‘Bad Art Friend’ Story Didn’t Infringe on Copyright (Correct)

Various versions of a story by Sonya Larson called the “The Kindest"—which was inspired by a letter posted to Facebook by Dawn Dorland Perry about her decision to donate a kidney to a stranger—are protected by fair use, a federal court in Massachusetts said Thursday.

Even so, Perry didn’t defame Larson or interfere with her business relationships when she accused Larson of plagiarism, the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts said.

The feud between Larson and Perry was made famous—or rather infamous—by a 2021 article in The New York Times that took the internet by storm and had ...