Ironically, from what I've read, RPF actually has better standing from a legal position than fanfic does. The only law that RPF is possibly in violation of, is libel, and I believe one of the standards for libel is that you have to prove malicilious intent to damage a person's reputation, which isn't the case in RPF. Opinions that I've read seem to indicate that RPF could probably stand up to a legal challenge if it was ever issued one.

And yet it squicks the hell out of me. I think the only (amateur) RPF I've read and enjoyed involved dead people. Er, you know what I mean. Long-dead people.