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CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

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Tom said:
I think most of it is CBS, unless there is a fan production that dips into JJ's alt trek universe. Even though Paramount has the rights to the films, I think its only the rights to films made after the 2006 CBS/Viacom are what they are concerned about. Star Trek Films 1 to 10, fall under the CBS home video library and their copyrights would be enforced by CBS. Paramount would enforce films 11 - 13. (I could be wrong mind you since I have not seen the actual contract)
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If so, that makes sense. Thanks
 
I generally avoid this thread, because I have so little time in my life for internet drama, but I'd like to point out that being added to a Facebook chat does not necessarily mean I am "participating." I was asked a couple days ago to take a look, I said okay. To date I have yet to comment due to some work-related issues that have shaken me this week.

I generally keep my thoughts on these matters to myself, and I remain on good terms with many people on all sides of this cluster****. Frankly, I prefer to keep it that way.

I'll now let you all get back to your scheduled lynching.
 
RCAM said:
Well, Nick, I don't think people in this thread need to defend themselves yet again from ridiculous hyperbole like "lynching." Thanks for stopping by. If you want to discuss the case, we'll be here; if you don't, that's also fine.
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Ridiculous hyperbole? I wasn't aware I was making an attack, but then I suppose you're not familiar with my usual brand of dry humour. Next time I'll remember to pepper it with emoticons for you ;)
 
jespah said:
Great beast of a blog post is up! Paginating would not work (the plugin has not been updated by its creators to go with the most recent version of WordPress).

Multimedia. Many links. A reference to soup. I give you my analysis of the answer:
http://www.gandtshow.com/axanar-defense-answer-counterclaim/

Thank you, as always, for reading my ramblings.
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Wow, that was a monster! It was hard going when I first read the Defence's Answer earlier in the week (thank goodness for that entertaining interlude about No. 1 fan Alec) but you have managed to make sense of this rambling horror once again. Your hard work is very much appreciated! :techman:
 
Thanks Nick.....so a Facebook group convo is Alec's version of a board meeting. Not shocked.
 
Again, I was asked if I'd look and comment. That's it. To my mind it was simply a casual conversation.

For the record, I was asked about this a couple days before Alec asked for my opinion. At that point I was in the dark, and surprised to hear my name being bandied about. Frankly, I'm still pretty much in the dark, and that's as much as I'm willing to say. That said, I don't have any objection to sharing my thoughts on Alec's proposed rules with him, though I'm doubtful the studio would have any interest in what any of us have to say in these matters. It is, after all, their property.
 
Interesting piece from Newsweek about the guidelines brouhaha:
http://www.newsweek.com/rules-acqui...oned-guidelines-mark-end-star-trek-fan-463542

Some quotes:

Rebecca Tushnet, a professor at Georgetown Law School who has written extensively on fair use and fan fiction, comments, "I’d be surprised if the guidelines didn’t give Paramount substantial leeway to decide that a particular film was inappropriate.”
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Vic Mignogna, producer of Star Trek Continues, comments that “after so many years of fan productions operating without incident, it is unfortunate that the copyright holders felt pushed to the point of having to impose guidelines at all.” Mignogna, who considers his series a continuation of the original Star Trek’s “five-year mission” worries that the guidelines “could likely change the creative plans of many groups who were already operating within accepted parameters.” However, he, like other fan producers, states that, he’ll “respectfully and immediately comply” with whatever terms are issued.
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Robert Meyer Burnett, who edited Prelude to Axanar and is slated to direct the planned Axanar feature, expresses similar concerns. “If we’re going to be given fan film guidelines that curtail our ability to make good films, my fear is that people won’t want to make fan films anymore,” he says. Burnett, who has produced official Trek documentaries for home video releases, sees fan filmmakers as representing the next generation of Hollywood talent, and hopes studios will use guidelines to “bring them into the fold,” but worries the rules may end up being written by people who “won’t understand the creative desire behind fan films.”
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For Axanar Productions’ Alec Peters, however, the planned guidelines represent something of a vindication. “I’ve been lobbying for guidelines for four years,” he says. Adds Ranahan: “These guidelines would give some guidance so creators wouldn’t be sued when they think they’re operating within what's been tolerated for so long.”
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For what it's worth, I've read the proposed guidelines and shared my thoughts with Alec. I won't share private discussion, but I will say that I stated again that I'm highly doubtful the studio has any interest in anything we have to say on the matter.
I've never felt we needed guidelines simply because there's never been any doubt in my mind that CBS/Paramount own Star Trek and we play in that sandbox at their grace. I expect any guidelines will come from them with zero input from any of us. That said, I still don't mind sharing my thoughts, or people knowing I've done so. I just don't want anyone misinterpreting that.
 
USS Mariner said:
I need to ask which book this is.
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The only book the two of them wrote: Inside Star Trek. In short, they dispute the claimed volume of mail received and postulate that it was color TV giant RCA which influenced NBC to keep the show on the air for a 3rd season due to how well the show did with color TV households.
 
USS Intrepid said:
For what it's worth, I've read the proposed guidelines and shared my thoughts with Alec. I won't share private discussion, but I will say that I stated again that I'm highly doubtful the studio has any interest in anything we have to say on the matter.
I've never felt we needed guidelines simply because there's never been any doubt in my mind that CBS/Paramount own Star Trek and we play in that sandbox at their grace. I expect any guidelines will come from them with zero input from any of us. That said, I still don't mind sharing my thoughts, or people knowing I've done so. I just don't want anyone misinterpreting that.
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If there's any way to salvage anything good out of this, it must be in shaping the guidelines to leave some possibility for things to happen, as opposed to none. Its worth whatever effort might influence the studios. I wouldn't think that should come from Alec, but from others, nonetheless its worth a shot.

That Newsweek article highlights the broader context I have been arguing here, that modern video and distribution and sales technology can set up anyone to hijack the value of entertainment IP for a modest investment, and it is across all fan bases, not just Trek. The industry has to respond, now that they are faced with their IP being so grossly exploited for profit of third parties.

The only possible solution I can see is a prefilter of stringent terms that eliminates as many possible loopholes as any Alec can ever find to profit from, wrapped in a studio review/approval process case by case. No way are studios going to leave any absolute ground where tentpole-invading Alecs can set up unlicensed IP resale.

If they don't do this, and undo the capture of IP-motivated donations diverted to Alec's studio, then there will be a thousand Alecs all over the world aiming to build their own studios off every entertainment IP they can attack. The argument that fan films are being invaded by professionals seeking to make a name and earn a buck will be nothing by comparison to fan films being invaded by an army of Alecs who spot a chance to game a multibillion dollar industry following the Alec template.

One only has to look at social media "like farms", or gaming character development farms, to know this is true. If any access at all to profit off of studio IP is formally left on the table in a fan film guideline, that opportunity to profit will be aggressively attacked.
 
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Kinda weird how Alec Peters attitude has been if it isn't Axanar, you and your fan film suck but now he wants fan film producers to jump on his desperate little bandwagon while he's getting sued.

The Art of Burning Bridges and Straw Grasping, thy name is Alec Peters.
 
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