CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

[Jody Wheeler]

Nope, I think it puts JJ in a bad place if he wasn't authorized. JJ doesn't work in the legal/licensing department and is not a Paramount or CBS corporate officer. He produces movies under license from the IP owners.

He's currently the Golden Boy in Hollywood, responsible for billions of dollars in ongoing revenue for multiple studios. No, he's not in licensing or legal. But he can twist and contort things in his favor, making it stick because studios want to keep him happy.

 

[mos6507]

The fact that he didn't know at the time means more to me than JJ's statement, and lends credence that it wasn't official.

CBS already confirmed that it's official:

We are pleased to confirm we are in settlement discussions and are also working on a set of fan film guidelines

What more evidence do you need?

You're in denial.

 

[muCephi]

Selfies with Justin Lin mean nothing. How many people took selfies with him. I don't know. What I know is that if there was a settlement on the table, why was Peters surprised by the announcement. Don't you think he'd have been read in before hand. This is a legal proceeding and he should have been notified by the legal team (his lawyer included). The fact that he didn't know at the time means more to me than JJ's statement, and lends credence that it wasn't official.

Really good point, if negotiations had even started, Alec should know from his attorneys. It isn't he "should have been read in", he had to have been read in.

Not speaking to whether negotiations are in place, just the fact that Alec should not have been surprised.

 

[CaptGrumpy]

He's currently the Golden Boy in Hollywood, responsible for billions of dollars in ongoing revenue for multiple studios. No, he's not in licensing or legal. But he can twist and contort things in his favor, making it stick because studios want to keep him happy.

It bothers me that he'd insert himself into this. I wonder if he'd come to the aid of someone who tried to make a buck from Lost. Cloverfield, or Alias?

 

[Peach Wookiee]

We'll see how it goes, then.

 

[CaptGrumpy]

CBS already confirmed that it's official:

​

What more evidence do you need?

You're in denial.

How am I in denial. They only confirmed negotiations, not that a settlement was on the table. Not that they're dropping the suit. I'm not in denial. I can read and I understand the sentence. To quote Montoya from the Princess Bride: I do not think it means what you think it means.

 

[Mudd]

He's currently the Golden Boy in Hollywood, responsible for billions of dollars in ongoing revenue for multiple studios. No, he's not in licensing or legal. But he can twist and contort things in his favor, making it stick because studios want to keep him happy.

He is also not likely to give another five minutes thought to this situation again, having made the PR use he needed of it last evening.

 

[mos6507]

How am I in denial. They only confirmed negotiations, not that a settlement was on the table. Not that they're dropping the suit. I'm not in denial. I can read and I understand the sentence.

Technically correct, but what are the odds that AP will reject this olive branch and insist on going to trial? Slim to none. And even if he DOES reject it, who really cares anymore? We're going to get official fan-film guidelines. That is worth a lot more in the long-run than the ultimate fate of AP's pet project.

 

[CaptGrumpy]

Technically correct, but what are the odds that AP will reject this olive branch and insist on going to trial? Slim to none. And even if he DOES reject it, who really cares anymore? We're going to get official fan-film guidelines. That is worth a lot more in the long-run than the ultimate fate of AP's pet project.

what does that have to do with what I said? I'm not in denial anymore and your point was wrong?
You change the subject.
Thanks for playing

 

[muCephi]

Yes, but most of those aren't licensed. Rules have changed over the years, but the only licensed, non-infringing works were the ones submitted to a Lucasfilm contest of some sort. The random group of fans making a fan film is still violating IP. Lucas may not sue them, but it's the same situation as Axanar.

If CBS does what Lucasfilm did, they'll issue some list of requirements, you'll sign a form, and a legal transaction will take place. Then you can make your film within whatever guidelines set out. Don't have the license or violate it and you potentially run afoul of CBS legal.

Unless JJ Abrams likes your work. :-)

So is it your impression that LucasFilms/Disney has not coupled the existence of the contest with a demand or suggestion that fan films only go through the contest? Fan films exist in limbo and are not sued for Star Wars IP use? Even minor trademark use is sued in the Star Wars world.

 

[muCephi]

Technically correct, but what are the odds that AP will reject this olive branch and insist on going to trial? Slim to none.

His pro bono attorneys are likely to push for it, one would think. With an indication that they will have to start charging otherwise.

 

[Firebird]

Man, how did we ever think we'd have problems getting to 1000 pages?

 

[CaptGrumpy]

I predicted last night that we could hit 1000 pages this weekend. Any bettors?

 

[mos6507]

what does that have to do with what I said? I'm not in denial anymore?

This whole thing is going to wrap up in (at most) a few weeks. If you want to hold out hope up to the last minute that AP will snatch defeat from the arms of victory, knock yourself out.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

He is also not likely to give another five minutes thought to this situation again, having made the PR use he needed of it last evening.

This.

 

[Trekkin]

So is it your impression that LucasFilms/Disney has not coupled the existence of the contest with a demand or suggestion that fan films only go through the contest? Fan films exist in limbo and are not sued for Star Wars IP use? Even minor trademark use is sued in the Star Wars world.

In regards to the longer Star Wars fanfilms, it could be as simple as Disney not yet being aware of them.

Considering Disneys rep, that does sound unlikely, but think about it. 'Reven' is on YouTube. Youtube has about 300 hours of video uploaded every minute (making trawling for violations by hand difficult), and theoretically there's nothing in a fanfilm that will ping an automatic flag. Simply having Star Wars in the title won't set off any alarm bells, and it's unlikely the fans watching are going to report it. Being a niche of a niche, it's not like the viewcount is going to bring too much attention.

A way to test how 'okay' Disney is with longer fanfilms, would be just to report the video and see if they decide against yanking it. But I... wouldn't recommend doing so,

 

[CaptGrumpy]

This whole thing is going to wrap up in (at most) a few weeks. If you want to hold out hope up to the last minute that AP will snatch defeat from the arms of victory, knock yourself out.

I don't know what you're talking about. I don't doubt that there will be a settlement. But what makes you think a settlement means that Alec gets what he wants? CBS/Paramount has no reason to give in, they have deeper pockets, filed the suit because they believed in it, & survived a motion to dismiss. It's AP who has every reason to settle because he has the most to lose.
So again, as far as a settlement goes I repeat I do not think that word means what you think it means.

 

[muCephi]

A way to test how 'okay' Disney is with longer fanfilms, would be just to report the video and see if they decide against yanking it. But I... wouldn't recommend doing so,

and I wouldn't do it, even to experiment. aside from which it has to pop onto the radar eventually.

 

[mos6507]

what makes you think a settlement means that Alec gets what he wants?

This bit from JJ does:

The fans should be celebrating this thing. Fans of Star Trek are part of this world. So he went to the studio and pushed them to stop this lawsuit and now, within the next few weeks, it will be announced this is going away, and that fans would be able to continue working on their project.

The only thing you can really hinge your hopes on is "within the next few weeks". The ball is going to be in AP's court and he'd be an idiot to reject the olive-branch. So to me it's a foregone conclusion he will accept whatever terms are given to him and proceed to at least try to finish Axanar under some reasonable constraints (no more Axanar coffee, no more for-profit studio, no more $38K salary, whatever.)

So Alec still gets the core of what he wants, which is to finish Axanar.

 

[BigJake]

Now of course... he is something of an idiot. So I guess the question is whether he's that much of an idiot? If he's escaping the likelihood of being taken for his last dime in court, I somehow doubt it. (OTOH arguably I should not underrate Peters' ability to disagreeably surprise me, given how this whole thing has gone from the outset.)