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CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

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In a few more years, believable actor avatars and sets far better than just games, and easier to construct, computed to 4k resolution or better, will be in the reach of home computers. The content will even be publishable in VR. Given that the obstacles to media production and distribution are vanishing, it seems inevitable that the studios will have to start taking a very hard line on the IP.
 
Based on his IMDB, it looks like he's occasionaly picked up work as a voice actor during the past fifteen years, but outside of The Martian Child (2007), which was based on his novelette (he didn't write the screenplay), there sure aren't any writing credits.
I have an IMBD page. It doesn't list a tenth of all the projects I've worked on over the years. There isn't a writing staff at IMDB central researching and cataloguing every person's Professional crédits, it's usually inserted by either the person themselves or somebody involved with such-and-such a production. I personally don't have the time nor the inclination nor the ego to go fill out my page...
 
Heard from Skip...

Skip is worried about about his "personal and financial security?" and not only won't be commenting on it on his own site, but won't be commenting here any longer? There is something seriously ominous sounding about that update. Surely he crossed no line that could have ended him up in court? I wonder if some Axanar zealot sent him a threat. I enjoyed reading his posts and he will definitely be missed.
 
Shouldn't we blame all Axanerds for this, the way Alec did regarding one looney poster last week on the "I Stand With CBS" page?

Oh wait, that would be immature and dishonest.

I'm still waiting for the police to show up at my door (what with all that damning evidence they seem to have). I've seen enough episodes of COPS to know how I'm supposed to act.

Oh yeah, we're murderers too.
 
Just that the 2009 release is likely to be cheaper, since it is being replaced with a new release. There haven't been any upgrades for the new release.

Thanks. I'll have to dig around on Amazon and see what I can find. :techman:

That's all he said. But it sounds like an over-zealous Axanerd threatened him.

If that's the case, then it must have been some threat. He didn't seem the type to back down. Could be wrong, of course.

Shouldn't we blame all Axanerds for this, the way Alec did regarding one looney poster last week on the "I Stand With CBS" page?

Oh wait, that would be immature and dishonest.

Heh!

Skip is worried about about his "personal and financial security?" and not only won't be commenting on it on his own site, but won't be commenting here any longer? There is something seriously ominous sounding about that update. Surely he crossed no line that could have ended him up in court? I wonder if some Axanar zealot sent him a threat. I enjoyed reading his posts and he will definitely be missed.

That he said that he'd restored his original posts, makes me wonder if someone fragged his web host. If he's running profit-making business ventures there, then it could be a major cause for concern for his financial security. Don't have enough info to comment on the personal security angle.

I do kinda wish he'd make one last post to let us know what's going on, straight from the horse's mouth...
 
Skip is worried about about his "personal and financial security?" and not only won't be commenting on it on his own site, but won't be commenting here any longer? There is something seriously ominous sounding about that update. Surely he crossed no line that could have ended him up in court? I wonder if some Axanar zealot sent him a threat. I enjoyed reading his posts and he will definitely be missed.

Most likely some overzealous Axanar supporters threatened him with bodily injury and one or more with some sort of civil action (a defamation lawsuit most likely) - of course all supposition on my part.

If the above did occur; even though any such civil suit against him would be unlikely to succeed; he's still need to defend it (time and possible legal fees, etc.) - and as he has no real stake in the outcome of the Axanar suit - the possibility of one or more of the 'Axanar faithful' giving him legal grief is something he just doesn't want to deal with.

Nothing he posted was actionable in any way as it was just one person's personal opinion - and FULLY protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution; but again, anyone can sue anyone for anything - and if they really have an axe to grind, can really make your life miserable. It's not cheap to do either; but given the fervor of some of the 'Axanar Faithful', I wouldn't discount someone being crazy enough to want to do it.
 
I'm just concerned. I like Skip. He's a pleasant person (we have been in PM).

This ain't playing.

We have a Constitution. First Amendment, freedom of speech? We have all heard of this, yes? Bloggers are protected; it's opinion ferchrissakes.

If someone out there cannot figure out that this is beyond the pale, then I have to wonder.
 
any threat to a well reasoned, calm, non defamatory posting of legal opinion by a qualified observer, made as an effort to erase visible criticism on the net right before the big PR blowup, would end up as a paragraph in whatever history is written. Mr. Oliva's postings were cited in various websites; some of them will probably pick up on the story.

during TOS it was the studio that imposed censorship. now, as seen in many retcon edits notwithstanding what may have happened with Mr. Oliva, its the self declared loyalists who are the censors, imposing it not just on others, but on themselves. Q would so love this.
 
We stand with you in solidarity Skip. What they are doing is not right. These are not the actions of anyone that proclaims to be a fan of Star Trek.

Unfortunately, it seems to be becoming a bigger and bigger part of the vocal Star Trek fans.
 
As it is, this comment is just you pulling it out of your you-know-what.

Perhaps he is, but there is no question the industry has changed-- in many respects. The entertainment business has changed drastically, skewed now towards more blockbuster franchise fare as the primary means of studio output. With streaming content and providers the landscape has even in just the last 5 years seen a fundamental shift in how movies are consumed AND produced.

The way big brands like Star Trek and Marvel are managed has changed too, and how they protect the IP has evolved.

With the advent of social media, blogs and websites that exploded since the late 90s, even the way companies litigate has changed; Lucasfilm was notorious for shutting down every fan site in the mid 90s before standard practices were established for fan content.
 
Unfortunately, we're seeing the evolution of disgruntled fans using tactics seen before in the Gamergate movement and Sad Puppies. Don't like what someone is saying? Threaten to dox, swat, or otherwise hurt them and/or their family.

Axanar execs must be so proud that they've instilled such passion in their .... uhhh fans. /sarcasm
 
Unfortunately, it seems to be becoming a bigger and bigger part of the vocal Star Trek fans.

only when they are enabled by someone

on a different note, what are the axanar plans for music? I dont recall the background in the prelude. were they planning to try to claim 'fair use' to get some recognizable passages into their production?
 
I have an IMBD page. It doesn't list a tenth of all the projects I've worked on over the years. There isn't a writing staff at IMDB central researching and cataloguing every person's Professional crédits, it's usually inserted by either the person themselves or somebody involved with such-and-such a production. I personally don't have the time nor the inclination nor the ego to go fill out my page...

So, what professional writing credits are you suggesting are missing from Gerrold's IMDb page? Based on his official bio (http://www.gerrold.com/bio/) it appears the answer is none.
 
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I worked at a firm once that hired a young legal counsel simply because he had recently graduated, and had more knowledge in the recent laws and practices governing internet, digital, mobile, etc. The established counsels were older and less knowledgable, so it's pretty obvious that things HAVE changed since 1999. I'd say they've probably changed since the first JJ movie-- Facebook was still relatively young, Youtube was only a year old, and Kickstarter was still 3 years away from its first million dollar campaign.

If you look at Paramount, their entire executive leadership team is different from what it was when Gerrold was last involved with them (and I don't think any were with the company earlier than 2002). Most were brought in after 2006-- after Enterprise was off the air. Their legal department is fairly new as well, with many who joined the company after 2009.

David Gerrold knows more about Hollywood thinking than you or I perhaps-- but mostly he knows Hollywood from the 80s-- and to say he knows their motives or how they operate or manage Star Trek and decide legal matters is more than a stretch.
 
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