Is this SOP
@carlosp ? Were they close? Is the magistrate saying COME THE FUCK ON MAN? Have you heard anything about offers/rejections and what the sticking point is?
In California - before a Civil Trial, there's ALWAYS a "Mandatory Settlement Conference" <--- And that's how it's always referred to.
That's what was ordered by the Judge; and that's what both parties are going through now. Will Judges (and Magistrates) lay out how they think a case would end up IF it got to summary judgement/trial. Yes; and they won't beat about the bush - and believe me when I say the attorneys are pretty aware of what will happen too.
But, here's the thing: The Attorneys represent their client; and even if they have a really good idea of what the end result will be - the client has to agree to what is proposed. I'm pretty sure AT BEST what C/P has offered to Peters/Axanar is that IF he wants to make 'Axanar' he has to do it per the released guidelines meaning:
-Two 15 minute episodes (at most)
- NO previous Star Trek actors or Hollywood Pros involved (IE bye bye David Gerrold and Robert Burnett and any other such people who might still be willing still being involved with the production.)
- No further fundraising (Alec peters got 1.4 million dollars via crowdfunding to date.)
And I'm sure there was more that did involve damages, shuttering of his donor store/sale of unlicensed Star Trek merchandise, etc.
The reason i think that C/P at least offered that is WHY Alec Peters thinks: "We're close to a settlement..."
But (IMO) he's as insane as ever if he thinks CBS/Paramount will give him more than that when it comes to 'Axanar' (and hell, given everything to date, that's VERY generous of C/P if that in fact was a part a settlement offer.)
At this point if Alec Peters completely sticks to his guns and will only settle if C/P let him make Axanar 'his way'; no further discussions between attorneys is going to budge him; and we're headed to either a summary Judgement (which if it's against Axanar/Alec peters will be appealed assuming W&S continue to represent Axanar et. al.; OR as soon as he can get other pro bono representation before the time to make the appeal runs out. (No Alec won't ever pay for any of this himself; but I also think - as the latest Go Fund Me debacle showed - Alec WON'T be seeing Axanar fans willing to further fund his legal battles.)
In the end, Alec peters is a major egotistical idiot; and he's a client that will need the entire weight of civil copyright law levied against him (including damages) to stop him <-- And even after that he'll be thinking of ways to get what his ego demands.
That's my take. IF Alec Peters accepts a settlement offer, it'll show he's not as insane as he comes across; but I seriously doubt he'll accept any settlement offer that doesn't include: "Okay, do what you want with Axanar..."
Why? IMO he's still under the delusion that IF he gets to make the film; SOMEHOW the result will "prove he was right" and Star Trek fandom and Hollywood proper will afterwards be begging him to do more <<--Yes, as I said - insane/delusional for sure.
But, we'll know one way or the other around November 16th,
