Literature Is Hastur Copyright? (Cthulhu Mythos Lore)

[Darrian_Gabriel]

To all my fellow Lovecraft fans, greetings. I am in the process of creating my own exciting story within the legendary universe of the Cthulhu Mythos. Whilst I know that the Great Dreamer himself is firmly within the public domain, I do have questions about the King In Yellow. I have read Derlith's material, but since Hastur is technically not a creation by either Derlith or Lovecraft, would it be safe to use him without getting sued? I am planning on fleshing my story out into a full novel and since Hastur is one of my favorites concerning the Old Ones, I very much wanted to use him as a primary antagonist in my story. Could I use titles such as The Feaster From Afar, or even The King In Yellow? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also I'm using this forum for test audiences as well and would love any feedback on my story if anyone is interested. Link below.

The Eldritch Prophet

 

[Idea]

According to this It appears to be. Either way lovecraftian horror is pretty much a genre nowadays, so you'll probably be fine just by not ripping off everything name and all.

That being said I think this thread should be in general discussion rather than roleplay discussion?

 

[Darrian_Gabriel]

According to this It appears to be. Either way lovecraftian horror is pretty much a genre nowadays, so you'll probably be fine just by not ripping off everything name and all.

That being said I think this thread should be in general discussion rather than roleplay discussion?

Right, The King In Yellow was a collection by Chambers, but doesn't have much to do with Hastur as it relates to his place within the actual mythos itself, so I'm still very unsure. Now I could write the entire manuscript and run it by Derlith's existing estate, if there even is one, but I'd rather know before hand.

 

[Idea]

Right, The King In Yellow was a collection by Chambers, but doesn't have much to do with Hastur as it relates to his place within the actual mythos itself, so I'm still very unsure. Now I could write the entire manuscript and run it by Derlith's existing estate, if there even is one, but I'd rather know before hand.

You said you had "questions about the King in Yellow" and so I searched it up and those were the results. Sorry if that didn't help.

 

[Darrian_Gabriel]

You said you had "questions about the King in Yellow" and so I searched it up and those were the results. Sorry if that didn't help.

No it's fine, but I was familiar with Robert Chambers collection of stories. I was just unsure of what to do about the actual character of Hastur, if he's indeed an Intellectual Property or in public domain. I might have to contact a literary agent about this.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Yeah I would definitely contact a professional if you are looking to make a published story as they would be more familiar with the exact laws and such involved. When it comes to roleplay copyright isn't really an issue as it falls under fair use (in the same way that fanfiction does). As no one on this site is looking to publish anything we write on this site it doesn't really matter if things are under a copyright.

 

[Darrian_Gabriel]

Yeah I would definitely contact a professional if you are looking to make a published story as they would be more familiar with the exact laws and such involved. When it comes to roleplay copyright isn't really an issue as it falls under fair use (in the same way that fanfiction does). As no one on this site is looking to publish anything we write on this site it doesn't really matter if things are under a copyright.

Yea, when it concerns roleplay, I totally know it's fair game. But if I wanted to publish the story as a full fledged novel was what I had questions about. Trouble is, Im not sure even a literary agent would be any help. The legal waters are so murky concerning this one character being as he so very obscure concerning his creative origins. Only a true die hard fan of Lovecraft and his universe would even know where to start and what I was referring to, lol.

 

[nerdy tangents]

I mean a literary agents job would be to help you get published. So I am assuming they would be far better help then randos. I would absolutely ask someone in the publishing industry itself as this seems like the thing you are going to want to get actual professional opinion on. A fan isn't going to be able to give you the answer you need.

 

[Darrian_Gabriel]

I mean a literary agents job would be to help you get published. So I am assuming they would be far better help then randos. I would absolutely ask someone in the publishing industry itself as this seems like the thing you are going to want to get actual professional opinion on. A fan isn't going to be able to give you the answer you need.

You'd be surprised, some fans can be very knowledgeable. I was going to seek legal counsel for this either way, but I just thought I'd ask here, maybe get a general idea of what the legal landscape looked like.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

It's generally easier to look as it whether it's in the public domain or not. Almost all art is copyrighted, especially nowadays as it is essentially automatic. However, copyright does in fact expire.

I'm not a lawyer, but considering how often Hastur pops up in media, you're probably fine.

 

[Darrian_Gabriel]

It's generally easier to look as it whether it's in the public domain or not. Almost all art is copyrighted, especially nowadays as it is essentially automatic. However, copyright does in fact expire.

I'm not a lawyer, but considering how often Hastur pops up in media, you're probably fine.

Although I'm still going to check this out with an agent, I do hope your right. I've got big plans for this character within my own story. Hastur's rivalry with Cthulhu is part of the foundational bedrock for where I want my plot to go.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Although I'm still going to check this out with an agent, I do hope your right. I've got big plans for this character within my own story. Hastur's rivalry with Cthulhu is part of the foundational bedrock for where I want my plot to go.

Pretty sure you're good, but caution usually doesn't hurt. Good luck with your project!