I've been in touch with someone at Animecca, the anime web-zine that 
is running a fan-fiction contest.  You may have seen the notice on 
the net.  They're asking writers to submit the first two parts of a 
story.  The readers will choose their favorite, the writer of which 
will be given a prize and a page in the magazine for the next six 
months.

Now, in the notice, it said something about how the work must never 
have been published before, because Animecca wanted first run serial 
rights.  However, the woman I emailed told me that Animecca will 
retain *all* rights to your work, that you will need permission from 
them to do anything with it.

I have a problem with this, mainly because they're not *paying* you, 
save the piece of computer equipment they're giving you as a prize.  
You get that prize in the first month, then you're required to write 
for them for six months, for no further compensation, and they keep 
the rights to everything you write in perpetuity.  It's the writing 
for six months for nothing that bothers me.  If it were a one-part 
story contest, I'd think this was a pretty cool idea.

Now, I know the legal problems with paying for fanfic, and I don't 
believe that payment should be made.  But by the same token, I don't 
believe a third party should "own" someone else's fanfic.  By its 
very nature, fanfic should not be ownable by anyone other than the 
writer and the original creator of the characters.

Of course, it's possible that a completely original story will win 
the contest.  But seeing as how the readers will be the judges, I 
find it highly unlikely.

Just something to think about before you email away your pride and 
joy.

------RM