CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

[Tom]

What I feel bad for, are the fans who donated to this project, not once, but twice.. People who gave their hard earned money (Donors who gave more than my $15.00) who I thought were throwing good money after bad this past summer.

These are the most vocal defenders of Axanar now that the wheels are coming off the bus... and I get why.. I just feel bad for them.

If Alec settles with CBS without having to pay monetary damages, I wonder what will happen to unused indiegogo money that is left over after paying legal fees. doesn't he have like 600k or so left? If Axanar can't continue and I cant seem him giving the remaining money back to just some of the fans.

 

[dub]

I am sure CBS is trying to decide whether they want to piss off most of the existing Star Trek fan base by shutting down all the fans productions...

Most of the fan base doesn't care about fan productions.

I cared about this one and only this one and now I'll probably never see it.

+1...though "care" may be too strong of a word. I was interested. I really enjoyed the documentary style set-up film a lot. But I never "cared" enough to pay for it up front. And after seeing how Burnett is acting on Twitter, I'm no longer interested in this project, even if the case is miraculously dropped or settled. He sounds like a disgruntled ex-employee who was just fired. Throwing other productions under the bus. It's sad. It's unprofessional.

 

[SuperSpaceMan]

What I feel bad for, are the fans who donated to this project, not once, but twice.. People who gave their hard earned money (Donors who gave more than my $15.00) who I thought were throwing good money after bad this past summer.

These are the most vocal defenders of Axanar now that the wheels are coming off the bus... and I get why.. I just feel bad for them.

If Alec settles with CBS without having to pay monetary damages, I wonder what will happen to unused indiegogo money that is left over after paying legal fees. doesn't he have like 600k or so left? If Axanar can't continue and I cant seem him giving the remaining money back to just some of the fans.

Based on the claim, it looks like CBS/Paramount's strategy is to dry up Axanar's funding... which makes sense.. He is under no obligation to return it to the fans, because of the risks involved with crowd funding, AND just a C&D would leave him with funds raised through Star Trek IP to finish out his production studio and make that film with David Gerrold.... which I suspect they don't want... so....

 

[Squiggy]

This won't get to trial unless Plaintiffs want it to, but if it did, Burnett's Twitter account would be a trial exhibit, as would the majority of internet comments referring to Axanar as "The Real Star Trek".

That's exhibit B once CBS brings up how people are confused as to who actually owns the franchise.

 

[JE Smith]

What is a fan film anyway? Something self funded and shot in ones garage? Or multi-million crowdfunded productions that pay actors and build sets? They have stretched the meaning of a fan film to beyond breaking point.

The definition is very simple: a fan film is a fictional story (whether drama or comedy) using an intellectual property which the filmmakers do not own or have a license to produce. How much money they spend or the level of professionalism of the participants has nothing to do with it. If you don't own the rights, it's a fan film. Period.

Also, documentaries are not fan films. Neither are movies that are set in "our" reality, but have elements of franchise films incorporated -- thus, RMB is insane to call Free Enterprise a fan film. It's not even remotely one, even if was made by hardcore fans. (Hey, I love the movie -- but it's a ridiculous assertion.)

 

[Tom]

look for archive.org to get some heavy use...

 

[Jedi_Master]

Most of the fan base doesn't care about fan productions.

I cared about this one and only this one and now I'll probably never see it.

+1...though "care" may be too strong of a word. I was interested. I really enjoyed the documentary style set-up film a lot. But I never "cared" enough to pay for it up front. And after seeing how Burnett is acting on Twitter, I'm no longer interested in this project, even if the case is miraculously dropped or settled. He sounds like a disgruntled ex-employee who was just fired. Throwing other productions under the bus. It's sad. It's unprofessional.

Someone who cares about him needs to tell him to shut the heck up. Right. Now.

Tom, I wish you the best.Thanks for being a class act.

 

[Karzak]

Most of the fan base doesn't care about fan productions.

I cared about this one and only this one and now I'll probably never see it.

+1...though "care" may be too strong of a word. I was interested. I really enjoyed the documentary style set-up film a lot. But I never "cared" enough to pay for it up front. And after seeing how Burnett is acting on Twitter, I'm no longer interested in this project, even if the case is miraculously dropped or settled. He sounds like a disgruntled ex-employee who was just fired. Throwing other productions under the bus. It's sad. It's unprofessional.

This is how he has always been.

 

[Turbo]

Oy. Axanar's lawyers need to be on the phone with Burnett and everyone, telling them to stop talking right this damn minute.

 

[JE Smith]

Honestly, I don't understand why Kickstarter/Indiegogo et al allow people to run campaigns for projects where they clearly are not the IP/license holders. Seems like that would open them up to a huge amount of liability for enabling projects like this to stockpile cash for properties they do not own.

I mean, I once wanted to print up a one-off, just-for-me t-shirt that incorporated the Batman logo, and the t-shirt company went BANANAS about copyrights and trademarks and basically told me I'd have to get a permission letter from WB before they could even consider printing up ONE t-shirt for my own personal use.

I'm guessing that happened a while ago, or at the very least in-person and not on-line.

Nope, it was about two months ago, with a very popular on-line t-shirt company (that maybe has an octopus for a logo ) that I have used MANY times in the past, including to print t-shirts for my own video productions.

I understand they need to CYA, and they've always been good to me in the past, so I wasn't mad. It was just a mild annoyance.

 

[dub]

This is how he has always been.

Color me ignorant. Beyond being wreckless, it's inconsiderate of all of the people who worked hard and contributed to the project. Too bad.

 

[Amaris]

Oy. Axanar's lawyers need to be on the phone with Burnett and everyone, telling them to stop talking right this damn minute.

Yeah, this is definitely one of those "you guys are telling the legal rights holder of the IP you're copying that they can fuck off. You need to stop that" moments.

 

[BillJ]

[

Oh, good God...
Burnett: "I'd like to announce my new documentary, THE BATTLE OF AXANAR, crowdfunding soon!"

That guy is completely unhinged.

What is it going to be? Five minutes of them screaming about how mean CBS is? Anything else will likely shine a light on their own incompetence.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Oy. Axanar's lawyers need to be on the phone with Burnett and everyone, telling them to stop talking right this damn minute.

Amen. He is doing CBS' work for them.

In all fairness, this sort of posturing isn't all that uncommon during the opening stages of a law suit. However, it is usually lawyers issuing carefully worded statements describing how their opponent eats babies who have been fried in unicorn oil.

 

[David cgc]

Honestly, I don't understand why Kickstarter/Indiegogo et al allow people to run campaigns for projects where they clearly are not the IP/license holders. Seems like that would open them up to a huge amount of liability for enabling projects like this to stockpile cash for properties they do not own.

I mean, I once wanted to print up a one-off, just-for-me t-shirt that incorporated the Batman logo, and the t-shirt company went BANANAS about copyrights and trademarks and basically told me I'd have to get a permission letter from WB before they could even consider printing up ONE t-shirt for my own personal use.

I'm guessing that happened a while ago, or at the very least in-person and not on-line.

Nope, it was about two months ago, with an very popular on-line t-shirt company that I have used MANY times in the past, including to print t-shirt for my own video productions.

Huh. Weird. A lot of on-line services are so heavily automated that I wouldn't expect anyone to even look at what designs are being printed (or what yous are being tubed or what kicks are being started) barring a complaint.

 

[dub]

In all fairness, this sort of posturing isn't all that uncommon during the opening stages of a law suit.

The key to that is to leave the posturing to the lawyers.

 

[Maurice]

Wait! I just figured it out! Now I see the entire evil plan! Alex says he's a lawyer, so he raised all this money knowing CBS would eventually sue, and now can use the crowdfunding to hire himself to defend Ares, at a cost of whatevermoneynotspent! #AxanarTruthers






Okay, I kid.

 

[lurok]

Robert Meyer Burnett ‏@BurnettRM 3h3 hours ago Los Angeles, CA

Until @Deadline picks up this story, I'm not really interested.

Got his wish.

http://deadline.com/2015/12/star-trek-fan-films-lawsuit-paramount-axanar-1201674185/

 

[Mudd]

[

Oh, good God...
Burnett: "I'd like to announce my new documentary, THE BATTLE OF AXANAR, crowdfunding soon!"

That guy is completely unhinged.

At this point I think he's just taking the piss.

 

[Jedi_Master]

The key to that is to eave the posturing to the lawyers.

Yep. That's what you pay them for - to say nasty things in a perfectly legal manner.