“Whatever You Do, ‘Don’t Call It “Mommy Porn”’: Fifty Shades of Grey, Fan Culture, and the Limits of Intellectual Property Rights

Beginning with Fifty Shades of Grey, E. L. James' trilogy of romance novels has become a major phenomenon in popular culture. Fifty Shades of Grey stands as the best-selling book of all time in the UK as well as the fastest-selling series in the US. This paper aims to highlight some reasons behind the Fifty Shades phenomenon and its impact on the romance novel genre. In addition, this essay will address the series' effect on fan culture as well as its role in the debate over the publishing of fan-written stories based off an existing work, or "fanfiction," and intellectual property laws. As a result, this discussion raises questions about the future of romance publishing and fanfiction communities that have been significantly impacted by the Fifty Shades of Grey series