• 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 had this weird habit the day or two before every time I re-enlisted and just before I retired, I sat down and read the Constitution of the United States of America from beginning to end. I won't say I'm an expect, but how many people can honestly say they've read it?

The First Amendment​
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.​

The Fifth Amendment​
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.​

The Fourteenth Amendment (extract)​
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.​

Now, I haven't actually read the court filing, trusting the source to be accurate. I assume that's really in the document files to the court, yes?? Or at least made in a public statement?? If so, can anyone please explain to me how these apply to a civil case brought forth be a private entity (CBS & Paramount)?? Seriously.

Your instincts are correct that these provisions, like the rest of the Constitution, only apply to limit actions by the government and not private individuals. However, how it comes into play in a civil case – and for the life of me I cannot remember the exact name of the case where this was stated, but I read it in law school and I will look it up later – is that it is the action by a court to enforce the rights of the private individual that amounts to a government action that triggers the limits of the Constitution. In that case, if I remember correctly, there was some sort of discriminatory restrictive covenant relating to real estate – I think it was that African-Americans could not buy houses in a given neighborhood, and this was before various civil rights legislation – and, while the actions of the private individuals in refusing to sell for discriminatory purposes were not themselves unconstitutional, if a court were to rule in their favor, the court would be engaging in government action that infringed the Constitutional rights of the parties who were not permitted to buy houses.

So Axanar is basically telling the court that, if it finds in favor of CBS and keeps them from creating their film – which they allege is noninfringing – those actions by the court will amount to a violation of their free-speech rights under the First Amendment, would result in a taking of property under the Fifth amendment, etc.

EDIT- Here you go - Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S.1 (1948),

"The United States Supreme Court held "[T]he restrictive racially-based restrictive covenants are not, on their face, invalid under the Fourteenth Amendment." However, while private parties may voluntarily abide by the terms of such a restrictive covenant, they may not seek judicial enforcement of such a covenant because enforcement by the courts would constitute state action. Since such state action would necessarily be discriminatory, the enforcement of a racially based restrictive covenant in a state court would violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment."

M
 
Last edited:
Your instincts are correct that these provisions, like the rest of the Constitution, only apply to limit actions by the government and not private individuals. However, how it comes into play in a civil case – and for the life of me I cannot remember the exact name of the case where this was stated, but I read it in law school and I will look it up later – is that it is the action by a court to enforce the rights of the private individual that amounts to a government action that triggers the limits of the Constitution. In that case, if I remember correctly, there was some sort of discriminatory restrictive covenant relating to real estate – I think it was that African-Americans could not buy houses in a given neighborhood, and this was before various civil rights legislation – and, while the actions of the private individuals in refusing to sell for discriminatory purposes were not themselves unconstitutional, if a court were to rule in their favor, the court would be engaging in government action that infringed the Constitutional rights of the parties who were not permitted to buy houses.

So Axanar is basically telling the court that, if it finds in favor of CBS and keeps them from creating their film – which they allege is noninfringing – those actions by the court will amount to a violation of their free-speech rights under the First Amendment, would result in a taking of property under the Fifth amendment, etc.

M
Thanks for the explanation. This case is teaching me things I never thought I'd learn about, or even be interested in. :techman:
 
So Axanar is basically telling the court that, if it finds in favor of CBS and keeps them from creating their film – which they allege is noninfringing – those actions by the court will amount to a violation of their free-speech rights under the First Amendment, would result in a taking of property under the Fifth amendment, etc.

So..."if you don't let me steal their property you're depriving me of my rights as an American citizen?"

Seriously?

Don't the American citizens who own and work for CBS and Paramount have the exact same rights, and wouldn't they be violated in the exact same way if the court rules in favor of Axanar?

How is everybody staying so calm about this? It's fucking piracy!
 
True, people did know. But, most of those people are within the Star Trek Fan Community. I'm not sure how that's a media circus.

How much more high profile does it need to go? It's been written up in the industry rags. Should it be front page news on the New York Times?
 
That seems to be the defense's legal plan. Distract the judge, as they have the public, with total B.S. and hope they get a favorable ruling by mistake.

As I understand it, the judge recently listened to a rock music case. Think a little smoke and mirrors will dazzle him?

How is everybody staying so calm about this? It's fucking piracy!

Its HILARIOUS piracy, that's how :biggrin:

How much more high profile does it need to go? It's been written up in the industry rags. Should it be front page news on the New York Times?

Depends what you do with it
 
Last edited:
You know, something has been nagging me about tucked in at 8 Alec story.

Any adult would understand how basically ridiculous it actually is to put this forward in a federal case that could become a precedent and cited, and studied in law schools.

So is it that W&S is so very exasperated with their client at this point that it is leaking out involuntarily?
 
If they pull that "Sovereign Citizen!" bullshit, I don't know if I'll laugh my ass off or...yeah, that'd be the only option really

Yeah, there's not much else left, is there?

For anyone who's found themselves having a surprising amount of fun reading legal documents during this long process, one of my favourite legal decisions ever (I'm a government librarian, and a lot of my work involves supporting our legal staff) takes a long, detailed look at sovereign citizens and related types: Meads v. Meads, 2012 ABQB 571 (CanLII). No connection to any work requests, but it caught my eye and I had to read the whole thing.

This is a Canadian decision, but the Canadians who buy into the freemen/sovereign stuff tend to draw on American-published material. In four years this decision has been cited nearly a hundred times in Canadian courts, and it's drawn the attention of lawyers and judges in other countries, including the US and the UK.

Long but fascinating read about people who believe obviously wrong things, believe they can get away with anything they want, have no understanding of the actual law, and have a ridiculous sense of entitlement. So, not like anyone who's been discussed around here, right?
 
How much more high profile does it need to go? It's been written up in the industry rags. Should it be front page news on the New York Times?
I didn't say it wasn't covered in the news. I'm disputing that it's a media circus, and that it should stop CBS/Paramount from continuing with the suit. There have been higher profile suits that didn't end because of the publicity.
 
You know, something has been nagging me about tucked in at 8 Alec story.

Any adult would understand how basically ridiculous it actually is to put this forward in a federal case that could become a precedent and cited, and studied in law schools.

So is it that W&S is so very exasperated with their client at this point that it is leaking out involuntarily?
I fell out of my chair laughing from reading AP's "bio" in W&S's latest filing. Completely ridiculous. :rofl:
 
Last edited:
13,000 words later, good lord, the beast is slain. Blog post on the answer should come up tomorrow but I am having some issues with paginating it properly. Sit tight, and thank you, as always, for your kind support.


I can NOT!!! wait to read this :-D
 
Read Axanar's Proposed Fan Film Guidelines
Alec Peters tries to rally other fan productions to back his vision for new limits on fan films that wouldn't be needed if not for Axanar. AxaMonitor has a copy of the guidelines Peters worked on this week with other fan producers.
"With CBS/Paramount drafting fan film guidelines, Axanar's Alec Peters has reached out to a half-dozen fan productions for their support of rules Peters wants the studios to accept, and isn't having much luck. The rules include an end to crowdfunding and a limit on films' running times."
Read more »
 
Read Axanar's Proposed Fan Film Guidelines
Alec Peters tries to rally other fan productions to back his vision for new limits on fan films that wouldn't be needed if not for Axanar. AxaMonitor has a copy of the guidelines Peters worked on this week with other fan producers.
"With CBS/Paramount drafting fan film guidelines, Axanar's Alec Peters has reached out to a half-dozen fan productions for their support of rules Peters wants the studios to accept, and isn't having much luck. The rules include an end to crowdfunding and a limit on films' running times."
Read more »

:guffaw:

Oh, Alec... grasping for anything he can find to hold on to as he swirls through the grand flushing toilet bowl of this Axanar debacle.

Delicious.
 
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