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CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

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@jespah Considering the flow of money sloshing around in all these various crowdfunding projects, I imagine there will be some additional IRS attention at some point in the near future.
@muCephi I don't see a single studio, but I can see a "channel" being added to CBS All Access, that channel being an exclusive location for fan produced material, which to be licensed and shown will have to jump through a lot of CBS hoops.
 
Jedi_Master said:
@muCephi I don't see a single studio, but I can see a "channel" being added to CBS All Access, that channel being an exclusive location for fan produced material, which to be licensed and shown will have to jump through a lot of CBS hoops.
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To me, promoting 'fan films' to commercial distribution status makes those fan operations the same as contracted production companies.

Could an entity like CBS make a 'universe' of parallel running content from multiple production companies, coordinated somehow? Possibly.

Could they get away with treating some of them as "fan films" and not give them the same compensation and require of them the same union rules as traditional production companies? I think not; strikes would ensue. It would be no different from shopping out to nonunionized operations anywhere.
 
jespah said:
ADR is mandatory for everyone because courts try to get everything to settle. It's cheaper, easier, and faster.

As for the actual date for ADR, I doubt we would know about it. It is entirely possible that Mr. Peters would end up being the best/sole source for that information. If the parties are in serious talks already, the formal ADR might not happen.

Because the parties are going ahead with an answer and a counterclaim, rather than going to the court and looking for extensions because settlement is imminent, that is telling me that settlement may not be as imminent as Mr. Abrams and Mr. Lin believed. It would have been a far easier sequence of operations for defense counsel to request an extension as a means of giving time for a settlement to be finalized, rather than file an answer and lard on a counterclaim as well.
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Yep - I also think another 'clue' that settlement may not be a close as JJ Abrams/Justin Lin were led to believe is that fact that the Alec Peters' "Why I Love Star Trek" video (recorded at the ST:Beyond event where JJ Abrams made the statement: "...the case will be going away...") WAS REMOVED by Paramount/Bad Robot probably because Mr. Peters stated the JJ Abrams said, "...the case will be Dropped..." <--- Which WAS NOT what JJ Abrams said - which is most likely why it was removed.

[Oh, and Mr. Peters didn't get any 'special treatment' with regards to making that video as there was a booth at the ST:B event where attendees could make a short video stating why they liked/loved Star Trek - and were informed (and may have even signed a release) that the video could be posted of the ST:B facebook page or other official Star Trek site.]

The case wasn't/isn't going to be outright dropped - Paramount/CBS lawyers are in settlement talks with Axanar's lawyers (bowing to the wishes of Justin Lin and JJ Abrams most likely) and expects to be able to get a settlement both sides will agree to; but given Axanar's response to the complaint (including the countersuit); and Alec Peters galactic sized ego (since he probably believes with the 'support' of JJ Abrams, he can get whatever settlement terms he wants) - the case may NOT reach a settlement and will go all the way to a Jury trial.

Again, the fact Alec Peters video WAS removed from the official site, (once C/P was alerted to it and they reviewed the content); pretty much indicates that Paramount/CBS aren't just throwing in the towel on this case; and if Alec Peters isn't careful; he'll not only NOT get a settlement; the case will (rightfully IMO) go to a Trial - at which point, I don't think even JJ Abrams testifying for Axanar (if he did, but I seriously doubt he would); would affect the ultimate outcome (as JJ Abrams/Bad Robot don't own Star Trek; they just have a production/licensing agreement with Paramount to produce three Star Trek feature films - which ends with the release of ST:B); and Alec Peters in the end won't be left with a pot to p*ss in - and certainly won't have the ability to complete a Star Trek fan film of any kind.
 
Well, I've just sat through the latest Trek.fm Axanar podcast http://trek.fm/axp/38 and it wasn't bad! We got to hear Alec recount his experience at the Paramount convention in a relaxed and non-confrontational manner; it is clear now that both he and Rob Burnett feel that they are owed the right to make a Star Trek film, based on their years of devoted fandom - and I think they are expressing honest sentiments! Good for them, shame they went about it in the way they did.

Like Ax-37, the interview with Tommy Kraft was pretty well structured and educational on an oft overlooked aspect of the franchise (I completely missed all of FASA back in the 80's) which I very much enjoyed.

Unfortunately, at the 1 hour mark the JJ bashing began and by the end it was just like old times again, with the self appointed "superfans" reigning supreme. (sigh)
 
Jedi_Master said:
I don't see a single studio, but I can see a "channel" being added to CBS All Access, that channel being an exclusive location for fan produced material, which to be licensed and shown will have to jump through a lot of CBS hoops.
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I think that could be problematic unless part of the deal was some sort of renumeration. Assuming I produced a fanfilm at a financial cost to myself and others and then that fanfilm was selected to be run on the CBS channel then CBS would probably benefit through either direct advertising on that channel or the halo effect of being seen as such a good benefactor to it's customers.

At some point, as a producer, surely I'd ask 'what's in this for me?'
 
Mytran said:
Unfortunately, at the 1 hour mark the JJ bashing began and by the end it was just like old times again, with the self appointed "superfans" reigning supreme. (sigh)
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Just listened to a bit of that and yeah - gotta love that after getting support from JJ Abrams they go back to say things like:
...."Star Wars fans would never accept the things {....} that we [referring to Star Trek 'fans'] had to deal with, with the first two JJ Star Trek movies...Star Wars fans would revolt if you didn't pay attention to the canon that way..."
[Of course I guess 'Super Star Trek fan' Alec Peters forgot the part where the JJ Abrams films are in an alternate Star Trek timeline/universe <-- so exactly what canon was violated?]

They then go one to talk about how Star Wars: The Force Awakens was so successful and 'loved' by Star Wars fans because there JJ paid so much attention to Star Wars canon.... Really??!!

I know many a hardcore Star Wars fan who (while yes they went to see the film) dislike to outright HATE what JJ Abrams did; and mention how much of the expanded Star Wars Universe canon is retconned/destroyed/ingored/violated. Maybe Alec Peters needs to stop commenting on a fandom he really doesn't know or have a lot of involvement with. Hell, it's like him asking for Star Trek fan film rules like the ones Disney has for Star Wars fan films - but of course leaving out the specifics such as:
- Can't use canon Star Trek characters from the films. (Luke, Leia, etc.)
- Can't solicit funds/sell merchandise.
- Can't be over 5 minutes in length.
I also have to wonder who JJ Abrams would actually feel about this whole thing if he was really aware Alec Peters (as per usual) is talking out of both sides of his mouth again (praising JJ Abrams and JJ's Star Trek when it's "and JJ says paramount is dropping the lawsuit"; then denouncing JJ's Star Trek films as "ignoring Star Trek canon..." and JJ "having no love" for the Star Trek franchise.)

Weird thing is: Given Justin Lin's and JJ Abrams support for making the lawsuit against Axanar Productions and Alec Peters "go away" - perhaps Mr. Peters belief that in the end, JJ Abrams has no love for the Star Trek franchise might in fact be somewhat accurate.
 
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Mytran said:
Well, I've just sat through the latest Trek.fm Axanar podcast http://trek.fm/axp/38 and it wasn't bad! We got to hear Alec recount his experience at the Paramount convention in a relaxed and non-confrontational manner; it is clear now that both he and Rob Burnett feel that they are owed the right to make a Star Trek film, based on their years of devoted fandom - and I think they are expressing honest sentiments! Good for them, shame they went about it in the way they did.

Like Ax-37, the interview with Tommy Kraft was pretty well structured and educational on an oft overlooked aspect of the franchise (I completely missed all of FASA back in the 80's) which I very much enjoyed.

Unfortunately, at the 1 hour mark the JJ bashing began and by the end it was just like old times again, with the self appointed "superfans" reigning supreme. (sigh)
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Meh. I tried listening to this podcast and it was nothing more than business as usual — self-congratulatory masturbation.
 
‘Star Trek: Intrepid’ Suspends Production, Thanks to Axanar, Uncertainty Over Guidelines

Cj98u99VEAARM7H.jpg


Details, plus fans' reactions, from AxaMonitor »
 
Noname Given said:
Weird thing is: Given Justin Lin's and JJ Abrams support for making the lawsuit against Axanar Productions and Alec Peters "go away" - perhaps Mr. Peters belief that in the end, JJ Abrams has no love for the Star Trek franchise might in fact be somewhat accurate.
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Yea, it's really the lizard id getting voice control, isn't it? :lol:
 
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I haven't watched Intrepid, but I still find it sad that such a long running fan series has possibly ended because of all of this craziness. I know it was the producer's choice to stop, but it still wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Axanar.

I can't believe Peters was bad mouthing Abrams again after he just made that post about how great he was after he defended Axanar. He really is an ass.​
 
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