They did put a lot into and made a lot of what made them what they are at all and into what made them successful.
And the writers, directors, costumers, editors, they didn't?
They also contributed a lot to the products and certainly contributed to their success.
Oh. Ok. So, then why does the actor get to decide whether or not the character--that as you admit--others contributed to the success--gets to appear in a fan film? Especially, when that actor is being paid to be in it?
I don't see how it's giving away something, if the fan maker isn't going to monetarily profit,
1. profit has nothing to do with copyright violation
2. People are being paid to work on these fan films, so they are personally profiting. Those actors you were talking about? They were paid to be there.
to tolerate a cheap imitation or especially sequel of something when it's old and when the corporation isn't expecting or planning to make its own version.
How would you feel if I came into your house--uninvited--and took something I thought you didn't care about. Maybe you were going to play with that old xbox. Maybe you were going to sell it. But, I thought, you didn't really care about it anymore. Would that be ok to you?
Again it's fine, possibly for the better, that the corporation has the legal right to still stop such a production but that doesn't mean they should.
For the most part, CBS/Paramount have been incredibly gracious with fan films--don't let someone lie to you. This is the first law suit. Why? Because Peters raised over a MILLION dollars on the back of something he had no rights to. He raised over a million dollars to pay himself and to build a studio for FUTURE profit. He continues to sell Star Trek merchandise...oh, sorry, it's in the "donation" store.
This is why CBS/Paramount is putting an end to this.
That said, CBS/Paramount SHOULD dictate how their material will be used by fans. They are protecting their IP. Let me ask you a question: if you loan someone your car, you care how they treat it, yes? And that's when you are actually giving explicit permission.