• 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.
I agree with most of your post. But it's interesting that you oppose this system of an elite few being able to wield creative power over Star Trek; because that is exactly the system that exists now. And if not this what other alternatives are there? Democratically elected representatives of "the fans" forming a council to make creative decisions for Star Trek?

I think you misunderstand me. I DON'T oppose the current business model (a few creators preparing material for the masses) as it is the traditional model for entertainment content creation and it is highly accountable to the consumer. In short, if we don't like it, we don't buy it, and the content creator(s) is/are out of a job.
Can you imagine the machinations involved if "fans" somehow had a democratic process of creating new content? Can you imagine how terrible that new content would be?
Honestly, if we are talking a group with professional film, TV, and other storytelling experience, like Star Wars story group, I would be all for it. If we are talking just random fans off the street, then that would end up the biggest clusterfuck in entertainment history.
 
The Future of Trek forum shows that the fans clearly and unanimously want a prime universe show set in the JJverse, which is both entirely original and a TNG reboot, with deeply complex serialised arcs made up of entirely standalone stories where the characters deal with cerebral issues while exploring strange new worlds and embroiled in an intergalactic war, all happening in the lost years between any two Star Trek productions. And the cast would wear TWOK jackets over First Contact undershirts.

so basically, "Sharknado, the Undiscovered Chutney"
 
Last edited:
It's an achievement when a fan film you produced becomes a Jeopardy question :)

WEAT-jeopardy.jpg
 
... get donations to build my own Wendy's restaurant and say "this is true Wendy's that people love" and that I own Wendy's branding because I love Wendy's more than Wendy's does.
So you say yours would be true Wendy's? :lol: (Never mind I took your quote out of context. That's how we do it in 2016.)

But, anyway, MY Wendy's will feature the original pigtail girl and stained glass lamps--the Real Wendy's. For Real Wendy's fans. :techman:

Oh, I found more Historic Alec BS, this one from 2012. It introduces some new characters and some familiar Alec BS:
http://haxbee.com/2012/08/29/good-riddance/

And for those curious about his auctions: http://archive.propworx.com/results
 
Last edited:
Axanar's defense attorneys on Monday filed a new motion to dismiss or strike CBS/Paramount amended complaint — three days before the March 31 filing deadline.

According to the PacerMonitor website, Axanar attorneys Winston & Strawn asked for a hearing May 9 in U.S. district court in California before Judge R. Gary Klausner.

That was the date originally set for the two sides to meet to discuss possible arbitration and their plans for conducting discovery for the case. It's not yet known if both will occur on the same day.
 
So you say yours would be true Wendy's? :lol: (Never mind I took your quote out of context. That's how we do it in 2016.)

But, anyway, MY Wendy's will feature the original pigtail girl and stained glass lamps--the Real Wendy's. For Real Wendy's fans. :techman:

Oh, I found more Historic Alec BS, this one from 2012. It introduces some new characters and some familiar Alec BS:
http://haxbee.com/2012/08/29/good-riddance/

And for those curious about his auctions: http://archive.propworx.com/results

Oh yes - that was Dan Benton, who Alec (ALLEGEDLY) paid to write bad reviews about everyone in the Prop industry - except him, of course. I believe it later came out that Dan was paid $25 per blog.
 
Axanar's defense attorneys on Monday filed a new motion to dismiss or strike CBS/Paramount amended complaint — three days before the March 31 filing deadline.

According to the PacerMonitor website, Axanar attorneys Winston & Strawn asked for a hearing May 9 in U.S. district court in California before Judge R. Gary Klausner.

That was the date originally set for the two sides to meet to discuss possible arbitration and their plans for conducting discovery for the case. It's not yet known if both will occur on the same day.

I have it - just about 100 pages of documents.

I also have homework up the yin yang. This will take me a while. More pictures here, though, and it looks like there's a quote from Homer's Odyssey in there.
 
Axanar's defense attorneys on Monday filed a new motion to dismiss or strike CBS/Paramount amended complaint — three days before the March 31 filing deadline.

According to the PacerMonitor website, Axanar attorneys Winston & Strawn asked for a hearing May 9 in U.S. district court in California before Judge R. Gary Klausner.

That was the date originally set for the two sides to meet to discuss possible arbitration and their plans for conducting discovery for the case. It's not yet known if both will occur on the same day.

I'd pay good money to hear their reasoning on this. That amended complaint was pretty specific.............
 
1701News has covered the filing of the motion to dismiss as well ... :)

For anyone who remembers the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Cause and Effect," it looks like a district court in California is caught in its own temporal loop.

Erin Ranahan, the pro bono attorney representing the "independent" Star Trek fan-film company Axanar Productions and its producer Alec Peters, has filed a second motion to dismiss the copyright infringement suit filed by CBS Corp. and Paramount Pictures last year.

Much like her first motion to dismiss filed in February, Ranahan says CBS and Paramount has failed to specify which copyrights Axanar and Peters allegedly violated.

http://1701news.com/node/1104/axanar-once-again-seeks-dismiss-copyright-suit.html
 
It is interesting when you look back at the amended complaint, the copyright registry numbers listed are for specific episodes or films, not for "Klingon" or "Vulcan" or what have you.
What Axanar seems to be claiming is that unique elements of "Star Trek" can be surgically lifted from the IP, and then used at will without violating copyright - even if those surgically used elements are then recombined into a framework that was also surgically lifted from the IP.
They also claim that "minor" copyrighted characters aren't that special and don't need to be defended.

Can you imagine the precedent that would be set if the judge grants their MTD? You could create an animated mouse, have him wear red pants and white gloves name him "Mickey", and then create a series of films around his adventures.
The entire concept of copyright is that a content creator has taken disparate elements and combined them to make a protected intellectual property. To attempt to dissolve that concept may be courageous in principle, but in practice it's asinine. This newest MTD is just an attempt on the part of AP's pro bono attorneys to show how willing they are to strike new legal ground.
 
Lord Alec's ego & hubris is definitely on full display with this latest MTD. Scheduling a hearing though on the same day there was supposed to be a scheduling conference could also suggest desperation - the Axanar camp knows they're cornered, but still hold out some vain hope C/P will settle.

Given the zeal shown by Axanar's counsel though, I'm inclined to go along with @Jedi_Master in that this is an attempt to carve out new legal ground.
 
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