J.K. Rowling’s approval of fanfiction comes with conditions
The Harry Potter franchise is magical, and it all began with the best-selling book series. It will come as no surprise that J. K. Rowling’s much-loved novels have inspired hundreds of thousands of fanfics over the years. Potter fanfiction has taken on a life of its own to the extent that Rowling couldn’t remove it from the web even if she tried.
Okay, she probably could, but fortunately, Rowling gave fans her blessing to write their stories online. Her only stipulations were that they remain a non-profit practice and that the writers steer clear of adult-themed content. No Harry Potter and the Deathly Swallows then?
The spokesman for her literary agency at the time, Christopher Little, said:
"JK Rowling’s reaction is that she is very flattered by the fact there is such great interest in her Harry Potter series and that people take the time to write their own stories. Her concern would be to make sure that it remains a non-commercial activity to ensure fans are not exploited and it is not being published in the strict sense of traditional print publishing."
Additionally, fanfic writers had to ensure they credited the stories to themselves, not to Rowling, and that the stories were still child-friendly. He warned that if young children were to come across characters in X-rated stories, there’d be trouble.