CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

[RedForman]

Hinman pissed away his last shred of credibility by going 'Full Alec' on Facebook and has a long way to go if he ever wants to regain it. RMB meanwhile should stick to producing Lifetime movies of the week or whatever the hell it is he does. He's neck deep in this CF and even if the courts don't hang him out to dry like they will LFIM, he definitely won't be having the last laugh. Anyone who thinks otherwise at this point needs to check their objectivity.

 

[urbandefault]

I have made no decision about "backing" Michael's behavior. I have strenuously objected to him about it and am preparing to take action about it. I have been relatively quiet about it because I've been preferring to focus on actually covering the Axanar story, but silence does not equal assent, so no presumption is necessary.

I say actual journalistic integrity trumps taking sides every time. Keep up the good work.

 

[Karzak]

Regarding the interview with Lane, Matthew was as always great, but Lane himself and everything he says is dripping with fandom entitlement and a sad inability to look at the bigger picture.

 

[mos6507]

I am not on Facebook, but l long ago stopped reading anything on 1701 News about the production/defendant/lawsuit authored by this person because it seemed, at least to me, to cease being reporting and became instead a personal vendetta.

Right around the time of the JJ thing when it seemed that Alec might walk away from this unscathed, I could see a lot of effort being put towards setting the record straight on who Alec is in the hopes that TPTB knew who they were dealing with. But now? There's really little to be gained from spinning the court of public opinion anymore because CBS/P is lowering the boom on him and the case is open-and-shut.

This is why, at least from my perspective, the case is no longer interesting. The last real surprise twist was the JJ thing. Now it truly IS Hitler in the Bunker time and the allies are making their final approach. Alec's denial and final squirming might be perversely interesting, but the case itself is just a matter of going through the motions.

 

[feek61]

Ouch! haha (loved this guy's 'Power Rangers' short BTW)

Funny, you would think that they would have someone on a fan film panel who actually produced and released a fan film.

 

[carlosp]

Right around the time of the JJ thing when it seemed that Alec might walk away from this unscathed, I could see a lot of effort being put towards setting the record straight on who Alec is in the hopes that TPTB knew who they were dealing with. But now? There's really little to be gained from spinning the court of public opinion anymore because CBS/P is lowering the boom on him and the case is open-and-shut.

This is why, at least from my perspective, the case is no longer interesting. The last real surprise twist was the JJ thing. Now it truly IS Hitler in the Bunker time and the allies are making their final approach. Alec's denial and final squirming might be perversely interesting, but the case itself is just a matter of going through the motions.

Maybe it's because I'm a copyright nerd but my interest is much more aligned with Winston & Strawn. Like them, regardless of whether Axanar wins or loses, if the definitions of fair use, transformativeness and the ways in which fan works may operate under some kind of fair use are better defined than they are today, it's a win.

 

[Jody Wheeler]

Put simply, Jonathan Lane is an Axanar shill. He'll deny it, but his propaganda blog proves otherwise. He's disingenuous.

He's a useful idiot.

I believe he said in that interview that Bawden was pushing to get the "report" done in time for the 50th...and for him to work his contacts to get some press? Lane may believe he's a humble fan with faith that he'll change CBS. Other's know how easy it is to use faith based weapons for not so humble ends. :-)

 

[Mudd]

So what's the fracas over the FB group? I dropped out a couple of months ago over the general administrative big-shotism; the whole thing stopped being fun.

 

[Mudd]

The original - started by the Squigs.

HInman posted an "investigation" into a LLC controlled by Peters. It is a LLC created ostensibly to purchase a home for his godchildren and his ex-girlfriend (the children's mother) in Florida.

Alec lost his mind, complained that he was being harassed, threatened Squiggy with legal action, and Squigs shuttered the group.

More than a few folks felt Hindman went too far, but he doubled down, and formed his own group.

Yeah, I'd forgotten about that. He's never wrong and never big on taking responsibility.

Well, he's got a smaller audience now.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Right around the time of the JJ thing when it seemed that Alec might walk away from this unscathed

Sorry, but it never seemed that Alec might walk away from this unscathed, not even then.

I could see a lot of effort being put towards setting the record straight on who Alec is in the hopes that TPTB knew who they were dealing with. But now? There's really little to be gained from spinning the court of public opinion anymore because CBS/P is lowering the boom on him and the case is open-and-shut.

As if TPTB didn't already know who they were dealing with. Anyway, the case has always been a slam dunk...

This is why, at least from my perspective, the case is no longer interesting. The last real surprise twist was the JJ thing. Now it truly IS Hitler in the Bunker time and the allies are making their final approach. Alec's denial and final squirming might be perversely interesting, but the case itself is just a matter of going through the motions.

... and, if you ask @Squiggy, it's been Hitler in the bunker time all along.

 

[Jedi_Master]

My interest in this debacle has been redefined - I am going to focus on the facts and developments, not endless posts about blue shirts, idiotic Axanar minions, and pathetic Astro-turfing campaigns.
I certainly don't have time for dick waving contests and the rantings of control freaks.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Regarding the interview with Lane, Matthew was as always great, but Lane himself and everything he says is dripping with fandom entitlement and a sad inability to look at the bigger picture.

Agree. Matthew isn't a trained journalist but he still asked some hard questions. And since he isn't a trained journalist, I wouldn't expect him to push in the way I would. But that's OK. It's his show and he handles himself well.

As for Lane, here's what I posted on the YouTube comments section:

Lane makes a lot of inane comments in this interview. Like the rest of the Axanar camp, he's a blowhard. This entire "protest," "poll" and "letter-writing campaign" smacks of propaganda in favor of Axanar.

The admins of Small Access have ties to Axanar — Lane and Mike Baldwin.

Lane's blog, Fan Film Factor, is the propaganda arm of Axanar. Baldwin is Axanar's PR person.

This whole campaign is a joke. And I'm sick of these people, Lane included, for speaking on behalf of fans. They don't. They don't speak for this Trekkie. They speak for a small, insignificant group of people not the majority of Trekkies.

If anyone is destroying fandom, it's this particular vocal group of Axanar supporters and shills.

---------

Others critiqued Lane for presuming to speaking for all fans. In the thread of another person's comments, here's what Lane said:

Nah, I don't speak for all the fans...that's 3.5 million, and I don't have enough time to read that many e-mails! And in the interview, I did try to say that the fans were "our fan members." That said, I think this is the first time since 1968 that anyone has gotten more than a thousand Trek fans together with a concerted message for the studios. Even the "Save Star Trek" protest in front of Paramount only had about 300-400 picketers (I was one of them!).

But hey, here's the thing, guys. I'm trying something. It's a long shot, but at least it's something. I don't pretend to represent all of fandom, but at least with 1,200 people and nearly a hundred packets mailed so far, we've got a chance to get the studios' attention. And if we can do that, we have a chance to convince them to change at least some of the guidelines. If we do nothing, the guidelines don't get changed (or get changed without fan input).

Look, if somebody has a better idea of how to do this, please let me know. I'm not so arrogant as to think mine is the only pathway to reaching the studios with feedback and suggestions. But it's the pathway I decided to try...and so I'm giving it my all. Years from now, when my son is old enough to understand the concept of standing up for something you believe in, I'll be able to tell him this story as an example. I have no regrets, and really nothing to lose. The worst that happens is this idea goes nowhere and the guidelines remain unchanged. (And no, I don't believe CBS/P will outlaw all fan films just because they get a few hundred pieces of mail.)

 

[Jody Wheeler]

So what's the fracas over the FB group? I dropped out a couple of months ago over the general administrative big-shotism; the whole thing stopped being fun.

Ugh.

 

[mirrormatt86]

thanks for all the support guys, its much appreciated. As for the content of the podcasts, I'm happy with how it comes across, maybe I could have pushed home my comment about fan films being a niche in a niche, but I did say that and I agree with its as many people are saying. One could also argue that there are other things in the world to worry about.

 

[KennyB]

Yeah, I'd forgotten about that. He's never wrong and never big on taking responsibility.

Well, he's got a smaller audience now.

Yeah. More of the same.

 

[KennyB]

thanks for all the support guys, its much appreciated. As for the content of the podcasts, I'm happy with how it comes across, maybe I could have pushed home my comment about fan films being a niche in a niche, but I did say that and I agree with its as many people are saying. One could also argue that there are other things in the world to worry about.

You're not Dateline NBC or 60 Minutes and if you ambush every guest, well nobody will ever agree to talk to you. Plus with some of the folks you have had, there's no need to press them......all you have to do is ask a question, sit back, and THEY make the point themselves very quickly that they have a screw loose. I enjoy watching your Spotlights, keep it up Matt.

 

[OtherGene]

So what's the fracas over the FB group? I dropped out a couple of months ago over the general administrative big-shotism; the whole thing stopped being fun.

Essentially it was all very Orwellian-Animal-Farm. Matt Miller was sort of like Boxer the horse only he came back from the knackers yard unscathed.

 

[dmac]

On AxaMonitor: What's behind the subpoena served on Axanar's former chief technologist and current critic, Terry McIntosh? Who's next, and why?

One other thought. L&L needs to establish the command structure of Petersville, who is giving orders and who is taking orders, how did members of the team receive instructions. Did instructions come from Peters or did members simply contribute their efforts to the production. If L&L doesn't establish that especially with a fan film, what stops Peters from claiming the violations came from some different deal that he had no control over.

 

[ThankYouGeneR]

So where do things currently stand with the studio thing? Are there investors? Have they actually invested money? Have we learned anything about who/what these alleged investors are? In whose hands is this studio at this time? Has that $400,000 been exchanged for those existing physical studio structures? Is the studio actively being used for other filming to pay the rent? If yes, do we have any real information on who has been filming and what they have been filming & is such filming covering that massive $15,000 monthly plus utilities? If not do we know how this monthly rent/utilities is being covered? Is the defendant still running his prop business out of the studio space? Is there information on the rent the prop business is paying for the space used? Is there information on how profitable for the defendant this other business is? Is this all still speculation for outsiders such as myself or is there any traceable documentation filtering out?

Also, what is this 'report' Mr. Bawden wanted completed for the 50th Anniversary?

BTW - When does that three year lease for that building run out?

 

[carlosp]

So where do things currently stand with the studio thing? Are there investors? Have they actually invested money? Have we learned anything about who/what these alleged investors are? In whose hands is this studio at this time? Has that $400,000 been exchanged for those existing physical studio structures? Is the studio actively being used for other filming to pay the rent? If yes, do we have any real information on who has been filming and what they have been filming & is such filming covering that massive $15,000 monthly plus utilities? If not do we know how this monthly rent/utilities is being covered? Is the defendant still running his prop business out of the studio space? Is there information on the rent the prop business is paying for the space used? Is there information on how profitable for the defendant this other business is? Is this all still speculation for outsiders such as myself or is there any traceable documentation filtering out?

Also, what is this 'report' Mr. Bawden wanted completed for the 50th Anniversary?

BTW - When does that three year lease for that building run out?

• I'm still pursuing the studio story. Much of what's going on with it is private so it's taking time to pull together. I am pursuing active leads.
• The studio has purportedly been booked for use by a cable series, but that remains unconfirmed.
• Propworx is still located at that same address.
• The relationship between Propworx and Axanar is purely private, there are no public records to substantiate what's going on there; without an informed source to confirm anything, information about that remains private.
• The state of Axanar's finances remains cloudy but enough has been disclosed to have concerns about how solid they are.
• While a lot of details of the finances are private it's quite likely that they are being examined as part of the lawsuit's discovery process. Under the protective order granted by the judge, some financial details will remain private, but some won't, especially if they are to be introduced as evidence for the expected motions for summary judgment, or at trial.
• The studio was rented in 2015, so I expect sometime in 2018.