Topic: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!  (Read 40649 times)

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Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #40 on: January 07, 2016, 09:13:01 am »

Offline EschelonOfJudgemnt

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #41 on: January 07, 2016, 11:04:23 am »
From Corbomite's linked post above, see this link.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2660454-Startreklawsuit.html

From the above document, CBS has indicated that they are seeking up to $150,000 per copyrighted work in damages, with 17 copyrighted works cited (a little over 2.5 Million in damages).

Reading through the above complaint, yeah ANY Star Trek fan effort can run afoul of the cited copyright infringement.  Many of the fan efforts recreate the original starship sets (which fall under copyright), and create production companies which oversee the use of said sets.  Axanar has been a little more open about being a production company, but they aren't the only one.

This isn't people shooting episodes in their living room, with the barca lounger doubling as a Captain's chair.  Said sets are faithful recreations of the original.  Said complaint specifically cites Axanar's (under construction) bridge set amongst other noted infringements.

Alec Peters has indicated on the Axanar site that they are currently in discussions to resolve the legal situation.
http://www.axanarproductions.com/captains-log-jan-4th-2016/
Quote
(snip)
We won’t be commenting much on the legal case as we are in discussions to settle the situation.  What I can say is that all those arm chair lawyers have absolutely no clue what is going on in those discussions.  And no clue what CBS and Paramount thinks.

We hope to amicably resolve the situation in a way that benefits CBS, Paramount, Axanar and all fan films.

Alec Peters

Executive Producers


Still rooting for an amicable settlement.

Offline Corbomite

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Offline Lieutenant_Q

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #43 on: January 07, 2016, 08:09:02 pm »
A photon torpedo directed at Paramount/CBS HQ outta do it. Tired of these people and their nonsense.

I can think of about two dozen other places I would put higher on my target priority list.
"Your mighty GDI forces have been emasculated, and you yourself are a killer of children.  Now of course it's not true.  But the world only believes what the media tells them to believe.  And I tell the media what to believe, its really quite simple." - Kane (Joe Kucan) Command & Conquer Tiberium Dawn (1995)

Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #44 on: January 19, 2016, 03:07:29 am »
I guess ST predicted the future accurately again. Remember when Data said that TV as an entertainment form didn't survive past the early 21st century?  ;)

They are probably going to move it to their own new streaming service to give people and excuse to sign up for it.

Offline Tulwar

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #45 on: January 19, 2016, 07:43:30 am »
Exactly my thoughts. They know damn well we have no interest in ST Beyond or their new JJ Series. So let's force the old Trekkies to buy our streaming service and then they'll watch the JJthon. Hmph. Good luck. I rather buy bootleg copies from China then to contribute to their already big fat pockets. Hmph :hoppin:

This is exactly the threat that Axanar poses to the owners of the copyright.  The fans are making their own movies rather than shelling out for the crap the studios want to churn out.  The corporate chairmen reserve all creativity for themselves, and they have absolutely zero.  Who needs an imagination when you're rich enough buy anything you want?

That makes fans of any kind of fiction a bad audience.  The people who watch game shows are far less demanding.  Somehow, the people that own properties like Star Trek are just going to try to find a better audience.
Cannon (can' nun) n.  An istrument used to rectify national boundries.  Ambrois Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #46 on: January 21, 2016, 08:56:39 am »
So these guys get an "Atta boy!" and Axanar gets a lawsuit. This whole situation is bizarre.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/entertainment/star-trek-new-voyages-online-series/index.html

Offline Javora

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #47 on: January 21, 2016, 10:22:26 am »
Axanar should be able to use that in their response to the lawsuit.  Paramount can't pick and choose who is stealing their copyrights and who isn't.  That leaves the issue of if Axanar is making a profit or not.

Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #48 on: January 21, 2016, 11:43:28 am »
Just how has anyone made profit? I thought the donor store was pushing it, but it is no different than public television giving gifts for donations during their pledge drives. As far as the "studio for profit" rumors; all I've heard is that AP rented a warehouse space to build sets and shoot the movie. He doesn't own the building and is responsible for a three year lease that they only planned to use for one year. He was on the line for $250,000 for a space that they weren't going to use (at least as far as they knew, they were leaving the future open). Anyone who makes a production starts a production company for tax and payroll purposes, so I don't see any issue there as long as it remained non-profit. All their expenses are there to see on the site. I still just see a damage to property argument here and that will be up to the jury to decide.

Offline FPF-Tobin Dax

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Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #50 on: January 21, 2016, 01:21:14 pm »
Any info on why Tony Todd had it with him and left?


Apparently he had a problem with crowd funding and lack of accountability. He left months before this all broke out, so I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the Axanar staff or just the whole concept. It sounds like his agent/lawyer might have advised him against further involvement. That's a real shame too, he was one of the best things about the prelude.

Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #51 on: January 21, 2016, 01:29:20 pm »
Well, he says that Axanar should have been finished months ago. Maybe he felt that things were going too slowly and didn't see the money being spent in a way he thought was accountable. I know I thought it was weird when they said they reached their stated goal and then continued to ask for money.

Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #52 on: January 21, 2016, 01:42:00 pm »
I'd be more concerned with how they are going to finish the movie period. They can recast, rewrite the role out as an onscreen character or even kill him off/replace him before the current events of the movie. Or maybe, just maybe, Tony Todd will return if and when all the dust settles and his concerns are addressed.

Offline EschelonOfJudgemnt

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #53 on: January 21, 2016, 02:05:40 pm »
Axanar Productions has been continuing work, business as usual, getting things ready for shooting.

While 'no comment' is the usual mantra once you enter into the lawsuit arena (i.e. don't give the opposition any more ammunition) I haven't seen much in the last couple of weeks that would indicate that an amicable settlement is in the cards.  I do think that this is the only way that Axanar can move forward.

As mentioned above by a couple of you, this looks like 'image control' to me.  Fans (and at least one TOS alum, George Takei) have already been expressing skepticism r.e. the upcoming movie, and the studio execs may not want to have Axanar out there as something to make their own production look bad.  Unfortunately, CBS/Paramount have went the Lowest Common Denominator route with the last two movies, going for 'flash' over 'substance'.  Axanar looks to be a more intellectual exercise (based on the tone set in Prelude), focusing more on the story and less on the 'pew pew'.

So in short, IMHO CBS/Paramount don't want Axanar making their own efforts look bad... otherwise they'd go the 'amicable' route and work out licensing.  Of course, we don't really know, and unfortunately the legal system route can often take years to work out a resolution.

The change.org petition (there are actually 3, but only one is getting traction) seems to be doing OK.  11,216 supporters so far as of this post:
https://www.change.org/p/cbs-support-axanar

The other two petitions (as of this post, these have less than 100 sigs each)
https://www.change.org/p/cbs-save-star-trek-axanar
https://www.change.org/p/columbia-broadcast-network-and-paramount-pictures-tell-cbs-and-paramount-that-they-must-drop-their-lawsuit-against-axanar

Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #54 on: January 22, 2016, 07:05:42 am »
I found these interesting:


http://imgur.com/gallery/Nw1IY30

https://twitter.com/TonyTodd54/status/682335902811598848

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CXgabMoWsAIngIM.jpg

https://twitter.com/TonyTodd54/status/682330466834190337


Especially this:

Quote
Tony Todd ‏@TonyTodd54  · 30 Dec 2015 
@PhilsStalkers @Jason_Kovalik learned time ago only as good as weakest link. Couldn't perform w a lead w dubious acting talents.



Now we know why TT left the production or at least the impetus for it.

Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #55 on: January 22, 2016, 07:53:00 am »
You know, the absurdity of all this just hit me. You have an actor leaving a production because it was too amateur to be worth his time and effort, even though it is a self styled pseudo professional fan film and then on the flip side you have Paramount/CBS suing because it is too polished and being run as a professional shoot which is playing fast and loose with the same business rules that protect a charity on the momentum of their IP. If anything required an impartial judge it's this.  :crazy2:

Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #56 on: January 22, 2016, 11:52:59 am »
Other fan productions have long term/permanent shooting facilities, ostensibly paid for by "fans" of one sort or another it seems, so I don't see what the finger pointing is all about. Other productions got a "free" sound stage out of their efforts. I guess the main concern is over paid positions because materials and certain specialized labor will always cost something (unless self motivated people volunteer their time and/or materials). I find it hard to believe that no one was paid for their services on some of these other fan films. Do Koenig, Nichols and Russ work for free?


http://www.axanarproductions.com/captains-log-jan-20th-2016/


Quote
This really makes the sound stage the best fan film sound stage in the country.  Now both Star Trek: New Voyages and Star Trek: Continues each have full time 10,000sf+ facilities with standing sets.  Having worked on the New Voyages sound stage (which I actually was responsible for finding for James Cawley) and having been on the Farragut/STC sets, I can say that both are nice.  But neither facility is as large or flexible as ours.

So if all goes well, we will be making Star Trek fans films for a long time.  Not just Axanar, but others as well, and hopefully other fan films will come use our facility.

Alec Peters


Executive Producer

Offline EschelonOfJudgemnt

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #57 on: January 22, 2016, 04:18:43 pm »
Just a quick observation:

Axanar Productions is located in the State of California.  Note that Laurel Canyon Studios (ST Renegades) is located in Los Angeles, which  puts it in the State of California as well.  I'm thinking that the proximity of Axanar's production studio to Hollywood has played into Paramount/CBS's decision in some fashion, as it would fall under California law as well as U.S. law.

Renegades is still plugging away at episode II, which has me wondering if they have some sort of use agreement with CBS.  They did officially submit their pilot to CBS as a proposal for a new series, and have indicated that they are continuing as a webseries.



Offline Corbomite

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Re: No Axanar NO BEYOND!!!!
« Reply #59 on: January 24, 2016, 06:59:08 am »
They posted a VFX shot in what looks like a ring system at the end of this post. They really enjoy them some space debris. Someone should explain to them that space is mostly empty.  :P



http://www.axanarproductions.com/captains-log-jan-22nd-2016/