In particular, fictional characters within a work are presumed to be simply ideas unless they are sufficiently developed to legally constitute elements of expression.
This axiomatic principle is easy to state but can be difficult to apply in the context of fictional characters because a properly copyrighted work does not mean every element of the work is protected.
By coincidence, photo retailer Photojojo featured a pointer on its Twitter feed today to the pop culture blog Accidental Mysteries, and a lovely spread on Camera Comics, a 1940s comic-book series glamorizing the work of historical photographers like Matthew Brady and fictional heroes like Jim Lane Insurance Investigator!
The setting is Hanmouth, a fictional location in Southwest England, where along the outskirts of town exist a population of violent, work-shy, welfare-dependent scroungers pacified only by soap operas.