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I have become aware that not all of my followers understand why AO3 doesn’t allow you to share your ko-fi or patreon or ask for money on the archive.
This is actually something that’s really important to know, so I’m sharing this reply to a question about the topic as it’s own separate post.
it’s actually extremely important that AO3 creators not attempt to monentize their work, specifically because of the capitalist hellhole we all live in.
Fanfiction is allowed legally to exist by the grace of “fair use” laws. This is what protects fanfiction authors from being sued or issued cease and desist orders by the holders of the copyrighted works that they’re creating derivative fiction of.
The Organization for Transformative Works which maintains AO3 works to legally protect fanfiction authors from malicious and angry copyright holders who want to destroy fanfiction.
The only way that they can do this within the framework of US law under which they operate, is to maintain fair use.
And fair use of transformative works is only able to be upheld in terms of fanfiction if the creators are deriving no monetary or material benefit from creating it.
Once you start asking for money for fanfiction you unfortunately make that fanfiction illegal under copyright law.
If AO3 does not make a good faith effort to prevent people from earning money for their fanfiction on the site, It puts the whole archive at risk legally.
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