Fox Shuts Down "Alien Identify" fanfilm

[Karzak]

No we won't, things have already been set in motion. CBS may announce something by the 50th anniversary, or possibly a little beyond that. A decision on what the series will ultimately be is not set yet, but there will be a series.

And your source for this would be...?

Sadly, I can't talk about it. So that said, you don't have to believe me since I can't provide the source at this time. You will simply have to wait till next year (possibly sooner) to see if I'm correct. A series will happen in 2017.

Respectfully, this is a conversation pattern that happens a lot. Fan #1 makes a claim, ostensibly with some inside information. Fan #2 asks for verification. Fan #1 then admits they can't reveal their source. (apparently, JMichael Strazynski was robbed of his Babylon 5 idea by Paramount when they made Deep Space 9. Nobody however who makes such claims has ever been able to name a source who could verify it, despite being 100% certain that this is what actually took place.)

Which would seem to suggest that the information being supplied was never shared with Fan #1 to be distributed in the first place. Otherwise, why is it a secret?

The alternative being that Fan #1 is blowing smoke and knows nothing and just wants attention.

Please understand, Tom, I am not trying to suggest that is what you're doing here. I am just saying that it's a familiar pattern and that I knew almost the minute I posted that question above that this would your answer because it's so common.

Like everyone else, I hope Trek returns to TV. But until there's some legitimate source or public announcement that isn't shrouded in secrecy or being whispered by (sorry) fan filmmakers who all think they have the inside track, I'll remain skeptical.

 

[Noname Given]

I get the impression with C&D's is that they are usually the result of a response to someone's specific complaint to the copyright holder. Otherwise they'd usually never find out/care.

Not saying that's what happened here but... it appears to be the boilerplate policy:

a) Someone sees a group/individual borrowing too heavily on established I.P.
b) That someone lets the I.P. holder know by means of some formal complaint.
c) The I.P. holder is then obligated to send a C&D to satisfy the complaint and avoid appearing complacent if/when said project is released.​

here's the issue: To retain a copyright, you (as the holder) need to actively defend it (IE issue C&Ds, etc.) If you don't and you bring a lawsuit; and the other side you sued can show that you have a pattern of not defending it - the Judge CAN (most likely not, but every Judge is different) rule that you have lost your copyright due to a lack of due diligence.

I honestly don't know what the CBS mindset is, but obviously their IP and legal counsel as yet seems to be ignoring fan productions but that could change and it's always a concern when dealing with a property you don't have rights to, or rights licensed from the copyright holder.

 

[Tom]

Please understand, Tom, I am not trying to suggest that is what you're doing here. I am just saying that it's a familiar pattern and that I knew almost the minute I posted that question above that this would your answer because it's so common.

No worries, I'm not trying to seek attention, just state what I know and I see to be going on. The trust I have from the sources of this information is very important to me, so I would rather people simply not believe me than to betray those trusts.

I am just merely stating that the underlying framework is coming together to put out a series in the general 2017 time frame. What is still unknown is what the series will end up being about, and will it be produced by Paramount for CBS (to offset costs) or just handled by CBS themselves. These and other legal issues are starting to be worked on know with a collective effort to try to get something announced in late 2016.

 

[Tom]

I honestly don't know what the CBS mindset is, but obviously their IP and legal counsel as yet seems to be ignoring fan productions but that could change and it's always a concern when dealing with a property you don't have rights to, or rights licensed from the copyright holder.

I don't think their ignoring them per se, indeed, they do monitor the productions for any profit violations. I believe that since there is no ongoing series at the moment they are allowing all these fan productions to help keep Star Trek relevant. When a series does indeed happen, I would not be surprised if they clamped down on fans films so media attention can be focused on the new series.

When you think about it, the age of good fan films (starting with New Voyages) started when Enterprise ended in 2005. So, we really have not seen what happens when we have these high budget independent films (and series) being produced when there is actually an official series on the air.

 

[OpenMaw]

New Voyages, and many of the other series predate Enterprise cancellation. The boom really started at the tail end of the 90s. Trek was holding it's own with multiple series still on the air.

Star Trek as a property has pretty much always had a strong connection with it's fan base. It's continued survival has been because of the smaller, yet very devoted group of fans. I think that's really what makes it unique, and why any of the companies are as open with the community about productions as they are.

The same can be said of Star Wars, really.

 

[Mudd]

Viacom has, however, gone after Star Trek trademark and copyright violations in the past. During TNG's run they shut down fanzine dealers and "garage kit" tables at conventions - actually sent enforcement people into a few conventions.

No, it's not a matter of whether someone's "profiting" from use of the IP; it's whether they have permission to use it at all.

 

[Maurice]

Actually, it's Trademarks you have to enforce (and keep in use). Copyrights don't lapse from lack of enforcement. Is there a documented legal case wherein someone lost a Copyright for lack of enforcing it?

 

[Tom]

Regarding NV, 'Come What May' and 'In Harms Way' both came out in 2004, but is really was not until 'To Serve all My days' with Walter Koenig in 2006 that put Star Trek fan films in a much more public light and showed they can get pretty close to production quality. Since then, the bar has been set higher and higher.

 

[BillJ]

Please understand, Tom, I am not trying to suggest that is what you're doing here. I am just saying that it's a familiar pattern and that I knew almost the minute I posted that question above that this would your answer because it's so common.

No worries, I'm not trying to seek attention, just state what I know and I see to be going on. The trust I have from the sources of this information is very important to me, so I would rather people simply not believe me than to betray those trusts.

But aren't you betraying those trusts by saying anything at all? If they or CBS wanted the information to be public, they would just come out and announce it themselves.

 

[Barbreader]

Actually, it's Trademarks you have to enforce (and keep in use). Copyrights don't lapse from lack of enforcement. Is there a documented legal case wherein someone lost a Copyright for lack of enforcing it?

This is true. What exactly "Franchise Copyright" is, however, is a question not entirely answered by the courts.

 

[Barbreader]

Please understand, Tom, I am not trying to suggest that is what you're doing here. I am just saying that it's a familiar pattern and that I knew almost the minute I posted that question above that this would your answer because it's so common.

No worries, I'm not trying to seek attention, just state what I know and I see to be going on. The trust I have from the sources of this information is very important to me, so I would rather people simply not believe me than to betray those trusts.

But aren't you betraying those trusts by saying anything at all? If they or CBS wanted the information to be public, they would just come out and announce it themselves.

Has a month gone by since 2005 when somebody didn't say this? It might be an attempt to betray a trust, but absent a source, it's a fail.

I will watch the TV show when it's put on the air... if it's put on the air. No cable for me.

 

[BillJ]

I will watch the TV show when it's put on the air... if it's put on the air. No cable for me.

Too many ways to consume entertainment now for the lack of cable to be an impediment. You can get most new shows for a $1.99 an episode off of iTunes or Amazon.