Looks like Axanar is not the only one CBS' lawyers is pushing around. You may remember the FASA Star Trek Tactical Combat Simulator board game from the 1980's. Some kind person wrote a free computer version many years ago. Well, he was ordered by CBS legal to take it down on 11/30/2015. One of the nice things about the computer game is you could play against the computer if you couldn't round up a friend or 2. Last night I decided I wanted to play and had the time. I couldn't find my copy, so I thought no problem, I'll simply download it. Nope. CBS has squashed that for some reason. Glad I managed to find a copy still saved on an external drive.
I wonder if this signifies that Trek gaming is about to return in 2016, or at least the gaming licence is becoming hot again due to the film franchise.
A gaming company would be unlikely to buy an exclusive license to make new Trek games if CBS didn't demonstrate that they protected previous games from being illegally and freely distributed.
This reminds me of a time many years ago when my computer died. It took me about a month to save up for a new 486 motherboard and when I finally got back on line all the Trek web sites I used to visit were gone. IIRC Majel Barrett-Roddenberry decided to crack down on everyone using Trek images or providing products/services associated with Star Trek. She was also doing this to dealer's rooms at SciFi conventions to the point they stopped inviting her as a guest. CBS/Paramount is really focused on things which existed below the radar for years- IMO Axanar drew a spotlight and now it is spreading everywhere. Bad timing for the fiftieth anniversary since the official license holders seem to have little interest in it aside from some special packaging of existing crap.
It would be really nice if, besides developing new games, CBS-Paramount would allow some of the older Trek games to be released on the Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox services. Games like "Future's Past" or "Crossroad's Of Time", or even the 25th Anniversary game. Of course it would be really nice if someone brought out a Remastered version of "Star Trek Borg". I realize that Simon & Schuster Interactive no longer exists, but surely the rights must be with Simon & Schuster and CBS, so it would need to be the rescan of the film and the proper coding that would need to be redone.
No, it wasn't Majel Barrett. She had no "power" once Roddenberry was gone. Several Trek clubs in Australia received "cease and desist" orders in 1992 - from Paramount/Viacom! - when one group took up the option on the Official Fan Club in Australia. It was Majel Barrett who personally went to bat for the clubs to remain operating. She "went all Lwaxana on their ass". It worked, but they didn't have to listen to her. IIRC, Majel was temporarily affected by Paramount's crackdown too. They stopped Lincoln Enterprises from selling TNG scripts (the screenwriters complained to Viacom that there was no arrangement for them receiving royalties). I had a "subscription service" from Majel to buy all TNG scripts, but only received Season One (in one giant mailbag) because the scripts were withdrawn from the catalogue. If Majel vanished from conventions at this time, it was because she was affected by Viacom's restrictions, too, and she had too much stock she wasn't able to sell.
I think this signifies that TPTB are saying, "Thank you, Fans, ever so much for keeping our Star Trek property alive all of these stagnant years and not allowing it to fade into obscurity. You've saved us much money and effort in having to resurrect it from the ether. We have decided to start churning out new content and your assistance is no longer necessary or welcome. You WILL enjoy our programming and support our sponsors. Once again thank you and now kindly piss off."