Ellison is pissed
- Thread starter Admiral Buzzkill
- Start date
I dunno, but I tend to doubt that any compensation has been offered for licensed works unless Ellison pressed the point. That's never been my understanding of how book licensing works.
Does anyone know if he ever raised an issue over the Guardian of Forever Christmas ornament Hallmark put out a few years ago? I'm pretty sure they needed to get clearance from Shatner, Nimoy, and Bart LaRue's estate to use their likenesses and voices and the lines of dialog from the Guardian were ironically the only two lines from Ellison's draft that survived to the final shooting script.
There is that, yeah.
Well, if Ellison had been paid, it would have been by Pocket or Paramount, not Crispin. Trek novels are all works for hire, meaning that the franchise owner retains the copyright on the novel and that the author therefore is not legally liable for any money that needs to be paid for rights issues.
As I noted above, the general WGA contract doesn't require that writers be paid for the use of their characters in a tie-in novel. We don't know if Ellison's contract from "City" is different or not. However, I've not heard anything about Ellison having gotten payment for Crispin's novels, nor about Pocket needing his permission to use the Guardian.
^ that's why I wrote "or Pocketbooks FOR her books*.
anyway, my question specifically addressed the fact that IF Pocketbooks paid Ellison for her books, then the Guardian is most certainly a character because she used no other character from COTEOF in both books. at least as far as I can remember.
I understand what you say about the tie-in novels. hmm, interesting, that. one can safely say that the Trek novels do not make more money than do the trek films or eps.
but judging from what Dennis is saying, methinks Ellison didn't make much ballyhoo about those two novels. or Anne asked him nicely.
anyway, my question specifically addressed the fact that IF Pocketbooks paid Ellison for her books, then the Guardian is most certainly a character because she used no other character from COTEOF in both books. at least as far as I can remember.
I understand what you say about the tie-in novels. hmm, interesting, that. one can safely say that the Trek novels do not make more money than do the trek films or eps.
but judging from what Dennis is saying, methinks Ellison didn't make much ballyhoo about those two novels. or Anne asked him nicely.
DeafPoet said:
Well crafted, sir!
My pleasure.
It's not often one gets to mix Harlan Ellison, Star Trek, James Bond and Kevin McClory in one thread.
I haven't read any of Ellison's fiction but I think he is a cool guy. I have enjoyed reading his articles and his TV appearances. He used to host a show on the SciFi channel, I can't remember the name of the show but I liked it a lot. I also had my own bookstore encounter with HE, and it was a lot more pleasant that the one TGT had. If he ends up getting money from Paramount, then more power to him.
Ellison IS a total ass. I've met him and appeared at a convention with him. He is also immensely talented, and I have to say that I have never seen anyone who was kinder to fans, and more humble before them, except for maybe Takei.
Again, Writer's Guild has very clear rules about this sort of thing. Ellison appears to absolutely be in the right. And studios are wickedly gun-shy regarding any possible legal entanglements. Paramount would very long ago have contacted Ellison if the Guardian were to be used. I think this may be a false rumor.
If not? No problem. There are lots of canon ways to time travel. If so -- this is going to be a royal pain because of the current writer's strike. If the Guardian is indeed in the script, no one can perform a rewrite to exclude it until after the strike.
Ellison can pretty much ask any price he wants.
Again, Writer's Guild has very clear rules about this sort of thing. Ellison appears to absolutely be in the right. And studios are wickedly gun-shy regarding any possible legal entanglements. Paramount would very long ago have contacted Ellison if the Guardian were to be used. I think this may be a false rumor.
If not? No problem. There are lots of canon ways to time travel. If so -- this is going to be a royal pain because of the current writer's strike. If the Guardian is indeed in the script, no one can perform a rewrite to exclude it until after the strike.
Ellison can pretty much ask any price he wants.
It's a minor change that could easily be performed on the directorial level to turn the Guardian of Forever into a similar but non-copyrighted time portal.
And I agree that if they were going to use the Guardian of Forever, he would have been contacted by Paramount's legal department long ago.
As is, it seems irrational for Ellison to be flying off the handle over an internet rumor. It's not like the internet has been the most reliable source of information about this sort of thing.
And I agree that if they were going to use the Guardian of Forever, he would have been contacted by Paramount's legal department long ago.
As is, it seems irrational for Ellison to be flying off the handle over an internet rumor. It's not like the internet has been the most reliable source of information about this sort of thing.
You know the more I hear of the rumored "plot" the more it reminds me of a rehash of "Yesteryear" from TAS. I am beginning to think it is just considered plot they tossed out to the fans to keep them away from the real plot.
I could be wrong, and the Guardian could have wings, and nipples with spangly tassles. That would go so well with a winged, flapping Enterprise that flys through it like a portal to imaginationland.
I could be wrong, and the Guardian could have wings, and nipples with spangly tassles. That would go so well with a winged, flapping Enterprise that flys through it like a portal to imaginationland.
I think that every writer than contributed over the years loses their rights to the story when they get paid for it, or something like that. I believe that when a studio or something "buys" a script that the writer always has to sign a document that his rights to it have been bought
Ellison was kind to fans? Humble before *anyone*? News to me.
Way to go Harlan! I'm with you, Starship Polaris.
If Ellison has any kind of case, shouldn't there be some kind of legal action then? Instead of going online and writing about it, shouldn't lawyers be working on this and going to Paramount and demanding if this rumor is true, and if so, demanding that Ellison (if he has a legit claim) be compensated?