CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

[The_Grand_Nagus]

So, obviously, this is already a really long thread. And as I just signed up for this forum today, I haven't read it. However, I have read about and discussed this topic elsewhere, and here is my understanding on this subject:

The number 1 rule with fan films is that you cannot make a profit using someone else's IP without their permission.

So why is Axanar in trouble? Well, they obviously raised money to make their project. But that, in itself, is not a problem as long as they are not actually profiting and all of the money is invested into the project itself.

However, Axanar's own financial report shows 2 big red flags:

1) Alec Peters and a few others were paying themselves a salary.

2) They are building a sound stage which they intend to rent out for profit to fund future projects, which have nothing to do with Axanar.

Now, to address why these 2 points are problems.

1) The salaries: It is not unusual for non profits to have paid employees. However, the big problem here is that they are using the Trek IP without permission.

If you want to work for and get PAID by the Red Cross, you have to get them to actually hire you. You can't just print off a bunch of their logos then go down to your local mall and set up a table to take donations without their permission, then KEEP some of that donated money to pay yourself for your time.

2) The Sound Stage: this is essentially the same problem as discussed above. They are collecting money by using the Trek IP without permission, then building something they plan to use to make a profit.

In both of these situations, the problem is the exact same issue:

They are making a profit by using the Trek IP without permission.

All of that said, I have no idea whether this was intentional or just a mistake made by busy people. I definitely believe the Axanar team loves Trek and isn't trying to scam anyone. However, if this was just a mistake, then they should be apologizing, not pretending to be a victim when they are they ones are in the wrong.

Also, I understand some other fan film projects make have crossed some lines as well. But when the cop pulls you over for speeding, saying "that guy did it first" doesn't change the fact that you are now in trouble because you did something wrong.

 

[dayxday1000]

Oh hey, the whiny Instagram post is gone.

FOR POSTERITY:

(click for larger)

I know this is peripheral to the whole thing, but why does the schematic on the panel behind him show a Constitution-class ship?

Can't help feeling they could have borrowed/painted/repainted the NV Enterprise sets for $5000 rather than build a new one for $120,000 or whatever they spent.

You could have blown the difference on sushi.

Their plan was to build a bridge set based on the Constitution class that would double as the bridge of other ships (including the Ares) by changing out graphics, color scheme, control panels, and removable stations.

 

[Iamnotspock]

Someone likened Peters to John Belushi's portrayal of Captain Kirk on the final days of Star Trek in the famous SNL sketch. Seems pretty spot-on to me.

That would be me.

Burnett: "Frankly, Alec, I'm exhausted."

 

[Karzak]

Guys, look! The Clone Wars did an episode about Axanar!

 

[JD]

The more I see #BoycottStarTrekBeyond, the more I want to #seeitasmanytimesaspossible (see it as many times as possible).

 

[Sean_McCormick]

Oh hey, the whiny Instagram post is gone.

FOR POSTERITY:

(click for larger)

I know this is peripheral to the whole thing, but why does the schematic on the panel behind him show a Constitution-class ship?

3 possible answers:
1) They were temporary graphics from a Constitution-class design not yet changed for the Ares-class
2) The story involved scanning a Constitution-class ship or looking it up in the databanks or something
3) The super-secret ending to the story was supposedly that the newly-built Enterprise would show up and save the day. This may have been the graphics doubling for the Enterprise (as Khan 2.0 posted)

IMHO the prelude made it quite clear, that the brilliant plan was a trap involving the "not operational" Connies under construction as bait ("not operational" in the sense of the battle of Endor in ROJ).

 

[Karzak]

 

[The_Grand_Nagus]

The more I see #BoycottStarTrekBeyond, the more I want to #seeitasmanytimesaspossible (see it as many times as possible).

2 points:

1) Don't let other people control. If you actually want to see a movie multiple times because you like it, that's fine. But seeing a movie multiple times *because* other people are boycotting it is letting those people control you. Don't give them that power over you in the first place.

2) The vast majority(not every single one, as there are always exceptions) of people who are threatening to boycott the movie are more than likely the people who hated the last 2 anyway. And guess what? The last 2 movies did just fine. The same will be true of 'Beyond'.

 

[urbandefault]

^^Those threatening to boycott are many times more than those who will actually not see the movie. Trek fans, even the JJ haters, can't stay away. Even if they think it will be a train wreck, they'll show up to see the crash.

I predict Beyond will be the biggest Trek yet.

 

[KennyB]

The more I see #BoycottStarTrekBeyond, the more I want to #seeitasmanytimesaspossible (see it as many times as possible).

2 points:

1) Don't let other people control. If you actually want to see a movie multiple times because you like it, that's fine. But seeing a movie multiple times *because* other people are boycotting it is letting those people control you. Don't give them that power over you in the first place.

2) The vast majority(not every single one, as there are always exceptions) of people who are threatening to boycott the movie are more than likely the people who hated the last 2 anyway. And guess what? The last 2 movies did just fine. The same will be true of 'Beyond'.

The boycotters will see it opening weekend so they can bitch and blog about it...........c'mon.....they ain't foolin nobody.

 

[urbandefault]

Just thinking out loud here ...

Peters and Burnett have dug their own graves in the movie biz. They're done. After this is over nobody will hire them to clean toilets.

Others might be brought back into the fold with a simple invitation to a focus group type pre-screening of Beyond. Or, in the case of David Gerrold and other past-Trek insiders, to "consult" on the new series.

Show business egos can be fragile, and a little stroking could produce a ton of positive vibes among the raging hordes.

 

[Noname Given]

The more I see #BoycottStarTrekBeyond, the more I want to #seeitasmanytimesaspossible (see it as many times as possible).

2 points:

1) Don't let other people control. If you actually want to see a movie multiple times because you like it, that's fine. But seeing a movie multiple times *because* other people are boycotting it is letting those people control you. Don't give them that power over you in the first place.

2) The vast majority(not every single one, as there are always exceptions) of people who are threatening to boycott the movie are more than likely the people who hated the last 2 anyway. And guess what? The last 2 movies did just fine. The same will be true of 'Beyond'.

The boycotters will see it opening weekend so they can bitch and blog about it...........c'mon.....they ain't foolin nobody.

What amazes me is after all the Axanar film crowfund raising,(and again, yes I backed and wanted to see the film, but it would have no effect one way or the other on whether wanted to see 'Star Trek: Beyond' or not because I plan to either way as I enjoyed the previous 2 JJ Abrams films), ALL we have is a 3 minute scene of Ambassador Soval speaking to his aide about the current political situation between Vulcan and the Federation.
^^^
That all these fervent Axanar supporters can from that 3 minutes claim:

- Axanar is what ALL Star Trek fans want to see...

- Axanar is better than any official Star Trek produced by CBS/Paramount in the last decade...

- Axanar will be better then 'Star Trek: Beyond' in every way...

is beyond me. I didn't realize all the fervent Axanar supporters were so clairvoyant based on 3 minutes of actual footage.

 

[Ion]

(edit: oops. lost the image somewhere along the way, and I'm too lazy to put it back. But you know which one I'm talking 'bout, right?)

Every time I see this image, my feeling of "That's supposed to be Star Trek? Really?" intensifies.

I think it's the silver borders around the displays. I don't remember those from any series. Perhaps my memory is faulty. Either way, they're tacky.

 

[Zaminhon]

^That's my view as well, Noname Given, particularly #1, Axanar is what ALL Star Trek fans want to see...

Really? a Garth film would never have occurred to me until Axanar popped up, then it was just mild curiosity.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Others might be brought back into the fold with a simple invitation to a focus group type pre-screening of Beyond. Or, in the case of David Gerrold and other past-Trek insiders, to "consult" on the new series.

Why would they want to offer an olive branch to Gerrold? They don't need him. They haven't used him since the very early years of TNG.

Why should they give a fuck?

 

[urbandefault]

Others might be brought back into the fold with a simple invitation to a focus group type pre-screening of Beyond. Or, in the case of David Gerrold and other past-Trek insiders, to "consult" on the new series.

Why would they want to offer an olive branch to Gerrold? They don't need him. They haven't used him since the very early years of TNG.

Why should they give a fuck?

I don't think they do. But bringing in some of these people for meetings would stroke the egos and might generate some goodwill. Look what Abrams did with James Cawley, giving him a walk-on. That right there put butts in seats, regardless of what Cawley has said since.

It would probably never happen, and as I said I was just thinking out loud. But you never know in Hollyweird.

 

[Red Shirt]

Realizing that shit just got real, Alec has moved to Plan B:

Change the conditions of the test.

He intends to reprogram the simulation so that it's possible to rescue Axanar Productions.


He can do it - he's a software engineer (thirty-five years ago, he taught himself Basic on a TRS-80 home computer).

The more I read from Peters, the more I think his goal has shifted to finding a way to keep as much of the money as he can for himself and fuck everyone else. I honestly don't have anything against the man on a personal level---don't know him to like him or hate him---but going on the stuff he's posting online he's coming across less honest than a used car lot salesman. He trying to save his own hide, plus come out ahead of the game to boot.

No doubt AP is out to save himself and try to keep Ares Studios in the process. He's already tried very publicly throwing honest Trek fan endeavors under the bus with disingenuous finger pointing.

After CBS/Paramount is done with him, AP wont have so much as an Axanar prop left to sell via Propworx. His credibility is shot and his temperament has demonstrated he's definitely not "professional."

IMO, AP has a knack for superficially charming people when he wants their money but so does any con artist with varying degrees of success.

 

[Mudd]

We're talking about a guy who trashes and threatens people who say things he doesn't want to hear - and he's really not as good at doing it as a primary school bully is.

 

[urbandefault]

We're talking about a guy who trashes and threatens people who say things he doesn't want to hear - and he's really not as good at doing it as a primary school bully is.

Has he started putting snakes in mailboxes yet?

 

[Professor Zoom]

Others might be brought back into the fold with a simple invitation to a focus group type pre-screening of Beyond. Or, in the case of David Gerrold and other past-Trek insiders, to "consult" on the new series.

Why would they want to offer an olive branch to Gerrold? They don't need him. They haven't used him since the very early years of TNG.

Why should they give a fuck?

I don't think they do. But bringing in some of these people for meetings would stroke the egos and might generate some goodwill.

With who?

Look what Abrams did with James Cawley, giving him a walk-on. That right there put butts in seats, regardless of what Cawley has said since.

What? 30 more butts? Sure, having a meeting with Gerrold doesn't cost anyone anything but time. Unless, of course, Gerrold goes off on a blog post about how the Exec he met with doesn't "know Star Trek." And then it blows up in their faces.

There's no reason. Gerrold doesn't move the needle enough to matter. And why should CBS/Paramount offer an olive branch to Gerrold? He was the one shitting on CBS/Paramount and Abrams.