Is this fanfic, inspired story, or something else?

[CheertheSecond]

So I want to make a character that borrowed the power of Godzilla and a few other Lovecraftian Old Ones.

It's like instead of being chosen by old classical gods (Greek, Norse, Shinto, Abrahamic angels, etc.). He was empowered by Godzilla and Old Ones.

Of course, the Godzilla and Old Ones in this story are loosely based on the original ones. They would have different lore and powers to fit my new fiction.

What category is this story belong to? Fanfic? Inspired story? Borrowed story?

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

Call it Zillagod and you will have an original character.
Seriously, you can draw inspiration from existing IPs and make them your own by reworking them. It's quite easy, just add your personal touch. I recommend doing it, unless you want to target specific fandoms that you are drawing inspiration from.

 

[Rhaps]

Lovecraft, despite his reputation, is very open to let other people use and adapt his work, so having the names and places in the Lovecraft mytho in your story should be fine to call it your own, with inspirations.

As for Godzilla, change the name to [non descript giant radioactive lizard]

 

[CheertheSecond]

Call it Zillagod and you will have an original character.
Seriously, you can draw inspiration from existing IPs and make them your own by reworking them. It's quite easy, just add your personal touch. I recommend doing it, unless you want to target specific fandoms that you are drawing inspiration from.

Lovecraft, despite his reputation, is very open to let other people use and adapt his work, so having the names and places in the Lovecraft mytho in your story should be fine to call it your own, with inspirations.

As for Godzilla, change the name to [non descript giant radioactive lizard]

I just really hate having to deal with copyright so I asked this question to circumvent this issue. So a name change will work?

 

[Rhaps]

I just really hate having to deal with copyright so I asked this question to circumvent this issue. So a name change will work?

Change the lizard's name is the best course of action if you don't want to deal with copyrights. Who is going to sue you for a lizard that shoot radiation? There are at least 10 other lizards that does that in media.

 

[prognastat]

Well theres whether you are looking at it from a legal perspective or an audience perspective. Legally change names and backgrounds or they will consider it infringing.

As for audience perception it gets more nebulous. It depends on whether the source is public domain or not, how much it has spread culturally, how old it is, and how much you borrow.

Generally using either historical stuff or religious stuff has always been fine and not considered fanfic. I mean we don't consider Dante's Inferno fanfic. And it isn't just a time thing because we also don't consider things like Highschool DxD bible fanfiction despite containing a bunch of gods and demons from various religious texts and other stories inspired by them. All this despite even using names and events from those works.

If there is still a copyright just like from the legal perspective you are going to have to change a lot to distance yourself from the original for it not to just be considered fanfic.

I would say Lovecraftian stuff is becoming old and wide-spread enough to where using some of it won't instantly get it labeled as just a fanfic. Godzilla less so since it isn't as old and still under copyright too both things work against just using it without making some changes beyond just changing the name.

Want to use Godzilla as an inspiration I would do something like say don't call it Godzilla, don't use nuclear bombs as its power source at least directly and remove its direct association with Japan and the nukes. For example:
X is an Earth Dragon god(so a big smart lizard without wings), born of the Sun and the Earth after the formation of our universe/solar system. Their breath is powered by solar power(another form of nuclear power just fusion rather than fission) and has solar breath. Maybe make it look like a solar flare.

At that point you'll have changed enough to remove the complete association with the original.

 

[georgelee5786]

Inspired if you change the names

 

[RepresentingPride]

Don't know for Godzilla, but almost all, if not all of lovecraft book are public domain, you can use it however you want.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

It sounds like an inspired story but it is its own story.

 

[CheertheSecond]

It sounds like an inspired story but it is its own story.

Yeah. Just want to know what is the correct label so that I (1) do not get into trouble with copyright and (2) do not get into trouble with authorship laws.