Perhaps the descendants of Daniel G. Farhenheit, the author of the Fahrenheit temperature scale, should sue Ray Bradbury for the appropriation of their name.
That would certainly be no less absurd and selfish than what Bradbury is doing.

garymyrick: Your comment is a bunch of gobbledygook

Dear Mr. Bradbury,

In light of your efforts to compel Michael Moore to apologize for borrowing his "Fahrenheit 911" title from your story "Fahrenheit 451," we are writing to inquire into the status of your own public apologies regarding your works entitled "Something Wicked This Way Comes," "I Sing the Body Electric!," "No Man is an Island" and "Remembrance of Things Future."

Sincerely,
Messrs William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, John Donne, and Marcel Proust

Stinker: Posting the same thing over and over again is a violation of "netiquette". No wonder you identify with Moore's position.

Okay, what's with all these anti-Bradbury people showing up just to put him down? Seriously, how many of us Bradbury fans have gone over to attack M. Moore forums to attack him and/or HIS fans? Nope, we've been here, just talking amongst ourselves and defending Ray's opinions against the onslaught of angry Moore fans who keep showing up! So who are the true warmongers!? The pen is mightier than the sword, huh? And yet it's okay to wield the pen without any reckless abandon, simply because there is no PHYSICAL damage being done? I'm not saying that there's not a discussion to be had. For example, Translator, who is one of our own, was here long before this controversy came up. He has a very liberal political viewpoint, and that is fine, because he originally came here to discuss Ray, literature, and life, and to interact with some very fine, well read, and often wise individuals with similar interests as himself, at least literature-wise. That's fine, but if the reason you're here is simply to agressively diatribe Ray and his fans, then you really need to get a life. You know who you are, and you know why you are here. If you feel you must post a "letter directly to Ray," please do so under one of the existing posts, so I can avoid it. To the rest of you who are here for the right reasons, Welcome!
Cheers, Groon!

Haha. That's an awesome point. What a silly kind of thing to copyright. I can't believe nard doesn't see how simple it is.

I've only read dandelion wine, so I didn't even know that this book existed.

mr. dark: that was the first time I saw stinker write this, and I thought he made a very good point. If he is posting that message all over the place, that's a bit lame, but still, if Ray has done the same thing that Moore did, how can he complain?

"but still, if Ray has done the same thing that Moore did, how can he complain?"

I have no idea what you're talking about. What do you claim that Ray has done that is the same as what Moore has done?

Mr. Dark - apparently I need to *keep* posting my letter, as its message has still eluded you completely. Maybe you aren't familiar with the other writers I cite, or their works?

I have some vague familiarity. Like so many other Mooreheads, you miss the point.

*I* miss the point? What point would that be? Do you even have a clue of the point I have (successfully, if I do say so myself) have made? You certainly didn't seem to get it in your response to zoobiewa...

I believe all the 4 authors cited have long since died. Under the law, I believe, any public work becomes public domain at some point. Even Ray Bradbury's writings may one day pass into the public domain. Once in the public domain there is no legal claim that can be made similar to Ray's toward the usurper Mr. Moore.

Argh - for the last time, you *can't copyright titles*! And even if you could it wouldn't matter if they were alive or not. And that's completely, totally not the point anyway.

Honestly, I expected a little more thoughtfulness from science-fiction fans...

Stinker,

You're right. You can't copyright titles. Who said you could? Oh, the Moore supporters who are new to this board and who continue to ignore that point.

By the way, have you seen Nard's post elsewhere showing that Mr. Moore has apologized to Bradbury? I'm grateful to hear it. How 'bout you?

Best,

Pete

I guess if he wanted to apologize for offending Mr. Bradbury somehow, it was certainly the decent thing to do. But Moore has nothing to apologize for - as I pointed out in my original post, Mr. Moore has done nothing that thousands of writers, filmmakers, or musicians haven't done before him - use the art of literary reference to draw contrasts, parallels, and commentary from others' works. Mr. Bradbury, by my count, has done it four times. Why is he so upset with someone paying the same kind of homage to his works?

Okay stinker, here it is.
True, you can't copyright a title. True, after 75 years any work becomes public domain. Okay, we get it.
Now, suppose Shakespeare were alive today and Ray wrote a book called "Something Wicked This Way Comes," in homage to an author he admired. And, just say, that Shakespeare was offended, not flattered, and demanded that Ray change the title, and Ray said "to hell with it." Now suppose that Shakespeare hated the internet and DID NOT READ what people wrote on his website. Would that make it okay for us Bradbury fans to go over and form an organized verbal attack upon Will's fans, just because we did not like how Will had reacted? That's the bottom line, really. If you want to mail a REAL letter to Ray, do so. I don't know about you, but here on this site we have PLENTY of better things to discuss than this stupid F911 controversy.