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Stage 9 gets cease and desist order from CBS
- Thread starter StarTrekRecuts
- Start date
Not at all!
I think Stage 9 were creating something never before done, at least not in such depth and detail.
Obviously they were within the Star Trek sandbox and I can see why CBS became concerned after finding out about the project.
It is a shame that the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement/understanding that allowed Stage 9 to continue.
Hopefully the guys and girls that have been working on this will continue to do so for their own edification.
After all, it would otherwise be a terrible waste of the time, effort and work they have already invested.
Obviously they were within the Star Trek sandbox and I can see why CBS became concerned after finding out about the project.
It is a shame that the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement/understanding that allowed Stage 9 to continue.
Hopefully the guys and girls that have been working on this will continue to do so for their own edification.
After all, it would otherwise be a terrible waste of the time, effort and work they have already invested.
Same thing I posted about it on my Fan Art thread: Rob Bryan aka Scragnog from the team who previously did Stage 9 has been importing some of my old works to Unreal. These are just personal projects to iron out his skills and to see what's possible with the engine, they aren't even playable and have no intention of ever being so (not to mention they are not and will never be released in any way).
The actual model here is an almost two years old commission I did for @Toph_ERR, nothing that's being actively developed or anything like that.
The actual model here is an almost two years old commission I did for @Toph_ERR, nothing that's being actively developed or anything like that.
You mean like how they never make Sherlock Holmes stuff anymore?
Not taking a side on this, but I just hate bad economics. Monopolies (and yes, IP laws create monopolies, that is their job) always result in less choice for consumers than more open markets.
Nobody will convince we that coming down hard on fan projects is a good business decision. I think it shows in the less than stellar reaction to Discovery. Work with fans, work with the more popular projects and bask in the adulation that your fanbase delivers to you. Fight them and suffer at the cash register. Now I am not saying never protect your IP. Of course you have to, but yes don't treat all projects the same. Be selective.
Also IP fights with fandom is by nature David vs Goliath. CBS will go and hire S&C or White and Case, they will hire teams of doc reviewers and shower the little fan project with discovery requests. Good luck fighting that battle even if you would have a strong case.
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I kinda, sorta, maybe see Stage 9 as getting confused with the new TNG expansion for their bridge command VR game. That's about it (and probably all there needed to be). The timing certainly fits. Do I think this would materially affect sales of the game? No. Does that matter? No. They can pull the plug at any time for any reason.
But I'm also not taking a side here on whether it was a good decision. I'm just trying to stick to the facts.
If it created a possible conflict with a current license holder then yes it was a good business decision.
The problem of working with the fans is that it continues the sense of entitlement and emotional investment that fans have in a property. Which, sounds great-on paper. But, fans have terrible ideas, and companies do not have endless pockets to provide just compensation to every fan pitch. So, either way, CBS suffers at the cash register.
The "less than stellar reaction to Discovery?" I have to chuckle at this when a fan project attempted to do a similar concept of a Klingon War. Oh, wait, we should demonstrate respect to Axanar because it is fan led? O_o
No, sorry, I see the CBS side on this one. Allowing fan projects to continue is just asking for more and more and more violations of their IP until they have to become draconian, again, and face the same backlash.
As far as we know that's what happened; which is really unfortunate because as soon as the TNG DLC for Bridge Crew was announced, we stopped releasing VR versions precisely to avoid any clash.
@fireproof78: I agree with your stance, and once again I want to reiterate that CBS was in their right to C&D us, I'm not debating that.
However the problem is that they do allow fan projects to continue, only until one of their licensees tell them to stop it. That's the "unfair" aspect here, if you're gonna protect your fans and let them create fan projects freely (like CBS representatives so often say), then stand by those words. If you're gonna come down on us every time a licensee complains (even without merit mind you, like I said we were never a competitor to Bridge Crew, I know from trusted sources that Ubisoft just needed a scapegoat to blame for BC's under-performance, and we happened to fill that bill), then don't invite fan endeavors in the first place. Particularly if you then don't let us talk and explain ourselves, or try and reach any sort of agreement.
We're put in this awkward position where we really don't know what's allowed and what isn't, and that even when you try to do things right (like the fact that we were a true fan project, never asking for any money or trying to sell cr*p like Axanar did, and stopping when we felt we were stepping on licensees toes) you still get called out and labeled an infringer.
I can understand why the company working people on projects like this one or the one that starts with an A would sound like a good idea but the problem is that there are just so many fan projects out there there is no way they can keep up with them all. If they do try, then that brings up the questions of which ones to support, and who chooses which ones to support. If this is an open submissions kind then, then that means they will be getting a constant stream of submissions that somebody is going to have to spend all of their time going, and they probably don't want to have to do that.
Sadly, I have a feeling that fan projects will get to a point were companies will no longer tolerate them period. It becomes very difficult because there are those passion projects, and there are those who will use a company's good graces and push the limit again and again. A company will only abide by it for so long.
So, I have a feeling that you will get your wish-fan projects will no longer be encouraged, and C&D will become the currency of the realm.
There was something similar to Stage 9, which was called Enterprise3DProject.
Maybe you remember this video:
There was a bit of buzz, at least in the German media, about it a few years ago. Meanwhile their website http://ww38.enterprise3dproject.com/ is also dead.
Man, how great it would be to have a whole Enterprise-D or Voyager in first-person-persective. *dream*
Maybe you remember this video:
There was a bit of buzz, at least in the German media, about it a few years ago. Meanwhile their website http://ww38.enterprise3dproject.com/ is also dead.
Man, how great it would be to have a whole Enterprise-D or Voyager in first-person-persective. *dream*
then they should stop making shit.
For example the only way I can get my trek gaming habits satisfied is by fan base created mods because the only official trek games released the last decade have been worse than shit........
If there is a gap in the market fill it or let the fans fill it instead.
Companies have an obligation to protect their product.
Go for it. If it were your property would you not want to protect it?
If no one's making money from it and it's not hurting or effecting me in anyway? Then no, would not care less.
Hell if it was a good idea I might even employ them and then market it.
See I am not a pedantic Nick picker or control freak.
Except it does hurt companies because it puts contracts at risk. And there is a risk of others (not always the mod makers themselves) of making money from it. It is a slippery slope that companies would rather not risk.
Companies have the right to protect their property and this is one of doing so-by protecting their contracts and relationships with other companies.
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