Audiences Have Rights Too!

18 ways content creation laws need improvement for quality-of-life reasons

1. Copyright laws should be looser.
2. Companies should never be allowed to cancel anticipated works.
3. Objectionable media should be salvaged via editing, rather than banned or discontinued.
4. Character deaths and write-offs should be regulated.
5. Sequels are not a substitute for fixing one’s mistakes. Justice means making it right this time, not just “next time”.
6. Trolling (bullying) on the part of creators should be forcibly edited.
7. Inconsistencies, plotholes, and continuity errors should be edited out wherever possible.
8. Important plot points should never be dropped.
9. Depictions of unpunished cheating (in competitions) should be edited.
10. No work of fiction should end in victory for discrimination.
11. Rushed video games should be recalled and patched.
12. Unpopular features in video games should be edited out.
13. Video games shouldn’t be allowed to have permanently missable content.
14. Video games should be patched to fix accessibility and fairness issues.
15. Video games should be patched to improve user interface and user experience.
16. Video games’ replay value and continued-play value should be expanded.
17. Video games with microtransactions (e.g. Pokémon GO) should add more purchasable items for quality-of-life reasons.
18. Video games should be patched to remove tedious or annoying delays.

Artistic freedom should be a privilege rather than an unchecked right. While artistic expression and free speech are important, there are situations where restrictions are necessary. Creators should consider their audience’s interests rather than disregarding them. However, caution is needed to prevent censorship from stifling creativity. A fair and responsible system, one which respects both artistic freedom and audience interests, is vital for a flourishing creative environment.

Note that this argument only covers fiction. While the first ten of these ideas cover fiction in general, the last eight pertain specifically to video games. Visual arts (painting, sculpture, illustration) should remain mostly unregulated, as should music.

There have been many petitions to edit individual works of fiction. However, to my knowledge, this is the world’s first broad-reaching argument for audience’s rights, a concept that I may very well have invented. It was extremely difficult to categorize.

Most, probably all, of these reform ideas are missing examples. No individual can know every work of fiction in existence. Therefore, I openly welcome contributions. With two of my reform ideas (#5 and #17) defined by a single example each, I am well aware that this argument is incomplete. (Conversely, I cut a few examples from some of the others.)

If I use your contribution, you will be fully credited for making me aware of it — unless you wish to remain anonymous, of course