CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

[Squiggy]

Well, look - he's generated a following, possibly of thousands of people (hundreds, certainly), who think what he's doing is great. Now they're whipped up into this David-v-Goliath, stick-it-to-the-Man mentality - what a great time to ask them to donate to keeping the studio open?

• 
  Maybe he comes up with 300,000-500,000 bucks to keep Ares Studio going.
• Within the next few days or weeks he pretty much has to throw in the towel on Axanar, but -
• Now he has the resources to start making an original science fiction movie/program on a limited budget -
• Assuming that he can get out from under the CBS lawsuit simply by folding the Axanar tent and reaching a financial settlement.
• Maybe he has money left over from the Axanar Kickstarters to roll into an original movie.

It's really kind of inspired, if you think about it.

If he keeps flipping off everyone who isn't kissing his ass then CBS might drop the hammer again and sue for control Ares since Star Trek was the source of funds.

I don't know if that's even legally possible, but if it's tangled up in lawsuits then I don't think any crowdfunding platform would want to touch it.

And good luck putting a crew together with the fist of CBS/Paramount legal pummeling your production. Want to ensure you'll never work in LA again? Get on Axanar's IMDB and that'll happen.

 

[OpenMaw]

It's really kind of inspired, if you think about it.

If he could manage that kind of maneuvering, sure. That would be incredible, in a way.

But who from the Axanar production is really going to want to hang close to him after how close he's brought them to the brink? What has Tobias had to say about this? Richard Hatch? Any of the other people higher up who were committed? I just can't imagine them wanting to stay close to Alec after everything that has transpired within the last 30 odd hours.

Holy Crap, Alec is going to do a new kickstarter! They're making it clear Ares Studios is a serpate for profit business seperate from the Axanar film.

All I can say to this is...

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hR2uG6jgt4[/yt]

 

[Danlav05]

I have the Prelude blu Ray and I went for the same perk for the feature but I'm not really a supporter anymore, I'm staying away while all this goes on. I'll let the judge decide!

Alec and Burnett's reaction has been bloody bizarre though

 

[Tom]

If he loses everything, will CBS take the cat too?

 

[BillJ]

Holy Crap, Alec is going to do a new kickstarter!

He really is living in his own little world isn't he ?

I wish him the best of luck. It is unfortunate for many people who donated to Axanar that he didn't do this the right way to begin with.

 

[USS Intrepid]

The key point being "public statement". Neither CBS nor Paramount have said squat publicly. Regardless of Patty's comment, she is quoting what has supposedly been said privately to one particular group. It's certainly not a public statement.

Hence my "Ehhh..." because, no, no official public statement has been made, productions have been contacted, and some have revealed the details of those conversations. Which made it clear enough to me anyway that fan films in general shouldn't be trifaling with things like crowdfunding or "donor stores."

By the by, I also want to throw my regards out there. I don't think anyone has any ill feelings towards you or your production. Quite the contrary in fact.

Ah apologies, I completely misunderstood.

Thanks, I didn't think they did, I just don't want anyone ascribing any particular intent to my comments. I just want to see this all worked out amicably and no one hurt.

 

[Mudd]

All of that is true, of course.

One has to wonder what folks like Hertzler are thinking right now - CBS is a big employer, they're getting ready to launch a new Trek series that no one knows anything about, and many of these actors have histories with the Franchise. I remember when the new series announcement first came out, writer Melinda Snodgrass expressed some passing concern about getting "sideways with CBS" via involvement with Renegades. Mightn't working actors feel the same now about Axanar?

 

[SuperSpaceMan]

All of that is true, of course.

One has to wonder what folks like Hertzler are thinking right now - CBS is a big employer, they're getting ready to launch a new Trek series that no one knows anything about, and many of these actors have histories with the Franchise. I remember when the new series announcement first came out, writer Melinda Snodgrass expressed some passing concern about getting "sideways with CBS" via involvement with Renegades. Mightn't working actors feel the same now about Axanar?

That's why I think they went with a big splashy lawsuit vs. a quiet cease and desist.... Hatch has made a statement on his FB page. kind of in the middle... understanding why CBS did what they did, and yet, praising the fans....

 

[Karzak]

All of that is true, of course.

One has to wonder what folks like Hertzler are thinking right now - CBS is a big employer, they're getting ready to launch a new Trek series that no one knows anything about, and many of these actors have histories with the Franchise. I remember when the new series announcement first came out, writer Melinda Snodgrass expressed some passing concern about getting "sideways with CBS" via involvement with Renegades. Mightn't working actors feel the same now about Axanar?

Very likely they will feel exactly so. And you're only as good as your last job in Hollywood, so I doubt its something many of them will want on their resume after this, especially if they want to hopefully get work on the new series. Certainly prior relationships with casting directors will trump that, and I don't see CBS laying down a ban hammer on casting, but depending on how the showrunners feel about all this, they might not want anyone from the old guard in the new show either way.

 

[Tom]

He is selling this as the trial of the century, what law firm would take this case pro-bono?

But don’t worry, we have a great attitude and I was on the phone with one of the top Intellectual Property law firms in the US today discussing taking on Axanar Productions on a pro-bono basis. I can say they were quite interested in representing us as they knew about the law suit and had already decided that this was going to be a very high profile case that could shape intellectual property law for the entertainment industry.
Nothing has changed here at Axanar. We are moving forward!

 

[SuperSpaceMan]

He is selling this as the trial of the century, what law firm would take this case?

But don’t worry, we have a great attitude and I was on the phone with one of the top Intellectual Property law firms in the US today discussing taking on Axanar Productions on a pro-bono basis. I can say they were quite interested in representing us as they knew about the law suit and had already decided that this was going to be a very high profile case that could shape intellectual property law for the entertainment industry.
Nothing has changed here at Axanar. We are moving forward!

I suspect, that once the injection is ordered by the courts, their defense will melt...

 

[Woulfe]

If he loses everything, will CBS take the cat too?

I'm under the impression once all this ends...

"They'll never work in this town again"

One does not screw around w/ the system and walk away scott-free...

 

[BillJ]

He is selling this as the trial of the century, what law firm would take this case pro-bono?

But don’t worry, we have a great attitude and I was on the phone with one of the top Intellectual Property law firms in the US today discussing taking on Axanar Productions on a pro-bono basis. I can say they were quite interested in representing us as they knew about the law suit and had already decided that this was going to be a very high profile case that could shape intellectual property law for the entertainment industry.
Nothing has changed here at Axanar. We are moving forward!

Didn't they claim, at some point, that they were in contact with a top lawyer and that everything was fine?

 

[Karzak]

If he loses everything, will CBS take the cat too?

I'm under the impression once all this ends...

"They'll never work in this town again"

One does not screw around w/ the system and walk away scott-free...

A very large part of all this is the unfortunate result of Peters simply not knowing nearly as much about Hollywood as he thinks he does or as much as he likes to broadcast to the world that he does.

Make no mistake -- this entire debacle is going to destroy any chance he has at starting a reputable or successful career in this business.

 

[SeerSGB]

Nowhere in that official statement is there anything that suggests that Axanar has the capacity to defend the charges being brought against them. It's all air.

$150,000 per infringement can be very, very costly...

Okay, pardon my complete ignorance of law here - but the existence of 20 "John Doe" defendants to be named later, with the possibility that they could be designers, writers, actors...mightn't this encourage more staff to jump ship in the coming days in the hope of putting some daylight between themselves and the whole fouled up situation?

It's got to be clear pretty quickly to a number of the folks involved that Axanar's producers have no real workable legal strategy to defend themselves. The most they can do is cross their fingers and wish upon a star that for some reason CBS will decide to "negotiate" rather than press forward.

A negotiation really requires that both parties have something that the other values.

That's what I am thinking... basically go all Trump on Axanar, by sucking the O2 out of the room, leaving everyone running for cover, and mop up after the fact...

I think letting Alec know via trades vs. a phone call was part of that strategy...

What do you mean they aren't required to pay?

So you're saying that anyone who funds a kickstarter is throwing money away without any return because people can then just walk away with the money if they decide? That can't be right. Looking at Kickstarter's terms it says promises must be fulfilled.

If Axanar goes bankrupt that, at the very least, they would surely be entitled to become creditors in such proceedings and the trustee in bankruptcy would seek to recover what it could to repay them?

Kickstarter has no way to ensure you return the money... There have been a few flops that have seen write ups in various news sources.. but basically, donors have to band together in class action lawsuits... Do you really think the people who are ready to burn down CBS for Axanar would really launch a Class Action lawsuit? Anything that would turn opinion against axanar would only come out at trial, once CBS has taken everything from Axanar and Peters.....

Maybe CBS plans on filming the new trek series at Ares Studios....

Here is an interesting story about Crowdfunding failure...
http://www.inc.com/eric-markowitz/when-kickstarter-investors-want-their-money-back.html

I'd fully expect a few delusional fans to call for a class action suit against CBS/Paramount, but it'll be all talk of course.

Peters will be crowdfunding his next film venture before you know it, with the full support of his Axanar followers.

i was thinking this last night myself. He takes a hit here. Grabs the Axanar script. Files off the serial numbers and reuses it to make a low-budget (Asylum level) sci-fi movie. Completely funded by his loyal fans--- who will cry to the heavens that is is a 100% better than Star Trek

 

[Zaminhon]

So I wonder how much of the Kickstarter and indiegogo funds will be going to the legal fund?

 

[mos6507]

A very large part of all this is the unfortunate result of Peters simply not knowing nearly as much about Hollywood as he thinks he does or as much as he likes to broadcast to the world that he does.

Make no mistake -- this entire debacle is going to destroy any chance he has at starting a reputable or successful career in this business.

BTW, not to derail the thread, but while all this went down, Quentin Tarantino just got sued for Django Unchained. The coincidence of the Axanar mess is even noted in this article.

I just wouldn't assume that you can't have a successful showbiz career if you've been slapped with a lawsuit. It's a litigious place. In the end I think people only care about how much money you've made.

 

[Harvey]

Nowhere in that official statement is there anything that suggests that Axanar has the capacity to defend the charges being brought against them. It's all air.

$150,000 per infringement can be very, very costly...

Kickstarter has no way to ensure you return the money... There have been a few flops that have seen write ups in various news sources.. but basically, donors have to band together in class action lawsuits... Do you really think the people who are ready to burn down CBS for Axanar would really launch a Class Action lawsuit? Anything that would turn opinion against axanar would only come out at trial, once CBS has taken everything from Axanar and Peters.....

Maybe CBS plans on filming the new trek series at Ares Studios....

Here is an interesting story about Crowdfunding failure...
http://www.inc.com/eric-markowitz/when-kickstarter-investors-want-their-money-back.html

I'd fully expect a few delusional fans to call for a class action suit against CBS/Paramount, but it'll be all talk of course.

Peters will be crowdfunding his next film venture before you know it, with the full support of his Axanar followers.

i was thinking this last night myself. He takes a hit here. Grabs the Axanar script. Files off the serial numbers and reuses it to make a low-budget (Asylum level) sci-fi movie. Completely funded by his loyal fans--- who will cry to the heavens that is is a 100% better than Star Trek

So...Space Command?

 

[Tom]

I was thinking this last night myself. He takes a hit here. Grabs the Axanar script. Files off the serial numbers and reuses it to make a low-budget (Asylum level) sci-fi movie. Completely funded by his loyal fans--- who will cry to the heavens that is is a 100% better than Star Trek

He wont have the money after the suit and fans wont give him enough money to get it done.

 

[SeerSGB]

So I wonder how much of the Kickstarter and indiegogo funds will be going to the legal fund?

Probably 0%. I expect a legal fund crowdfunding campaign to pop up soon. Or passing the hate on social media via PayPal