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CBS/Paramount sues to stop Axanar

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jamestyler said:
Thats horrible. What kind of complete scumbag does that without family knowledge? :/
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That is horrible indeed. And unfortunately I saw something similar a short time ago where a UK family were trying to raise funds for an operation for their son, and they came across a US based site for a crowdfund, using pics from the genuine site. I think they managed to get the fake site taken down, but changed platform.

Some people, and I use that word advisedly, know no shame!
 
trynda1701 said:
Some people, and I use that word advisedly, know no shame!
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Indeed. Sadly I had encounters with a family in the UK who used their child to get freebies for themselves. At first it was a nice charitable thing to do, make the kid feel better - but after a while my spidey senses started tingling and before I knew it they was asking if I'd run events so they could have a second house. They kept going well after the kid was healed and living a normal life which made me forever wary of people.... I can appreciate people trying their luck, but using their kid as a way to get themselves freebies? Ugh.

Slightly back on topic though before I go on a full rant on that one....

....seems Axanar's got itself a new home in the Wastelands: https://www.facebook.com/RocketworxFilms/
 
jamestyler said:
Indeed. Sadly I had encounters with a family in the UK who used their child to get freebies for themselves. At first it was a nice charitable thing to do, make the kid feel better - but after a while my spidey senses started tingling and before I knew it they was asking if I'd run events so they could have a second house. They kept going well after the kid was healed and living a normal life which made me forever wary of people.... I can appreciate people trying their luck, but using their kid as a way to get themselves freebies? Ugh.
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Funny you should mention this. I had some experiences like this lately via a football forum I post on. Guy on there had Asperger's. Seemed nice enough. Always claimed financial troubles as a result of his condition and also said he daughter had a similar condition. Anyhow, he'd seem nice enough, but every now and again he'd bemoan the fact that his financial situation and family were such that he couldn't afford a ticket for a particular game. People therefore clubbed together and sorted him out. Obviously the first time this happened I never thought anything of it, but it started happening quite a bit and I personally found it a little frustrating as it's hard to get tickets for games to my club (Spurs). But this guy was getting sorted out tickets and not having to pay. Naturally each and every time he'd profusely express gratitude. Then there was the time that he engaged me professionally in private on the forum, while posting a thread about the event it concerned openly on teh forum, which concerned an incident relating to a family member, for which he and his wife wanted to sue. Of course, I tried to help as much as possible and offered to assist on both a reduced fee and no win, no fee basis. After engaging me at length for advice (and in a short period of time), he then went quiet and several days later I got a short email saying "thanks, but we're going elsewhere". This made me feel really uneasy. I felt like I had been played off of other lawyers and they were looking for the cheapest deal for the most projected damages, albeit that this is just speculation on my part. This is not the first time they had sought support fort said family member on the forum, when previously he had posted up a crowdfunder for special equipment for said family member. Oh, and then there was the crowdfund for his child to have a signed football shirt. Naturally all throughout the pretence of profuse gratitude was maintained.

The straw that broke the camel's back and started to get people asking questions was when his wife appeared, posted a thread and asked for us all to donate towards buying or renting him a Range Rover because it was apparently his lifelong dream and he was suffering depression. At that point several people politely suggested they didn't want to get a reputation for begging and/or that the Range Rover didn't seem like a priority (rather treatment was). Since that thread he hasn't posted on the forum again. 7 months have passed.

Now I wasn't sure if was the Asperger's causing him to behave like this. I don't know enough about it (although his behaviour never seemed particular abnormal). I don't know if asking others for help was something innocent that got out of hand. I don't know if instead he was a calculating con man. But it was clear that they had gotten comfortable with the idea that whenever they had trouble or simply wanted something they couldn't afford they would politely grovel to others and get them to pay for it/help with it. The fact that he has not been back to the forum since the Range Rover request just served to reinforce my earlier mental red flags. I mean, if he was truly there to post about our football club, would he really leave the second it became apparently he might no longer be able to get favours out of people? Then the killer blow came. I did a bit of Googling and discovered that last year the guy set up his own Range Rover chauffeuring company. Need I say any more?
 
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END OF AXANAR In his newest Donor Update, Alec Peters says he's turning Axanar over to the fans once the two 15-min. Axanar episodes are complete.

"Once this has been accomplished, Axanar Productions will close down," Peters wrote donors. "So while you won't be able to get Axanar merchandise from us anymore, or have us create any more of the Axanar story beyond our two, 15-minute episodes, we want Axanar to thrive in the fan community."

That appears to put an end to Peters' earlier plans for an Axanar graphic novel, audio drama and other platforms not affected by CBS' fan film guidelines.

It appears that if fans want those things, they'll have to produce them themselves.

"We want fans to help carry the banner of Axanar and what it represents into our shared future," Peters told donors.

Also thrown into question is whether Peters will still seek federal nonprofit status. The avowed promise of the charitable organization — helping other filmmakers — appears to be back in the hands of another for-profit company, this time in Georgia.

The nonprofit application supposedly was to be for Axanar Productions, which Peters now says is shutting down after the two episodes are released.
 
carlosp said:
END OF AXANAR In his newest Donor Update, Alec Peters says he's turning Axanar over to the fans once the two 15-min. Axanar episodes are complete.

"Once this has been accomplished, Axanar Productions will close down," Peters wrote donors. "So while you won't be able to get Axanar merchandise from us anymore, or have us create any more of the Axanar story beyond our two, 15-minute episodes, we want Axanar to thrive in the fan community."

That appears to put an end to Peters' earlier plans for an Axanar graphic novel, audio drama and other platforms not affected by CBS' fan film guidelines.

It appears that if fans want those things, they'll have to produce them themselves.

"We want fans to help carry the banner of Axanar and what it represents into our shared future," Peters told donors.

Also thrown into question is whether Peters will still seek federal nonprofit status. The avowed promise of the charitable organization — helping other filmmakers — appears to be back in the hands of another for-profit company, this time in Georgia.

The nonprofit application supposedly was to be for Axanar Productions, which Peters now says is shutting down after the two episodes are released.
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So - donors - here are the facts:
  • Over $1.4 million raised.
  • Prelude exists, as does a three-minute Vulcan scene. The people who made both are mainly gone from the production.
  • Many perks were donated for (also known as paid for) yet never shipped.
  • For the promised pair of 15 minute films, there is no $$.
  • The location in Georgia is another warehouse with another 3-year lease. Of course the rent is not free.
  • And now, after the elusive pair of 15 minute films are made (without any cash, so expect to see a fundraising plea in your inbox soon if it's not already there), you will get 'control' of Axanar.
  • Which AP never had control of anyway, seeing as it's derivative of CBS/Paramount intellectual property.
  • So he can't give you control over it. So he isn't giving you anything.
  • And there is no 'canon', save for what the IP holders have created.
  • And being able to make your own Axanar fan film or fanfiction or audio drama has always been within your purview (with any fan film now being subject to the guidelines, of course).
  • Finally, the sets are now owned by a for-profit corporation, Rocketworx. Want to know what they paid for those sets? Frankly, so do I. And you have every right to ask that question. Because if it was for nothing, then keep your eye on the ace because it keeps shifting around in this game of Three-Card Monte.
BTW, if AP tells you he will withhold control until you pay him to make a pair of 15 minute episodes, I hope you will read between the lines there.

So basically - and stop me if you think I'm wrong - money was ponied up for:
  1. A feature film.
  2. Perks.
  3. A studio in California.
And none of those exist save for some perks which have never been mailed out.

And $1.4 million dollars (and more) is not really fully accounted for.

You want to know why @carlosp and me and people like us are still following this story? It's because we all have the same question. And it has never been satisfactorily answered.

Where's the money, honey?
 
jespah said:
So - donors - here are the facts:
  • Over $1.4 million raised.
  • Prelude exists, as does a three-minute Vulcan scene. The people who made both are mainly gone from the production.
  • Many perks were donated for (also known as paid for) yet never shipped.
  • For the promised pair of 15 minute films, there is no $$.
  • The location in Georgia is another warehouse with another 3-year lease. Of course the rent is not free.
  • And now, after the elusive pair of 15 minute films are made (without any cash, so expect to see a fundraising plea in your inbox soon if it's not already there), you will get 'control' of Axanar.
  • Which AP never had control of anyway, seeing as it's derivative of CBS/Paramount intellectual property.
  • So he can't give you control over it. So he isn't giving you anything.
  • And there is no 'canon', save for what the IP holders have created.
  • And being able to make your own Axanar fan film or fanfiction or audio drama has always been within your purview (with any fan film now being subject to the guidelines, of course).
  • Finally, the sets are now owned by a for-profit corporation, Rocketworx. Want to know what they paid for those sets? Frankly, so do I. And you have every right to ask that question. Because if it was for nothing, then keep your eye on the ace because it keeps shifting around in this game of Three-Card Monte.
BTW, if AP tells you he will withhold control until you pay him to make a pair of 15 minute episodes, I hope you will read between the lines there.

So basically - and stop me if you think I'm wrong - money was ponied up for:
  1. A feature film.
  2. Perks.
  3. A studio in California.
And none of those exist save for some perks which have never been mailed out.

And $1.4 million dollars (and more) is not really fully accounted for.

You want to know why @carlosp and me and people like us are still following this story? It's because we all have the same question. And it has never been satisfactorily answered.

Where's the money, honey?
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Hear! Hear!

Where is the accountability?!
 
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jespah said:
So - donors - here are the facts:
  • Over $1.4 million raised.
  • Prelude exists, as does a three-minute Vulcan scene. The people who made both are mainly gone from the production.
  • Many perks were donated for (also known as paid for) yet never shipped.
  • For the promised pair of 15 minute films, there is no $$.
  • The location in Georgia is another warehouse with another 3-year lease. Of course the rent is not free.
  • And now, after the elusive pair of 15 minute films are made (without any cash, so expect to see a fundraising plea in your inbox soon if it's not already there), you will get 'control' of Axanar.
  • Which AP never had control of anyway, seeing as it's derivative of CBS/Paramount intellectual property.
  • So he can't give you control over it. So he isn't giving you anything.
  • And there is no 'canon', save for what the IP holders have created.
  • And being able to make your own Axanar fan film or fanfiction or audio drama has always been within your purview (with any fan film now being subject to the guidelines, of course).
  • Finally, the sets are now owned by a for-profit corporation, Rocketworx. Want to know what they paid for those sets? Frankly, so do I. And you have every right to ask that question. Because if it was for nothing, then keep your eye on the ace because it keeps shifting around in this game of Three-Card Monte.
BTW, if AP tells you he will withhold control until you pay him to make a pair of 15 minute episodes, I hope you will read between the lines there.

So basically - and stop me if you think I'm wrong - money was ponied up for:
  1. A feature film.
  2. Perks.
  3. A studio in California.
And none of those exist save for some perks which have never been mailed out.

And $1.4 million dollars (and more) is not really fully accounted for.

You want to know why @carlosp and me and people like us are still following this story? It's because we all have the same question. And it has never been satisfactorily answered.

Where's the money, honey?
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The sad thing is: the question can be asked again and again, but Peters has zero reason to answer. (Besides it being the right thing to do, but that would assume Peters understands that) Unless he is being sued, which won't happen by the donors, he's never going to answer.

The better question would be to the donors: with all that has happened, how much money will be enough to donate?

True, it doesn't sound as sassy.
 
Professor Zoom said:
The sad thing is: the question can be asked again and again, but Peters has zero reason to answer.
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I agree. To do so would be completely out of character for the defendant according to research I've been able to document from many years back and his previous businesses long before thiswholething came to be. With the defendant I believe that "the farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see" will hold true. He is who he was and is. And will continue to be so into his future.

Professor Zoom said:
The better question would be to the donors: with all that has happened, how much money will be enough to donate?

True, it doesn't sound as sassy.
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Perhaps not as sassy :), although this time, for thiswholething, it is not as has happened in his past with a few who were being burned or misused by him doing what they could to alert the prop sales community to his shenanigans.

This time the defendant's shenanigans have been Heavily documented and scrutinized and publicly questioned repeatedly..... publicly documenting every legal document. Then there's all those tweets, FB posts, thread posts, REDDIT POST, emails, written threats, dubious practices and dubious explanations allllll being questioned again and again and again.... and all made long term and extremely Public.

This time the shenanigans did not go quietly. They were not allowed to be swept under a carpet or explained away with a winning smile. Or beaten into silence with another one of those many threats of lawsuits.

This time there is a chance that more than a few future possible donors will look closer before they donate and maybe, just maybe, will be able to recognize the signs more easily when the shenanigans begin popping up again.
 
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jespah said:
So - donors - here are the facts:

(snip)

Finally, the sets are now owned by a for-profit corporation, Rocketworx. Want to know what they paid for those sets? Frankly, so do I. And you have every right to ask that question. Because if it was for nothing, then keep your eye on the ace because it keeps shifting around in this game of Three-Card Monte.
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And those expensive sets are in nowhere close to useable condition. From all the pictures I've seen, they are basically plywood frames. No electronics (screens, buttons, etc.) on the bridge, no mechanical parts (tracks for the doors to open in), no furnishings (chairs & table for the briefing room, bed cushions for the captain's quarters, etc.), nothing to dress them to make them look like real starship interiors. It's going to take another chunk of $$$ to make them ready to film in. So neither Axanar nor any other production can use them for filming without a substantial investment of time and cash. (He said Cash!)

Another part of Alec's bald-faced lie that Axanar was ready to film before the lawsuit hit. Their sets weren't ready, their "locked" script wasn't actually ready, they had no cast contracts signed (which is the way a really truly professional film project operates, isn't it, Alec?), costumes weren't ready... the list goes on and on. They were NOT ready. Potential donors should note Alec's track record of lies piled on top of lies. And his modus operandi has not changed in the slightest. Learn the facts, clearly set out by Jespah and Carlos and many others in this thread, and make an informed decision before giving this slick operator a dime.
 
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carlosp said:
Did Alec Peters foresee the failure of Industry Studios? Business filings show Peters anticipated the loss of his donor-paid California studio. New, on AxaMonitor »
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While I personally believe the defendant has had plans for Georgia since that first incorporation or whatever it was you found back last year, and putting the pieces together as you did in your well done article it certainly looks like it to me, though I see no conclusive evidence presented in the article itself that supports the title's statement that 'Peters Foresaw Studio Failure, Created Georgia Company'.
 
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