Betcha they do.
CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar
- Thread starter Richard Baker
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Agreed, though I have used the "cult" word in the past, and that's because there are times when it feels that way. It's this notion of "how DARE you question Alec's wisdom!" that permeates every thread on their fan page. We're Star Trek fans, so yeah we get heated, and we get way too deep in details that shouldn't really matter, but when you start mobilizing your "marines," when you tell your "marines" to go out and spread the good word of Axanar, it does seem cultish, if nothing else.
How? They don't make money from Axanar. They won't lose money if Axanar goes away.. This lawsuit is basically a big dog shaking off a flea. And what's more is that CBS/Paramount are completely in the right.
It's nice to see that Mr. Gerrold is possibly learning from his mistakes. I was one of the people who called him out on that comment in 2013, and I eventually just stopped following him on Facebook when he didn't take it back. Instead, he defended it.
Neil
Don't get me wrong, I completely agree that CBS are in the right. I've been reading this thread with interest, though I haven't really felt I'd anything to add on the matter. You can bet your ass that CBS do care about money though, and if someone's making money from Trek that's not going into their pockets then they're going to shut that shit down.
I admit I don't know the ins and outs of the situation, but a lot of posts have said that Peters is taking a wage from Axanar, which he has admitted, and that part of the crowdfunding money went into setting up a for-profit production business, both of which seem like excellent reasons for CBS and Paramount to care.
Your analogy of a dog shaking off a flea seems apt though, as a flea sucks blood (money) from the dog (CBS) - a small amount yes, but enough to irritate.
Exactly, but when I say "its not about the money," I meant that CBS/Paramount doesn't gain or lose money by the presence of Axanar. It is their property and they reserve the right to say who gets to make money with it. As far as the crowd funding is concerned, if I had been a Kickstarter donor, I'd be pretty livid about this.
That's a pretty big leap considering there hasn't been so much as a hint of action against any other production. It's a possibility, sure, but so far there is no evidence, so it's big jump for you to make.
The claim of being an independent Trek production would seem to openly separate his own project from other amateur fan-films, and to me is a strong indication that harsh fallout will be limited to Axanar.
They've so far been plenty accommodating, and I don't see that changing much. It's possible that the case scares off some new productions, and certainly the existing ones will be more cautious now, but at best we may finally learn the "line" that a copyright infringer must cross for Paramount/CBS to take action-- perhaps strengthening the fan-film community. Right now it's all guessing, but I am not a doomsayer.
I think the opposite, as a matter of fact. Making an example sends a message to other productions-- "don't do what they did."
To me, that's a pretty big IF.
I do believe, that when the dust settles, this will be the end of the crowd sourced fan film.
It may not be about the specific dollars, but as someone who's worked with big brands, it's often about the money, even if indirectly. It may be "brand dilution" or "brand confusion" or it may be more long-term financial concerns, but in the end it's usually (but not always) about the money.
^^^Either way.. The outcome of this case will determine the future of fan productions moving forward.
We've blogged - http://www.gandtshow.com/g-t-show-220-haters-gonna-hate/ - there is some coverage of Axanar.
The YouTube video is rendering and this was a pretty long one so it may take a while.
Many thanks for all of your kind interest and support.
The YouTube video is rendering and this was a pretty long one so it may take a while.
Many thanks for all of your kind interest and support.
Crowdsourced, perhaps, and I think that might be for the better. I have often felt that places like Kickstarter were not good for the legal standings of fan-films, nor good for the credibility of Kickstarter.
Determine the future may be a tad further than i'm willing to go. It's a possibility, but I do agree that it will have some effect. I just have doubts it will be as catastrophic as some fear. Maybe it's because i've never been fond of fan-films myself (just personal taste) so I have no vested interest. Even if they're shut down, it would not bother me.
Still, I don't see any reason to doomsay at this point. I can totally understand the fear, though if it's something you really love, if that means anything to you.
I work in the music industry. I understand exactly what you're saying. I don't think anyone is going to be confused about Axanar. The only people who even know or care about it are: 1. The people who donated to their Kickstarter and Indigogo. 2. Hardcore fans of fan based Star Trek . 3. The owners of Star Trek as Intellectual Property. The rest of us can continue to be blissfully unaware.
I have seen this happen to other projects (not Star Trek related, but fan related).. If TPTB think that fans are taking advantage of something and being a nuisance, they will have no qualms about shutting it down. Boom. Problem solved.
I don't disagree about the possibility-- my point is just that right now this issue seems limited to Axanar. If they intended to shut down all fan films, C&D's would have been sent to all productsions, including New Voyages who released a new episode this weekend.
That could definitely change though, and to be honest, it might be time. Fan films should not be meant to be what they've become. They've stopped feeling homemade and started feeling like low budget b-movies you might see on late night cable.
That could definitely change though, and to be honest, it might be time. Fan films should not be meant to be what they've become. They've stopped feeling homemade and started feeling like low budget b-movies you might see on late night cable.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. Watch this video and note the movie playing says "From CBS" but is actually the fan film "Star Trek: Renegades". There is already confusion.
Neil
I don't mind quality. In fact, I welcome it. It would be naive to think that shutting down Axanar won't change how fan films are made or if they'll be allowed to continue. While it's true that CBS/Paramount seem to be taking things on a case by case basis, Alec Peters hasn't made a lot of friends by throwing the other productions under the bus. Now that this has bubbled under, it would be far easier for CBS/Paramount to shut down the whole thing, than to micro manage a fan film. Yes, I know Phase II just released a new one. Cawley and his team have had regular dealings with the legal department and a lot of things have been scrapped on their end because they couldn't get the right permission. I've been following this for a little bit. I surely don't want to see anything bad happen.. I'm not playing on fear, rather speculating on what usually happens in situations where fans take advantage of someone else's intellectual property.
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