CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar
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This really needs to be archived before Alec Peters files a DCMA complaint and Facebook removes it.Axanar movie has been released!! Wow, I never thought it would get done! Credits are the best part.
Can't wait for 'Axanar 2: Electric Spockaloo' to come out.
And just saw this (found its link on Axamonitor.com):
^^^
I guess Axanar Productions/Alec Peters will never change (big surprise, eh?)
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Yeah! Look at how many shows! Um.... Huh... Uh... I don't know, can you name 5? 3? I know Sense8 is getting a special to wrap up it's story, but, it's not coming back.
But, name a few shows that FAN CAMPAIGNING has brought back. Not shows that networks decided to bring back or reboot to make some money (Not Rosanne or Will and Grace), but, name a few shows. Let's see "how many shows" have come back.
Great. Then stop there. Just, stop there.
And I use the word stealing and theft because that's what it is when you take someone else's property. When you use something else, it gives people the impression that it's not wrong. When you tell someone they are stealing, they understand that. When you tell them you are copyright infringing, their eyes will get all glassy and ask, "What's that?" They will google search and find people like you who say, "Nah, it's not really STEALING."
Taking something that is not yours is stealing.
Again, people don't want to steal characters. Either people want to play Kirk or Picard, or they want to make up their own characters.
If you are really so scared that someone is going to steal your shit, don't put your shit out.
No. My argument is if enough of them aren't engaged to fight for a show that got millions of views each week, they aren't going to be engaged to to fight for fan films. This might be shocking, but, people have lives and do things that don't revolve around Star Trek. It revolves around Game of Thrones.
Or just make your own original content and not have to worry about anyone else's guidelines.
To be frank, if you were an aspiring writer or filmmaker, you would be better served producing original material. Rather than recreating someone else's vision, you would be able to show off yours. And if you were lucky, LUCKY, you would be able to sell your film.
Pixels--as shitty movie to be sure--started out as a short.
If you want to make Star Trek fan films because you want to play in that universe, great. But, if your goal is to be a paid professional filmmaker, you should focus on making a original content.
Axanar movie has been released!! Wow, I never thought it would get done! Credits are the best part.
Can't wait for 'Axanar 2: Electric Spockaloo' to come out.
This is wonderful. And totally follows the guidelines... well... Or does it... Does a voice over count as using an actor from Star Trek? Hm.
Eh, doesn't matter. It's parody. Let Peters whine about it. It's fucking fair use.
I believe the following shows meet your criteria:
- Arrested Development - Got a short additional season in 2012.
- Veronica Mars - Successful kickstarter in 2014 resulted in a new movie.
- Jerico - Got a second season in 2007 after fans sent 20 tons of nuts to CBS studio executives.
- Roswell - In 2000, fans sent bottles of Tabasco sauce to the offices of UPN to get them to pick the show up from the WB, which they did for one season.
- Friday Night Lights - Saved from cancellation in 2008 after it's second season.
- Reaper - In 2008, fans sent letters and socks too the CW and got an extra season.
- Chuck - The "Save Chuck" campaign in 2009 got Chuck renewed for a third season. The show went on to have two more seasons after that.
- Kim Possible - In 2005, Disney ordered an additional season as the result of fan demand.
Your not the boss of me.
Hate to break it to you, but we humans made copyright up. The idea that people could have special rights to stories/names/inventions would be alien to ancient humans. The only reason people equate things like copyright infringement with stealing is due to hundreds of years of efforts by lawyers to characterize it as such.
For someone who supposedly respects copyright so much, you're quick to discount its utility. I, for one, will claim copyright to any works I feel it is worth my time and effort to protect, regardless of what you think.
When general interest in the franchise has diminished, fan films are a good way to generate interest. CBS needs to be convinced that fan films are an opportunity rather than a threat. Not that Axanar has helped in that regard...
Shhhh!
I can't wait for the backlash. You know, the attempt to claim copyright violation by His Most Precious Lord Alex, and the fake news screed by Slow Lane, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth by the Axapologists.
Oh, and the factually accurate real news coverage by Axamonitor.
So, most of your examples are from 10 (or more) years ago? That didn't make it past their following seasons? A movie that grossed 3.5 million on a 6 million dollar budget? You make a compelling argument.
But, I will give you credit, you did name more than 5.
We made up ALL the laws.
And so what if copyright is a relatively new idea? We aren't talking about someone stealing someone's IP three hundred years ago--because Shakespeare would be in a lot of trouble. We're talking about the present. What a silly line of argument...
How am I discounting its utility? Because I'm not constantly worried that someone is going to steal my work? I would rather do my work than worry about that.
I don't think CBS needs to be convinced of that. They know that. That's why they haven't put a stop to it.
Is this true?
I do not claim that was a comprehensive list. Nor does it have to occur every year to be an effective tactic. What exactly is your argument in support of the idea that it's stopped working in the past ten years?
The 5.7 million Kickstarter basically covered the entire production, so that 3.5 million probably covered any advertising budget. I'm not saying it's a shining example of how films should be funded, but you can't argue that it would have gotten made without the fans.
No, protecting possessions, such as food, is something coded into our brains at the genetic level. It's not comparable to inventing new laws to counter the invention of the printing press.
How is it silly to point out that the conflation of copyright infringement and stealing is a relatively recent occurrence created with the deliberate intent to confuse the issue?
What is the utility of a copyright if not to grant control over distribution of the author's content and derivative works thereof? Are you being deliberately obtuse?
They've put a stop to quite a bit of it, excluding Axanar.
According to Christian Gossett, Yes:
https://twitter.com/chrisgossett/status/880816093987655680
^^^
And yes the tweet linked is from the Tampaxanar site, but it's a screencap of a Facebook Post from Mr. Gossett.
This isn't a serious line of argument, is it? I mean...
Besides a lack of evidence that protecting possesions is encoded in our brains at a genetic level, what on earth does that have to do with the law, a codified set of rules of what is considered what and wrong by societal standards with punishments of going outside of those norms?
And who cares? It totally off the topic of copyright law. Something that exists. Why are you wasting time with this mumbo jumbo?
Because it doesn't matter to the current state of reality?
No. I asked you why you think I'm dismissive of the utility of copyright. Still waiting for that answer.
No. They haven't. @Potemkin_Prod puts out fan films quite regularly.
I think he's run out of arguments/ammunition.
What did I think of the Axanar script? It fell way short of Prelude, for one.
There may be some good points, and it could always look more impressive than it reads, or be acted better than the dialogue suggests, but mostly I was disappointed. So, from memory, why disappointed? I think because Garth's tactics weren't all that and a bag of chips such that they would ever become required reading at Starfleet Academy as a great example of tactics. And the stolen plans - How many Bothens died bringing us that information? - used to suggest a D7 weakness didn't even work, did it? It was a spy that got the shield frequency, right? And conveyed it using just prime numbers? What? And the Enterprise dropping in unexpectedly? Was that his plan? To unexpectedly be saved? It's good those two ships were used a bait, but those ships should never have been in the battle of Axanar. And if I insisted on using one, I'd have use the Constitution NCC-1700, the first, so it wouldn't mess any more with any established history of the NCC-1701, but would give Trek fans a look at the first Constitution Class starship, of which very little has been said or established.
I doubt the Ares could lock onto a Klingon ship with a tractor beam while that ship still had shields up, so that was silly, too. I thought it stupid beyond belief any ships would tractor a Constitution class starship many light years so it could act mostly like a garbage scow against warp driven starships, and even if its shields and armaments could greatly contribute in a hanging fire fight (and without warp engines, where is all that power coming from?) , why stick around to fight it? Side step it by a few light seconds and it's out of the battle, until it's towed into firing range again. Mind you, too much of Trek suffers from doing things at FTL speeds in tiny yet apparently visual ranges, but seriously, an impulse driven starship again warp capable starships?
And then Kharn seemed to have way too much respect for Garth when I don't think Garth earned it, like the Romulan commander and Kirk had respect for each other even though Kirk beat him - this fell well short of that. I think he was trying to capture that greatness but totally missed the Mark, Lenard. Our two best warriors make nice and everything is set for peace? Garth is the head of all Star Fleet, without which the Federation will die? Where the hell does Kharn get these ideas?
I don't look for deep insight into character backgrounds or character development or expect too much from a short fan film, or even one movie, compared to what you can develop over time in a series. I don't mind it was a foregone conclusion the Ares class would almost always beat the D6 in a fair fight – this had been established in Prelude. I was actually more impresses with him beating the D7 in the gas giant than the battle of Axanar. I didn't mind the Scotty clone. There were differences enough, and without a high quality engineer, most starships probably won't make it, so I don't mind competent or nigh equivalent crew members. It's expected. You don't have time to flesh out a character, borrow a bit, fine.
How did he make shuttles look like Constitution class starships again? Good going coning Kharn into believing they were at Axanar in the first place and not Earth, but to continue to fool them once they got there? I don't see it. Too much real time communications between headquarters and ships light years away. Subspace communications are fast, but they are not instantaneous. Yeah, Trek is always forgetting how vast space really is, too, but that's no excuse.
Well, to do a good job reviewing this script, I would have to reread it and walk through it paragraph by paragraph rather than just recall from memory stuff that didn't sit well with me, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra effort. It's just not that good, IMO.
There may be some good points, and it could always look more impressive than it reads, or be acted better than the dialogue suggests, but mostly I was disappointed. So, from memory, why disappointed? I think because Garth's tactics weren't all that and a bag of chips such that they would ever become required reading at Starfleet Academy as a great example of tactics. And the stolen plans - How many Bothens died bringing us that information? - used to suggest a D7 weakness didn't even work, did it? It was a spy that got the shield frequency, right? And conveyed it using just prime numbers? What? And the Enterprise dropping in unexpectedly? Was that his plan? To unexpectedly be saved? It's good those two ships were used a bait, but those ships should never have been in the battle of Axanar. And if I insisted on using one, I'd have use the Constitution NCC-1700, the first, so it wouldn't mess any more with any established history of the NCC-1701, but would give Trek fans a look at the first Constitution Class starship, of which very little has been said or established.
I doubt the Ares could lock onto a Klingon ship with a tractor beam while that ship still had shields up, so that was silly, too. I thought it stupid beyond belief any ships would tractor a Constitution class starship many light years so it could act mostly like a garbage scow against warp driven starships, and even if its shields and armaments could greatly contribute in a hanging fire fight (and without warp engines, where is all that power coming from?) , why stick around to fight it? Side step it by a few light seconds and it's out of the battle, until it's towed into firing range again. Mind you, too much of Trek suffers from doing things at FTL speeds in tiny yet apparently visual ranges, but seriously, an impulse driven starship again warp capable starships?
And then Kharn seemed to have way too much respect for Garth when I don't think Garth earned it, like the Romulan commander and Kirk had respect for each other even though Kirk beat him - this fell well short of that. I think he was trying to capture that greatness but totally missed the Mark, Lenard. Our two best warriors make nice and everything is set for peace? Garth is the head of all Star Fleet, without which the Federation will die? Where the hell does Kharn get these ideas?
I don't look for deep insight into character backgrounds or character development or expect too much from a short fan film, or even one movie, compared to what you can develop over time in a series. I don't mind it was a foregone conclusion the Ares class would almost always beat the D6 in a fair fight – this had been established in Prelude. I was actually more impresses with him beating the D7 in the gas giant than the battle of Axanar. I didn't mind the Scotty clone. There were differences enough, and without a high quality engineer, most starships probably won't make it, so I don't mind competent or nigh equivalent crew members. It's expected. You don't have time to flesh out a character, borrow a bit, fine.
How did he make shuttles look like Constitution class starships again? Good going coning Kharn into believing they were at Axanar in the first place and not Earth, but to continue to fool them once they got there? I don't see it. Too much real time communications between headquarters and ships light years away. Subspace communications are fast, but they are not instantaneous. Yeah, Trek is always forgetting how vast space really is, too, but that's no excuse.
Well, to do a good job reviewing this script, I would have to reread it and walk through it paragraph by paragraph rather than just recall from memory stuff that didn't sit well with me, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra effort. It's just not that good, IMO.
After having read them, but not wishing to respond to every point quote-by-quote, I will still say the notion you are "taking" something that doesn't belong to you I think continues to suggest to most people something more tangible is taken, like physical property, and most dictionaries defining theft and stealing have something like that in mind, more often than not.
But to "take" someone else's IP in the same manner would be to deprive them of it, like they no longer own it or have it anymore because you have taken it from them, and what's more, now that you have it, it's like you own it. But neither of these things are the case.
What you have done is infringe upon another's legal rights - you've crossed a legally defined line, the other side of which may or may not have consequences, depending on how far you've crossed and in what manner and what the IP owner wants, which is never guaranteed to be the same thing every time. And while some instances clearly do, not every instance of crossing that line constitutes theft or stealing, so always calling it theft or stealing is essentially a lie at worst, or a misunderstanding at best. Unfortunately, most people's colloquial understanding of those terms leaves something to be desired. To insist on the imprecise terms "theft" or "stealing" when a more legally accurate and precise term of "infringement" is available does suggest to me somebody trying to strongly dissuade the masses from copyright infringement by dishonestly equating it with the more understandable and well known and obviously illegal and immoral actions that even kids understand, and thus using a modestly deceitful tactic, or somebody who doesn't know the difference, or doesn't care about them, and won't let the actual difference interfere with whatever other motives they may have for adhering to such insistences.
But to "take" someone else's IP in the same manner would be to deprive them of it, like they no longer own it or have it anymore because you have taken it from them, and what's more, now that you have it, it's like you own it. But neither of these things are the case.
What you have done is infringe upon another's legal rights - you've crossed a legally defined line, the other side of which may or may not have consequences, depending on how far you've crossed and in what manner and what the IP owner wants, which is never guaranteed to be the same thing every time. And while some instances clearly do, not every instance of crossing that line constitutes theft or stealing, so always calling it theft or stealing is essentially a lie at worst, or a misunderstanding at best. Unfortunately, most people's colloquial understanding of those terms leaves something to be desired. To insist on the imprecise terms "theft" or "stealing" when a more legally accurate and precise term of "infringement" is available does suggest to me somebody trying to strongly dissuade the masses from copyright infringement by dishonestly equating it with the more understandable and well known and obviously illegal and immoral actions that even kids understand, and thus using a modestly deceitful tactic, or somebody who doesn't know the difference, or doesn't care about them, and won't let the actual difference interfere with whatever other motives they may have for adhering to such insistences.
Uh huh.
Kids: don't take and use someone else's IP. It doesn't belong to you. It's stealing.
There's an old story about a minstrel who sings for a living. He says to a man who stopped and listened for a while: "You must pay. You have heard the sound of my music." The man holds up his coin purse, gives it a good shake and says: "And now you have heard the sound of my money."
I'll say this for Alec: unlike other self-absorbed wannabe filmmakers like Tommy Wiseau or Neil Breen, at least he doesn't have a compulsion to show his butt on camera.
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