.

New followers are welcome, but it would be nice if you stay when the giveaway is over.

No giveaway blogs.

You can reblog this post as many times as you want, but don’t spam your followers!

Likes also count as one entry.

There will be three prizes and three winners.

End date is April 15th, 11:59pm CEST.

I’ll contact the winners through private message, and they’ll have 48 hours to answer. In case of no response, I’ll choose another winner.

#starsandskies giveaway #<3

gfscully

lads…… it’s march. how we coping

piscs-blog1

we aren’t

jennypen

“Ew you’re an adult why are you in fandom” Kid, if being mocked for fandom shit wasn’t enough to stop me when I was an actual 15 year old, hearing it from a 15 year old when I’m 30 is genuinely hilarious

can0n-fodder

It is kind of amusing when teenagers think their highschool peer pressure shit is going to work on adults. Like, lol you have no power here fetus. My mortgage is a bigger emotional threat to me than you are.