cannibalcoalition:

I take for granted that some things should go without saying because I’m Fandom Old and some people haven’t seen the things I have. So for those who are unfamiliar with this stance-

If you don’t like something, don’t read it. 

Don’t comment. Don’t contact the author. Don’t harass them. Don’t dox them. 

Just. Stop. Reading. 

Put it away. Don’t come back. Don’t think about it again. If it’s really bothering you, inform them that they need to tag that kind of material. That’s what the tagging system is for. 

And especially, I can’t believe I’m saying this- especially do not attempt to report them to the copyright holder. At best, it’s a waste of time. 

At worst?

IP holders have a really tenuous relationship with their fandom. I can guarantee you that they are aware of what a headcanon is and I assure you that they are aware of some of the worst. They try their best to ignore the worst ones. It is, in general, not worth it to laser-focus in on a single private person’s non-profit projects in relation to your brand. 

But let’s say you get what you want- you alert the copyright holders of the offending person and you get their work scrubbed from the Internet. You won! 

You have not only opened a can of worms, but you have crashed into the front window of a tackle shop. 

There is now precedent for the IP holder to investigate further. And please understand that the author of a series is not always the IP holder. Sometimes its the production company that has the final word on what is libel and you may not agree with the production company. So your fluffy queer coffee shop AU may in fact be in danger as well.

I know it sounds far-fetched, but I’m telling you that every generation of fandom has a story about their favorite author filing a C&D and threatening to sue twelve-year-olds for copyright infringement, or a corporation deciding that they didn’t like certain content.  

Do not give them that inch. I don’t care how awful the headcanon is. It is not worth it. 

If a fanwork upsets you, then find one that does not upset you and put all your energy into supporting the one that you like. And speaking from a realm of experience- a writer is so much more likely to quit writing if they receive no encouragement. Filing a C&D will only fill them with spite, and they will continue writing if for no other reason than to piss you off. 

Win-win: support an artist you like and avoid a spite-write. 

Please don’t take us back to the 90′s and early 00′s. Those were dark days. 

Glad we had this talk.