Communists are the ones who would beleive that Star Trek should belong to everyone.
CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar
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Communists are the ones who would beleive that Star Trek should belong to everyone.
I listened to about half an hour's worth, beginning at the 1:04 mark - hope I caught most of what you had to say.
Money changes everything, but I know some other fan-made projects where that's been the semi-official plan B in case the IP owner complains. The milieu and the trappings are a small part of what goes into making an entire narrative film (or a video game, in the case where I first heard the idea suggested). It should probably be considered SOP for any large-scale fan work that if the IP holder comes calling, you can either abandon the project, or convert and relaunch it as your own IP (with blackjack! And hookers!). Fighting it is not an alternative.
Actually, even with the backers, if this had been considered early and included as a contingency plan under the "risks" section where Axanar talked about the possibility of CBS closing them down, it wouldn't be a problem. There'd be complaining, but it would've always been in the fine print.
Still, Peters et al. have made it abundantly clear that Axanar is inexorably connected to Star Trek as a whole for them. And that's fine! If they feel, for whatever reason, the story needs the context of the larger Trek universe, that's their call. It would obviously be hard for them (in an emotional sense, not a practical one) to turn Axanar into a generic space adventure, and I can't tell them if it'd be worth whatever they'd lose from it not being a Star Trek story. It's their call whether the story they're telling would be better served by dying as Star Trek or living as its own thing.
If it were me? Our time on this Earth is so precious, and our works are fleeting, and if the only way to finish and release something I gave years of myself to was to let go of how I wanted it and turn it into a story where the Nognilk Imperium was in a war with the Galactic Commonwealth (from which the small-eared, blue-blooded Nacluv were threatening to secede) and the brave and daring Captain Wayne of the G.C.S. Ares is the only man who can save the day, then by God I'd do it with a song in my heart and a spring in my step.
(And I'd try very hard not to roll my eyes whenever someone said how great it was someone made something original, and not another remake or sequel.)
how great it is someone made something original, and not another remake or sequel
Dammit.
(If the thread wasn't moving so fast, I'd make a still version of the roll-eyes smiley, but the moment would be gone, so you get the back-up joke that doesn't infringe on smiley IP with an unauthorized spin-off)
Even if they were to file off the proverbial serial numbers at this point, Peters and co. already made Prelude to Axanar and shot a scene from the feature, and fundraised heavily based on the Star Trek IP for both projects -- up to and including a plethora of unlicensed merchandise. It's too late to put the Genie back in the bottle on this one.
Gerrold should know that, but he's both out of touch and much more invested in this project and its makers than he's now willing to admit.
Gerrold should know that, but he's both out of touch and much more invested in this project and its makers than he's now willing to admit.
I've read some truly godawful novels in my life; one of the worse books i read is celebrated as a milestone novel in both scifi and pop culture in general: "Stranger In A Strange Land"
by Robert Heinlein. It's a classic, but I hated it.
A fanfic written and self published (free ebook etc) by a professional author can be as good - or better - as any licensed novel, but that would be the exception and not the rule. There are some authors for which lightning clearly does not strike more than once (Timothy Zahn, in my opinion authored two of the best Star Wars series ever published. OTOH, many of his other works that i've read failed to impress me or downright disappointed me).
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Jespah, just want to say I love the podcast you made. It was great to hear someone clarify and clean up the water. I mean, yeah, you essentially said Axanar is pretty much ultra-screwed, but you did it in a fun, entertaining, engaging way. 
Sturgeon's law. Just because someone gets paid for something doesn't mean it's great quality. It may be more likely to be better, but it's no stamp of quality.
The most famous fan-fic of all time was, as most people know, the original version of 50 Shades of Grey (for Twilight). The dividing line between a fan-fic author and a pro author is not as clearly defined as people think it is.
I am not sure if this is posted, but the Axerna Production was selling coffee with images from the fan film. Can anyone confirm this.
Here is the link
http://hansacoffee.com/shop/axanar-ramirez/
Here is the link
http://hansacoffee.com/shop/axanar-ramirez/
I wonder about that. Schmoeknow has some merchandise with images from the Star Wars universe mixed in with their own designs, and I know there are some other Youtube celebs with merchandise that mixes licensed products with original products as well.
(And yes, I'm thinking of buying some of those shirt designs from Schmoesknow because I'm in a SW mood, I'm a Schmoesknow fan, and they - the shirts - look pretty snazzy!)
Wow - some sites are either clueless or assuming as I have to wonder if Hansacoffee even inquired if Axanar productions HAD a license/permission from CBS/Paramount to do this (Not to mention using Tony Todd's image on a 'for sale' product AFTER he had parted ways with the production.) That company has opened itself to being added as one of the 20 'johndoes' named in the suit; and possibly a $150K infraction per bag of coffee sold (amazing the item is still listed too).
Yes they are real.
There are many unlicensed items the Axanar Donor store had been advertising and distributing.
Posters:
T-shirts:
Starship model kits:
Patches:
Soundtrack CDs:
Blu-Rays & DVDs:
IDIC Patches:
There are many unlicensed items the Axanar Donor store had been advertising and distributing.
Posters:
T-shirts:
Starship model kits:
Patches:
Soundtrack CDs:
Blu-Rays & DVDs:
IDIC Patches:
I think I just answered my own question above. It looks like the Axanar production crossed the line in creating ships, soundtracks, decals, and other items that would generally have to be licensed in order to be sold...as brought out by Karzak.
This is something I haven't seen from other fan films (at least the ones who are shooting for the 'professional' look and feel while remaining within legal boundaries) since Axanar is now referring to its production as a 'fan film.'
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