h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey reefgirl.

Good to see you contributing to the literary aspects of .
I liked your review. It makes me want to find the book. I have a particular fondness for 1962 as you can see under the subheader 'Personal Perspectives' in the h2g2 Edited Guide entry A563852.

But I am somewhat perplexed that someone has apparently managed to get permission from Ian Fleming's estate to expand upon the characters and plots of the James Bond stories.

A few (20?) years ago I wrote a radio play called 'The Man Who Killed James Bond' for the CBC. And even with a small army of lawyers we could not get permission to use the James Bond name or refer to any other character or incident from the body of Fleming's published works.

In reply we got only a very threatening denial of rights, saying that if we persisted the Canadian Broadcasting Corp would be sued to within an inch of its life. Apparently all rights were then licensed to the company that makes the Bond films and no exceptions could be granted.

Perhaps by now that licensing agreement or the original estate copyright has expired. If so, it's about time. The Bond franchise, like the Sherlock Holmes mythos, is fertile ground that should be held in common and tilled by anyone with an imagination.

If my raising this issue takes you unaware (I'm sure most people consider James Bond to be public property) perhaps we could write to (email) Kate Westbrook somewhere and ask how (or if) she got permission. It would be sad to hear she is currently being sued for her efforts.


Oh, BTW, I finally did get my radio-play produced after following my producer's instruction to change the main character's name to Jimmy Blonde. And for Bond fans everywhere I should also note that no one actually killed him in my story. It turns out he was just a clone of the real James Bond.


~jwf~

The thing is this is fictional, even though I found it in the biography section of my local bookshop as such, Kate Westbrook doesn't exsist (Her real name is Samantha Weinberg). I only found out myself through an interview in the Daily Mail. I have no idea what Ian Fleming's estate has to say on the matter, tho it can't be much as we'd have heard.

I did a bit of Googling and came up with this

http://commanderbond.net/Public/Stories/2983-1.shtml

Have a read.

Ta!
That was very interesting.

I noticed that IFP (Ian Fleming Publications) was mentioned several times. Their approval was sought, and granted, on several issues. I can only guess that they (IFP) still very much in control all copyrights.

I guess I'll just have to live with the fact that they rejected my idea of killing off a clone Jimmy Blonde. But I am delighted that they were truly enamoured of the Moneypenny Diaries idea. From my point of view this is high praise indeed. I must look for it in paperback soon.

Thanks for making me aware.

~jwf~

Maybe they didn't object because it wasn't ACTUALLY about Bond, cloned or otherwise, he was a minor character in the books, anyway I'm second guessing, I hope you enjoy it when read

No I suspect they didn't object because they actually liked the idea. And I have to admit it is good one. Much better than mine. And I hope, it will be just the beginning of a new series of Bond books. Like Sherlock Holmes, James Bond deserves to become part of the public imagination.

I am currently looking for the book and have checked my local library's databanks's without satisfaction. No doubt it is still fresh from the British publishers and will not arrive on these colonial shores until the steam packets are able to break thru the winter ice flows...


~jwf~

I've had my copy for about a month and I got it about a week after it's publishing date.

The good news is that my local library has found the title (published just last month here apparently) and have ordered a copy.
Once I explained what it was all about they seemed to think it might prove popular.

Again thanks for the insight.
peace
~jwf~

Enjoy it when you get hold of it

Who was that author who wrote "Tarzan Alive" who postulated that Bond was related to Bulldog Drummond and Doc Savage, as well as Lord Greystoke and the Scarlet Pimernel?

I have no idea