08/21/2025
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฌ
As questions and speculation have circulated on social media, we want to address this matter directly, clearly, and finally.
Windgarden Books has thoroughly reviewed Fly High Butterfly by S.O. Yang through both our in-house copyright assessment process and independent legal counsel. A neutral third-party legal review was also conducted. The conclusion across the board is clear:
๐น๐๐ฆ ๐ป๐๐โ ๐ต๐ข๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ.
๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ:
โข While both Fly High Butterfly and Memoirs of a Haunted Hmong Girl draw on shared Hmong folklore, mythology, and cultural motifs, these elements are part of the public domain and are not protected by copyright.
โข Fly High Butterfly is rooted in S.O. Yangโs personal lived experiences and creative inspirations, which are wholly unique to her.
โข Our comparative analysis, reviewed by legal counsel, confirms that any overlaps are limited to general themes and tropes that copyright law does not and cannot protect.
โข The expression, storyline, and characters of Fly High Butterfly are original to S.O. Yang.
To put this in perspective, stories like Cinderella and Snow White have been retold in countless ways across cultures, each version unique in its characters, details, and expression. Copyright law does not grant one author ownership over universal ideas or tropes โ only over their distinct creative expression. Likewise, S.O. Yangโs work draws from her own life and imagination, making her novel wholly her own.
This matter has been formally addressed through proper legal channels. Both our Publisher Support Letter and the legal review establish that there is no copyright infringement claim to be made here. Additionally, Fly High Butterfly is officially registered with the U.S. Copyright Office (Reg. No. TX 9-522-256, decision date July 29, 2025).
At Windgarden Books, we stand firmly behind our authors. Online speculation and social media commentary are not legal findings, and we encourage readers to trust the facts and the work itself.
We remain committed to amplifying diverse voices, supporting our authors with integrity, and protecting the creative freedom that allows stories like Fly High Butterfly to exist in the first place.
โ
Tabitha Sterling
Director of Author Relations
Windgarden Books
For press or reader inquiries, please contact [email protected], and your message will be directed to our Author Relations team.
