Currently Untitled JJverse Next Gen Production

Apologies, but I believe you are mistaken. They can shut down any fanfilm they like at any time. The 'no profit' line is simply one of the reasons they turn a blind eye, but they have every legal right to shut them down, regardless of whether they are for profit or not.

 

This is true.

 

As an attorney, I can tell you that you are 100% wrong.

And even the non-lawyers here know this. Please don't do anything stupid that risks the ability of all of us to continue doing what we love. CBS ignores us so long as we don't do anything that crosses the line.

 

More to the point, even if they didn't have legal grounds the threat of a legal hassle is enough so that most people would cave as soon as a C&D was served, because who's going to spend the time and money to fight such a suit?

 

*raises hand*

It hasn't stopped the other guys from making fan films. So why worry?

 

Do what you want. If you get a Cease & Desist, that's the risk you (and all fan film makers) take.

 

I would strongly suggest dropping the "JJverse" tagline, and just have this series set in an alternate universe/timeline of your own creation. Don't put any references in the story to the current movies. I think its a safe bet that they DON'T want fan films set in the future of their "JJverse", because that future hasn't been written yet. We saw in TNG that their were alternate universes, so it might be best to just create your own and play with it.

 

I will be talking to Paramount, or at least my lawyer, about exactly what I can get away with. I use the phrase "JJverse" only to demonstrate to those on here that it's planning to be a rather flashy version of Star Trek. I'm bringing the stories back toward a more Roddenberry approach, but sticking with the rather elaborate visuals of JJ's.

 

Good luck and i'd love to see another fan film, but if you try cbs/paramounts patience they might just decide to shut down all the fan films.

 

I encourage you to create your own universe. Many fan films have done that, and it makes you far less likely to get on the wrong side of the owners of Trek.
Here are two which were adopted by more than one fan filmmaker:

Star Track http://startrekreviewed.blogspot.com/2009/06/96.html . Note that this fan film series had enough devoted fans than another group created their own series in the Star Track universe: http://startrekreviewed.blogspot.com/2009/06/97.html

Star Trekz Empire: http://startrekreviewed.blogspot.com/2009/06/124.html and the related (possibly same universe, but different producer and writer) Fem Trekz: http://startrekreviewed.blogspot.com/2009/06/117.html

 

But what about New Voyages and Continues? Or the dozens others out there that use official names and such? How did they get around it?

EDIT: Also, what does a more Roddenberry approach mean?