AleXander's Transcripts
| Fanwork | |
|---|---|
| Title: | AleXander's Transcripts |
| Creator: | AleXander Thompson |
| Date(s): | 1997-1999 |
| Medium: | Transcript |
| Fandom: | BtVS |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
AleXander's Transcripts are transcripts of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes, transcribed by AleXander. He began writing his transcripts in 1997, and his works were hosted on The Slayer's Fanfic Archive and later other fansites. AleXander's Transcripts were very well known in fandom; series creator Joss Whedon even praised AleXander for the job he'd done and autographed one of the transcripts.
The transcripts in question were a valuable resource to BtVS fans all over the world. They provided new fans with a way to catch up with the show and gave established fans a way to look up dialogue and other details as well as review past episodes, revitalizing their love of the show. They attracted many people and converted them into fans of the show. They helped to keep people's interest alive during the summer and served as a wonderful resource for quizzes, quotes, and trivia. The transcripts are well-produced and meticulously faithful to the show, clearly a labor of love from a devoted fan to fans online.[1]
AleXander's work also formed the basis for other fanworks. In fanfiction, AleXander was regularly thanked in author's notes. His transcripts were a valuable resource for fanwriters; allowing them to quickly review dialogue or plot points from previous episodes. Vrya's Buffy Dialogue Database used his and later other fans' episode transcripts to create a searchable database of Buffyverse dialogue.
Cease and Desist
In 1999, AleXander's Transcripts were removed from the Slayer's Fanfic Archive, following a C&D from Fox. According to SFA admins, "as per the legal requirements of 20th Century Fox, the Episode Transcripts for Buffy the Vampire Slayer© have been shut down and removed. We hosted these transcripts for nearly 3 years, and will miss them, but law is law." [2] The removal of the transcripts resulted in a petition to have them restored. [3]
This fan campaign was ultimately unsuccessful but AleXander's plight and the resulting fandom outrage did raise awareness. An article in the magazine Reason, entitled Copy Catfight: How intellectual property laws stifle popular culture referenced AleXander's Transcripts as an example of the conflict between IP rights and the creative expression of fans. The removal of AleXander's transcripts was also referenced in the manifesto of Buffy's Bringers, a fan group that was formed in 1999 to raise awareness of under threat fansites and provide assistance to fans in dispute with corporate copyright holders.[4]
They were also referenced in an academic work; Who Owns Our Culture? The Battle Over the Internet, Copyright, Media Fandom, and Everyday Uses of the Cultural Commons (2002) by Susan Clerc.
Despite the network's best efforts AleXander's transcripts remained online for many years, hosted on BuffyWorld and other fansites. However AleXander ceased transcribing episodes due to the threat of legal action.
Notable Works
A list of archived links to AleXander's BtVS Transcripts
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
References
- ^ The petition, 1999
- ^ SFA web archived link from October 12 1999
- ^ See an archived version of the Petition's main page, here. And the petition itself here.
- ^ Bringers Manifesto