BREAKING: Official Fan Film Guidelines Issued

[Ssosmcin]

There are properties out there that won't let you make fan films about their characters AT ALL. Look at the huge library of full length Trek fan film series you can watch.

I find it a shame the new guidelines will force a major changes, but we're damned lucky for what we have.

Accept it and move on.

 

[Auroratrek]

Yep. Once people realized they could get six and seven figure funding for a fan film, it was only a matter of time.

I worked on Aurora for over a decade and never asked for or took a penny for it, even when it was offered--no merch or ads either--so I figured I was safe, but the 15 minute/no recurring characters rule ruins it for me, or anyone else who wants to create a meaningful Star Trek story. You can't establish a fully-realized character and tell a meaningful story about them in 15 minutes, and what is Star Trek without characters? I don't dispute CBS/P's right to do whatever they want with their legal property--and I can completely understand their dispute with anyone actually profiting from their copyrighted material--but I question the wisdom of punishing fans who spend their own time and money on endeavors that ultimately benefit CBS/P by helping keep Star Trek in the public eye as a cultural force that matters.

 

[trynda1701]

Blown.

D'oh!

I stand corrected (and have corrected the original!).

 

[Ovation]

Isn't having a different sets of rules for different sets of people the very definition of hypocrisy? The most annoying thing is that the decency rules have nothing to do with Alec's behavior. Axanar has a lot of issues but there's no evidence that the film would have included profanity, too much skin, etc.

No. Rules and laws for children and adults are different in many significant ways--no hypocrisy. Rules for professionals vs amateurs regarding any number of trades and professions (eg electrician or accountant) are different--no hypocrisy. By definition "fan films" and official productions are materially different--hence the the distinct differences in the rules.

 

[Warped9]

The more I think about this the more I suspect something else is going on. I cannot wrap my head around CBS/P going to this extreme after all but one loser played fair by the unspoken rules.

It just doesn't make sense.

They state they will not take action if you follow these explicit rules. But they do not state specifically they will take action if you don't adhere to these rules.

They also state these guidelines could be revised or revoked at any time.

These are lawyers. Why wouldn't they state explicity if you violate these rules then we will take specific action?

Also CBS/P are completely free to enforce their IP where and when and against whom they choose. They could say "this production is fine but that one isn't" and they're completely within their rights.

 

[oswriter]

The problem is: If CBS were to give some sort of official exemption to one group; I'm sure many others would cry foul; and further, by publically providing such an exemption, you could legally construe it as CBS giving STC a license of sorts. This is EXACTLY the situation CBS wants to avoid with regard to fan films. (And BTW I've enjoyed STC's work a lot; but given the situation, the last thing CBNS would want to do is publically announce these guidelines, then publically start giving exemptions to certain groups.)

The danger for CBS and Paramount is that if you start "licensing" fan productions, you open the door for your real competitors--the other Hollywood studios--to start financing these projects as a backdoor means of appropriating your IP. In other words, Star Trek Fan Film A raises $100,000 through crowd-funding to produce a 20-minute sizzle reel. Once the sizzle reel goes viral, 20th Century Fox decides to "invest" in the production of the full feature. If there's any hint that CBS has granted an express or implied license to Fan Film A, the legal waters get very murky.

 

[Maurice]

There's nothing else going on. I'm sure fanfilms have raised red flags in the past, and all that's happened is that someone said, "see, I told you these were getting out of hand. You give and inch and someone takes a parsec, so let's put the kibosh on anyone going that far again."

And the guidelines make perfect sense because they tell you, in short, "there are the things that get our goat, so step outside these bounds at your own peril".

• No Star Trek in the titles prevents Trademark violation and brand confusion
• The "A Star Trek fanfilm" label further makes it clear "this isn't the real thing"
• No "series" because those tend to become cottage industries and let people build careers using your IP
• Fundraising limitations restrict using Trek IP to raise boatloads of money
• Run-time limitations keep those stories from being perceived as competing entertainment products
• etc.

 

[trynda1701]

@Warped9

That may be so, but again we're in a limbo period with regards to what is happening behind the scenes in the lawsuit.

@Auroratrek

Tim, your production is another I will miss because of the 'no sequels' rule. The original "Aurora" episode is one of my favourite Trek episodes ever!

I could see you continuing with the 30 minute limit. But I want to see more of Kara Carpenter and T'Ling!

 

[Tosk]

Now what happens with Aurora's Mudd in Your I?
We were one part away from finished! This is gonna drive me crazy. Aurora and Continues are the two most painful potential losses in all this.

Spoiler

Not to sound too mercenary, but I wonder if a very carefully shared unlisted link to the finished product for a short time might be a possibility in the future.

 

[Khan 2.0]

wonder what will happen to all the STC, NV, episodes etc (and of course prelude to axanar) and the actual sites, FB pages etc - will they be allowed to remain or taken down? be a bit strange having had millions of views on utube to just disappear never to be seen again (then again that's what happens to some stuff on utube if violation of terms/rights etc.)

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I'd like to believe it was "mission creep", but it has all the earmarks of a scam as well.

Sell the idea of a cool movie to friends / pro's using protected IP. This is the most important part because it's your escape valve. Make the "bait" to get the marks attention, a teaser or a prelude.

So Peters was ripping off the IP of The Producers, too!

(Instead of making something so bad it gets shut down on opening night and you pocket the money, you make something infringes so bad it gets shut down and you pocket the money.)

 

[BrEnDoN]

You can't establish a fully-realized character and tell a meaningful story about them in 15 minutes

Yes you can, it's just hard...

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Since someone was asking for a link after I mentioned this the other day:

@carlosp :
"CBS and Paramount have had ongoing settlement talks with Axanar for many weeks now. This spring, CBS gave these guidelines to Peters as part of a settlement offer. He refused. You can understand why; under these guidelines, neither he nor RMB could work on their own project.

Right after the Abrams/Lin intercession, with the public announcement by CBS/P that they were drafting guidelines, he attempted to rally the other fan producers behind the guidelines HE wanted."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CBSvsAxanar/permalink/1243852758959425/?comment_id=1243862065625161&reply_comment_id=1244507138893987&comment_tracking={"tn":"R"}

 

[JoeZhang]

Reading these guidelines, I think I can get away with my fan fiction "Gene Roddenberry's love Instructor" as nobody is wearing any uniforms (or indeed any clothes) and I don't think I can last 15 minutes anyway.

 

[Philip Guyott]

Reading these guidelines, I think I can get away with my fan fiction "Gene Roddenberry's love Instructor" as nobody is wearing any uniforms (or indeed any clothes) and I don't think I can last 15 minutes anyway.

Alas, you are not allowed nudity under the new guidelines. Which makes me wonder if it was
permissible before these guidelines came out.

 

[JoeZhang]

Alas, you are not allowed nudity under the new guidelines. Which makes me wonder if it was
permissible before these guidelines came out.

I'll just call it love instructor and claim it's original IP.

 

[Relayer1]

They state they will not take action if you follow these explicit rules. But they do not state specifically they will take action if you don't adhere to these rules.

There's now a 'safe zone' that didn't exist before. Well, it did, but it involved not making fanfilms.

The only way to find out if you can get away with a series is for someone to try.

Alex ?

 

[Rincewiend]

You can't establish a fully-realized character and tell a meaningful story about them in 15 minutes.

Really?!?

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[Philip Guyott]

Reading these guidelines, I think I can get away with my fan fiction "Gene Roddenberry's love Instructor" as nobody is wearing any uniforms (or indeed any clothes) and I don't think I can last 15 minutes anyway.

Alas, you are not allowed nudity under the new guidelines. Which makes me wonder if it was
permissible before these guidelines came out.

I'll just call it love instructor and claim it's original IP.

Yes, and if CBS still sued they would have to publicly admit that they watched it.

 

[Relayer1]

Reading these guidelines, I think I can get away with my fan fiction "Gene Roddenberry's love Instructor" as nobody is wearing any uniforms (or indeed any clothes) and I don't think I can last 15 minutes anyway.

Just think of Gene and it'll take much, much longer !

And no making that phaser bank firing noise at a crucial moment. It's copyright.

Yes you can, it's just hard...