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CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

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David Gerrold said:
In more recent years, many fans of the original series have expressed their dislike of the Jar Jar Abrams version of Trek.

Dear Mr. Gerrold,

Could we have a little professional courtesy here? Regardless of your feelings about his productions, Mr. Abrams has repeatedly demonstrated a capacity to put together successful high profile releases. These sort of personal attacks are in line with with how the Axanar group responds to things they don't like. It's almost as bad as Alec Peters revealing Tony Todd's rate. That's nobody's business.

Neil
It's also false. I can't stand JJ Trek, bu Axanar being everything I want to see as a response? That's just insulting.
 
Dammit people! I finish reading a page and you've got another one going!

Thank you a bunch to anyone who listened in and heard me talk IP (I haven't lived on Long Island since 1995 but I know it comes out at times).

I agree with Smoked Salmon (love that username) in that the particulars of IP law are certainly daunting but the essential truth should be known, not only to anyone who's ever practiced, but to most sensible laymen.

You used a thing that wasn't yours. You did not have permission to use it.

And that's the crux of the biscuit.

There truly is little else to discuss (but I'm not saying to shut down this thread; it's a blast).
 
Hi folks.

Been lurking here for around six months now, and thought I'd finally chime in. Ironically enough, it was Prelude to Axanar, and researching the Axanar team, that led me to TrekBBS. I was thinking of donating to the next Kickstarter back then, but there was enough weirdness surrounding Mr. Peters that I wasn't willing to risk it; I decided to wait and see.

Even before the lawsuit, the highly mobile goalposts made me very glad that I didn't.

I'm hoping that the suit was spawned more by the business practices around Axanar than anything else; I'm very concerned for the Renegades team and others, and have my fingers crossed that the studios feel respected enough by them that they'll be left alone, but time will tell.

Since there are a couple of legal eagles here, I wanted to point something out that I ran across and see if anyone has an informed opinion on the matter.

I come from the tech world, and when it comes to IP, there's a lot of talk there about "derivative works". Looking into it a bit, I found this gem:

In any case where a copyrighted work is used without the permission of the copyright owner, copyright protection will not extend to any part of the work in which such material has been used unlawfully.
(Source: http://copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf, page 2, top-right paragraph)

My read is that the stuff Axanar has produced cannot be copyrighted. As such, it's more or less in the public domain (with the obvious exception of the already-infringing material). Please tell me if I'm wrong here.

This would lead me to an interesting possible scenario for the future, assuming that only Axanar gets sued: if someone else has access to the script, they could then turn around and make Axanar even if Peters can't.

Not saying this is a good idea, mind you; it would be a poke in the eye at CBS, so there would probably need to be some kind of approval coming from that direction lest the new producer be sued also just on general principle.

Thoughts?
 
I missed that - Gerrold actually called Abrams "Jar Jar?"

Well, you can do a lot for people, but you can't give a guy class.

David Gerrold said:
In more recent years, many fans of the original series have expressed their dislike of the Jar Jar Abrams version of Trek.

Dear Mr. Gerrold,

Could we have a little professional courtesy here? Regardless of your feelings about his productions, Mr. Abrams has repeatedly demonstrated a capacity to put together successful high profile releases. These sort of personal attacks are in line with with how the Axanar group responds to things they don't like. It's almost as bad as Alec Peters revealing Tony Todd's rate. That's nobody's business.

Neil
It's also false. I can't stand JJ Trek, bu Axanar being everything I want to see as a response? That's just insulting.

Exactly. For other fans of the original TREK, such as myself, the new films hit all the right action-adventure drama notes that were in the original series.

And Axanar isn't something I've been craving. This production needs to stop talking as if it represents ALL TREK FANDOM.
 
This would lead me to an interesting possible scenario for the future, assuming that only Axanar gets sued: if someone else has access to the script, they could then turn around and make Axanar even if Peters can't.

That's not how it works. Otherwise CBS could just steal fan fiction to make their shows. This is why you can't send unsolicited scripts to a show. If they use it and don't pay you they're in trouble because even with their characters it's still your script.
 
Peters doesn't even seem to get the idea that he can't make a profit. Not just the studio. That's the baffling thing.

I'd love to seem him get laughed out of the courtroom if that's his defence. "Wait, you're saying that even I can't make money?"
 
Since contacting Continues they may have simply had a change of policy, bosses may have changed towards the top with people who take a dimmer view of fan films... who knows at this point it is all speculation.

This was in September....

I would expect, this action has been churning between CBS and Paramount since at least STLV... when they met with Alec....

its possible they made some short term demands while compiling their full legal options... Though September to December is a long enough time to make significant changes in policy.

Meanwhile, this July I am having two weeks vacation on the planet Jupiter! :guffaw::guffaw::guffaw::guffaw:

That is great, I hear its lovely there that time of year :rommie:
 
The new Garth?

http://i63.tinypic.com/6iwd4m.jpg
mg6ctnv9x
mg6ctnv9x
 
Dammit people! I finish reading a page and you've got another one going!

Thank you a bunch to anyone who listened in and heard me talk IP (I haven't lived on Long Island since 1995 but I know it comes out at times).

I agree with Smoked Salmon (love that username) in that the particulars of IP law are certainly daunting but the essential truth should be known, not only to anyone who's ever practiced, but to most sensible laymen.

You used a thing that wasn't yours. You did not have permission to use it.

And that's the crux of the biscuit.

There truly is little else to discuss (but I'm not saying to shut down this thread; it's a blast).
Absolutely. People forget that sometimes the obvious is staring them right in the face.

Not that I haven't encountered judges who always see it like that, but the best judges always do.
 
Peters and company have "contacts at Paramount" or have "talked with people at CBS."

Like his claim to be a lawyer, this is a statement intended to add weight to his opinion without really saying anything.

Many fan films have had contacts or friendly conversations with people at the studio, generally folks in licensing, etc. There were a few moments in my professional life where I could have honestly said that I have "contacts and conversations with people at Star Trek." Big Hoo-Hah.

Having said that, I suppose it's possible that because the producers do have some contacts at the studio they've been calling and talking with those contacts - whoever they are - and on some level really believe or hope that they can still work something behind the scenes to sit down with the legal people, have an informal conversation about exactly what they have to do to get into compliance with the studio's expectations, and do it.

I think when the studio hired Loeb & Loeb they were beyond having an interest in any conversations.
 
Prelude To Axanar was released on Aug., 2014. I stumbled across it a month later. I checked out their official home page too. I almost donated a few hundred dollars but decided to wait and see if actual production would commence as Axanar was touted for release sometime during 2015. Instead, AP went to Cons, raised more money, concentrated on merchandising ... and as yet no Axanar. At that point I decided to wait for his 2015 Annual Report. It did cross my mind CBS/Paramount might become involved because of IP violations. Fast forward to today (2016) and no Axanar, AP is being sued for IP violations, and Tony Todd quietly left months earlier (AP is still using his likeness for promotion and merchandising). I think I dodged a bullet not donating and frankly, IMHO, AP comes across as a con man.
 
I missed that - Gerrold actually called Abrams "Jar Jar?"

Well, you can do a lot for people, but you can't give a guy class.

Jar Jar "My last movie has been open for three weeks and has made 1.5 billion and by this time next week it will likely be the 4th highest grossing movie of all time" Abrams.

Thats why he shortens it all to "JJ".
 
This actually raises an important point.

If crowdfunding could raise enough money for Axanar to hire ILM, wouldn't it be fair to hold ILM liable for in some way colluding with Alec for the sake of making money? Even if Alec didn't, ILM would.
....

Left unchecked, big budget crowdfunded fan-films provide a viable cottage industry for industry pros--as "contractors". Should the buck really stop only at the producers if these contractors' involvement are so critical to scoring crowdfunding in the first place?
Hence the lawsuit by CBS. Up until now you had fan films on little better than shoestring budgets doing amazing work imitating show from decades ago. Sure there might be some confusion but spend two minutes on google and clearly STNV and STC are fan productions, not the real thing.
I doubt CBS would go after The Light Works directly, but they sure as heck would want them to stop.

Kind of like Daisy Ridley or John Boyega, before they were cast in SW:TFA they were relatively unknown.

I don't know about Daisy Ridley but Boyega was on an upwards trajectory and it would be...odd.. for someone like him to decide to appear in fan fiction...

I was thinking of recently-graduated actors looking for a gig who happen to also be rabid trek fans. :D

That talent pool is truly vast. :lol:

Actors most likely to work on these things are the type of actors we've already seen. These are actors who are already regulars in the convention circuit who would probably want nothing better than to rack up some on-screen credits again. This is also why we've seen cross-pollination from the likes of Lou Ferrigno, Erin Gray, Gil Gerard, etc... These are people who can be easily courted by fan-film producers at conventions. They don't have to go through layers of agents or anything.
I meant in the sense of new actors looking for a job. Not that the new Star Wars required much acting talent.
Why would those actors be so easily "courted" by fanfilms?
 
Peters and company have "contacts at Paramount" or have "talked with people at CBS."

Like his claim to be a lawyer, this is a statement intended to add weight to his opinion without really saying anything.

Many fan films have had contacts or friendly conversations with people at the studio, generally folks in licensing, etc. There were a few moments in my professional life where I could have honestly said that I have "contacts and conversations with people at Star Trek." Big Hoo-Hah.

Having said that, I suppose it's possible that because the producers do have some contacts at the studio they've been calling and talking with those contacts - whoever they are - and on some level really believe or hope that they can still work something behind the scenes to sit down with the legal people, have an informal conversation about exactly what they have to do to get into compliance with the studio's expectations, and do it.

I think when the studio hired Loeb & Loeb they were beyond having an interest in any conversations.

I suspect, no one is taking, or returning Peter's calls at CBS or Paramount... and if he does get through to anyone, he is being referred speak with Loeb & Loeb....
 
I missed that - Gerrold actually called Abrams "Jar Jar?"

Well, you can do a lot for people, but you can't give a guy class.

Jar Jar "My last movie has been open for three weeks and has made 1.5 billion and by this time next week it will likely be the 4th highest grossing movie of all time" Abrams.

Thats why he shortens it all to "JJ".

Dang it.. my macbook now has coffee all over it... :scream:

:guffaw::guffaw::guffaw::guffaw::guffaw:
 
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