• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

Status
Not open for further replies.
Yeah. Getting publicity is nice. But my guess would be the main reason they took it pro bono was for the chance to influence future policy in this area. They could also see themselves as working to protect some greater good in this area -- working for a solution that doesn't jeopardize the future of fan films or at least creates known limits. That, and even mitigating Axanar's losses in what looks like an open and shut case would be a victory.
They're likely to be positioning themselves as the primary practitioners for defending the transgressing makers of fanfilms (which doesn't look exactly rewarding) OR as a resource available to both IP holders and fanfilms as an expert intermediary. Which could be profitable...
 
Even if they don't win, negotiating a setllement where Alec isn't personally bankrupted might be a big selling point to future clients. 'Hey look how much trouble this production was in, we settled, got all 21 cases against individuals dismissed, confined everything to the LLC.....' Might be a huge brag to future clients.
 
Crowdfunding your pet project is becoming more popular, and I don't doubt that additional legal issues both directly and tangentially connected to crowdfunding will continue to crop up. Not every law firm is content to do the whole wills/trusts/estates routine. Some of them want to be known and respected for their esoteric understanding of a particular branch of law.
 
Even if they don't win, negotiating a setllement where Alec isn't personally bankrupted might be a big selling point to future clients. 'Hey look how much trouble this production was in, we settled, got all 21 cases against individuals dismissed, confined everything to the LLC.....' Might be a huge brag to future clients.
The only people who care about that are people who would do that.

Plus "not personally bankrupted" isn't exactly a glowing review.
 
"Destroy" in what sense? Axanar productions can no more destroy a movie that's been released onto the Internet and copied than I can destroy the Moon.

(I'm working on it, I'm working on it - my masters at Bad Robot command it!)

He would have to legally acknowledge it was infringing, destroy all of his original files (film master, negatives, digital files, documents, etc) and destroy any remaining copies of the DVD.

Yes, the DVD's he already sold would remain out there, and could be copied, and its largely symbolic in the modern era of digital everything, but it does make it harder to further exploit the film from his end. Any unreleased footage, outtakes etc. would be gone, his original master filed destroyed.
 
The only people who care about that are people who would do that.

Plus "not personally bankrupted" isn't exactly a glowing review.

If I recall, the partner's CV cites one or more cases where the successful outcome was that they prevented damages. This might be a selling point to some clients who don't think they can win. Bread and butter work for the attorneys.
 
Somehow I doubt a large law firm gives a flying f... cares about the future of fan films.
I didn't say they did it because they personally care about fan films or the producers of them. A chance to affect policy/law in any part of IP is something I would think young lawyers (especially) would jump at. That, and they could become the go-to law firm for cases like this in the future. The pro bono part of the firm's website also states they are committed to serving the public interest. And whether they care for fan films or not, it could be seen that they serve a public interest. Heck, they don't even have to like "Star Trek".
 
If I recall, the partner's CV cites one or more cases where the successful outcome was that they prevented damages. This might be a selling point to some clients who don't think they can win. Bread and butter work for the attorneys.
Sometimes, preventing the bankruptcy of a client, or in other cases keeping them out of jail, is a victory.
 
If I recall, the partner's CV cites one or more cases where the successful outcome was that they prevented damages. This might be a selling point to some clients who don't think they can win. Bread and butter work for the attorneys.
If I remember correctly, it mentions that she was able to negotiate a settlement for potential damages of several hundred thousand dollars down to twenty.
 
If I remember correctly, it mentions that she was able to negotiate a settlement for potential damages of several hundred thousand dollars down to twenty.

plus attorney's fees, which might go most the way back up where you were.
 
"Destroy" in what sense? Axanar productions can no more destroy a movie that's been released onto the Internet and copied than I can destroy the Moon.

(I'm working on it, I'm working on it - my masters at Bad Robot command it!)
Well, he certainly wouldn't be able to go Convention hoping; or enter it in any more Award festivals - and I don't think he could live with that (or at least his ego couldn't.) The fact it's still out there on someone's hard drive would be no solice. he wants to be able to 'show it off' everywhere he goes.
 
extremely cheap shows Big Bang Theory

I don't know how much it cost to make BBT in the early days, but it has reached the level that all longstanding sitcoms do in their final years when the actors keep notching up their asking price to stay on board. So I really don't think it's fair to call BBT "extremely cheap".

If you staffed the new Trek show with unknowns I suspect it would be cheaper even with all the FX than BBT, simply due to the BBT actors' salaries.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top