What is a Disclaimer and how is it used at fanfiction.net?

Question

I am going to write an elfen lied fanfiction by adding one extra character of my own design to the storyline. the only problem, I don't know what a disclaimer is, and I have seen many things get deleted even though they had disclaimers. Is it just saying you don't own an anime, or is ther some sort of process involved? also, I don't know how to tell if I'm unknowingly using something copywrited or not.

Answer 1

A disclaimer denies that you own the fandom you are using or any song, poem or anything you don't really own that you are using in the fic. If it's your OC, you have a right to use him/her/it, so you don't need the disclaimer for that. Fan fiction that gets deleted doesn't necessarily have to be because of the disclaimer. Basically, a disclaimer just helps you avoid being sued by the owner for taking their idea (you know, if you take whole scenes from canon and say you thought that plot all by yourself). If you made it yourself, you might want to mention that.  

Answer 2

A disclaimer is basically saying, "I don't own anything related to Elfen Lied, only this OC is mine."

Usually, if something is deleted, it's because it broke other rules - non-story chapters (like only author's notes), polls within a story, choose-your-own-adventure type stories, etc. Read FF.N's guidelines (when you go to the "stories" section while logged in, there's a link in the right-hand side) you have to check a box that says you've read it *anyway* before submitting, so just go through it before checking and you're set.

As a note, there's nothing that says that you have to put in a disclaimer. If you're writing at fanfiction.net in the Elfen Lied section, it's a given that you don't own Elfen Lied.

Answer 3

Disclaimers tell you things to watch out for. If it's Fanfic I'm sure it's fine. (Example of a disclaimer: On a cat food label: Warning: Do not feed cat more than six cans of food a day.)

Answer 4

A disclaimer is you telling everyone who reads it that this is not your original work. Your character is yours, but the others, along with whatever else you borrow for your story belongs to the original author. It's pretty much you saying you are not trying to pass this off as your own. Give credit where credit is due, that sort of thing. Quite frankly, you dis-claim the credit for the original story, but take it for your new one.