CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

Discussion in 'Fan Productions' started by Richard Baker, Dec 30, 2015.

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  1. steam235

    steam235 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    It could bankrupt them or it could shoo away some of the star talent. If one or two of the billed actors decided to move away from a now controversial project, things could end quickly.

    Frankly I wonder if the production can shift to a non Star Trek story along the same lines. The creative force behind Megaman video games left and crowd sourced a "Megaman style" game called Mighty No 9. I think too much is at stake for it to not have "Klingons" "Starfleet" and the iconic Star Trek ship designs.
     
  2. ConRefit79

    ConRefit79 Captain Captain

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    The cats out of the bag when it comes to Star Trek fan films. CBS allowed it for years. What's different here? That Axanar may approach television or film quality production? Is New Voyages next. I know they've solicited donations to recreate the Desilu sets..
     
  3. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    I still see it.
     
  4. steam235

    steam235 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Sure, they probably spoke with a lawyer, who promptly said "Don't speak about it at all" They've riled up their fans to get some grass roots support but from here on we probably won't hear much about it at all until it's settled.

    Looks like the postings on Doug Drexler's page are gone too.
     
  5. 9gs

    9gs Commander Red Shirt

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    I am sure CBS is trying to decide whether they want to piss off most of the existing Star Trek fan base by shutting down all the fans productions or selectively enforcing the copyrights and pissing off some of the fan base. In the end the former may be legally the most cost effective route.
     
  6. Dukhat

    Dukhat Admiral Admiral

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    So, I'm a bit confused. I've asked this question before, and I've never gotten a satisfactory answer. And it's such a simple question, too.

    Here it is, again:

    I was under the impression that fan productions are not allowed to make any kind of profit, in any way. So how is it possible that some fan productions can have Kickstarter campaigns, and also be able to pay their talent?
     
  7. slappy

    slappy Commodore Commodore

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    If you're looking to get your money back, good luck.

    I don't think you'll ever see it.
     
  8. Squiggy

    Squiggy FrozenToad Admiral

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    Most of the fan base doesn't care about fan productions.

    True. But TPTB probably won't care enough to enforce anything until you start making money.
     
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  9. SeerSGB

    SeerSGB Admiral Admiral

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    Where the guys running the Axanar Facebook pages smart, they'd embargo any talk or discussion of the lawsuit on a public page. You can bet CBS lawyers are watching. Plus there's so many armchairs lawyers on their its comical.
     
  10. slappy

    slappy Commodore Commodore

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    I cared about this one and only this one and now I'll probably never see it.
     
  11. Philip Guyott

    Philip Guyott Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    The plaintiffs demand a trial by jury. Should be interesting.
     
  12. SeerSGB

    SeerSGB Admiral Admiral

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    It's still there: https://www.facebook.com/StarTrekAxanar/posts/887198424728015

    Comic artist Colleen Doran wades into the debate: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10153378872831314&id=311416896313

     
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  13. SuperSpaceMan

    SuperSpaceMan Captain Captain

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    Not to mention, both Alec, AND his GF were drawing salaries....
     
  14. ALF

    ALF Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Damages, eh? That's pretty goddamn threatening.
    Is this the beginning of the end (of fanfilms)?

    CBS/Paramount. I wonder if they've really thought this through to its natural conclusion... is this really the kind of exposure they want? If the intent is to send a message, will it resonate? I also wonder if they have a chance in hell of collecting said damages. If it's gone this far, clearly the lawyers expect success with it. I just don't see most civilians willing to stand with CBS, a company that releases (trolls with) Star Trek trailers with motorcycle chases in the hopes of pleasing their fan base.

    So weird. Start right clicking and saving all your favorite Trek fan film episodes, I guess. :(
     
  15. SeerSGB

    SeerSGB Admiral Admiral

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    Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to see the IRS brought in on this. I'm not one for wanting to see someone's dirty laundry, but I'm betting it's going to be...interesting when things get cooking.
     
  16. Serveaux

    Serveaux Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    Xerox used to routinely run magazine ads and make other efforts to inhibit the use of the term "xerox" as a synonym for photocopying. The thinking, apparently, was that failure to protect a trademark with regularity makes it more likely that it would be ruled generic in some later court case.
     
  17. SeerSGB

    SeerSGB Admiral Admiral

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    I think Johnson & Johnson (?) did the same thing with the term "Band-Aide"
     
  18. Squiggy

    Squiggy FrozenToad Admiral

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    Probably the end of fanfilms of this magnitude.


    Their days were numbered anyway. CBS wasn't going to care or enforce anything as long as Trek sat on the shelves. Once a series got back in the works they were going to clamp down on anything that might distract from their Trek (which is the one True Trek. Amen).
     
  19. OpenMaw

    OpenMaw Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Yeah... That's not going to end well. At all. :(



    See this is what I was alluding to in another thread awhile ago. I was missing the old days when fan films, all of them, were sort of quaint and much humbler outings. Over the last few years they have gotten more and more professional, and I could only sense this was going to end badly somewhere. The kickstarters, all of them, scared the Hell out of me. And that is not a reflection on any of the people running them. I have no idea of any of the people behind them personally, just the idea. It didn't seem smart in the long term for these series to go so lavish.

    I mean, you can try to couch things in certain terms and words and pretend that you're not doing what you are doing, but having things like a "store" and selling merch even though you're saying that these are "perks" for "donating" when in reality someone is basically buying unofficial Star Trek merchandise and helping you pay for your project via the profits made off of selling said merchandise. Things like that made me really worried.

    Eh, this is a very sad event. The fact that Alec jumped right to "WE SHALL FIGHT TO THE LAST MAN" is also most unfortunate, and if he truly believes he has anything to stand on... Eh.
     
  20. Karzak

    Karzak Commodore Commodore

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    :lol:
     
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