Trek Fan Film Axanar Sued
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Raising a million dollars for production of the fan film Axanar was surely apt to catch the attention of Paramount and CBS and indeed it has done so with the news that they have filed suit against the production and against Producer Alec Peters for copyright infringement.
“This is an action for copyright infringement arising out of Defendants’ unauthorized exploitation of Star Trek, one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time,” said the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the production and asks for damages up to $150,000 for *each* separate Star Trek copyrighted work infringed.
“Axanar [was to take] place twenty-one years before the events of Where no Man Has Gone Before, the first Kirk episode of the original Star Trek. Axanar [was to be] the story of Garth of Izar, the legendary Starfleet captain who is Captain Kirk’s hero.
“Axanar [would have told] the story of Garth and his crew during the Four Years War, the war with the Klingon Empire that almost tore the Federation apart. Garth’s victory at Axanar solidified the Federation and allowed it to become the entity we know in Kirk‘s time.”
Paramount is releasing the next Star Trek movie next summer, while CBS will be producing a new televised series, set to air in January 2017 on CBS All Access.
To read the legal document, head to the link located here.
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So…as long as those fan-made movies have no budget and make no money, Paramount turns a blind eye?
Pretty much, yeah. It is a delicate balance. When it begins to look like a major financial effort Paramount would be legally foolish to do nothing at all.
Hmmm, I’d be nervous if I was a “Renegade”, right about now…
Whatever is their problem, I am sure it could have been solved by more civilized agreement without the need to sue anyone. This can only hurt the fans who were looking for it and give them nothing in return.
I figures. A fan made film (sans the Marvel effect) promises to turn out better than the garbage they’re putting out, and they have to put a stop to it.
I don’t feel that Axanar, or any fan film group has a legal leg to stand on in this fight now that CBS has done what they have done. That said, there are other sides to this, such as how CBS and Paramount have seemingly declared war on their Star Trek fan base.nnnSince the 1990’s really, the powers that be have treated Star Trek poorly. First flooding the marker with too much Trek, despite producer warnings, and then letting it whither and die in the mid-2000’s. Then they give us the very divisive JJ-Trek which with each new entry further divides the fanbase, followed by promise of a new show that you have to pay a premium for to watch. Oh by the way, it’s probably set in the same divisive JJ-Trek universe. Oh by the way, outside of another divisive JJ-Trek film and news of a TV show set in that universe, we have nothing for the 50th Anniversary of this franchise. Doctor Freaking Who will have had a better 50th Anniversary then Star Trek! “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will have had a better 50th Anniversary then Star Trek! What the hey?!nnnAdd to that the ridiculous prices they have charged for their official shows on DVD and then Blu-ray, and the lack of any serious maintenance and finally death of Star Trek: The Experience. I paid $100 for every single season of TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise and then paid about $50 again for every season of TOS and TNG. Seriously, I’ve more then paid for their “official products.”nnnAnd now on top of this crap cake, they do this. I have a hard time believing it is going to only effect Axanar. The future of Trek fan films is at stake here and possibly fan films period. I’m guessing CBS/Paramount is doing this because of the new divisive film and TV show on their very divisive CBS All Access. The thing is, these fans film being very frank are not made for the same people that would watch their new “official” drivel.nnnRegardless if Axanar existed or not, I will not support this new JJ-Trek sub-franchise. Not in theaters and not streaming on my computer or TV. I will not buy any more Star Trek products. I either have all the ones I care about or it’s crap. How many times am I expected to buy a Capt.Kirk action figure? In such a diverse collective of characters, it’s ashamed the merchandise the last decade has been so TOS only heavy with light sprinkles of TNG.nnnSo there you go CBS/ Paramount, you may have the legal right to shut this fan film and all fan films down. But you don’t have a say on how I spend my money, and I’m not spending another dime on your official Star Trek crap fest. Don’t be surprised if a lot of other fans do the same thing. Good luck by the way with all those new “fans” the new films supposedly bring in. May they but as many action figures as I have over the last three decades. Oh wait, every time new JJ-Trek merchandise hits the sales floor, it’s promptly escorted to the bargain bin section. Guess that means it’s not happening. Oops.
The new movie are only ‘divisive ‘ to people like you trapped in the past and wanting the same thing to be shown on TV ad infinitum without change. Spare me, and anybody else that enjoyed the new movies-Paramount and CBS is a business, not a service for fans like you. Watch the official new movies or watch something else that’s sci-fi.
The dislike of JJTrek is not rooted in hide-bound nostalgia. The new Trek films were objectively bad, with deus ex machinas, plots that are driven by stupid behaviors. See http://www.galacticstudios.org/why-star-trek-into-darkness-sucked/
It’s really not a “delicate balance”.
Better idea; pull your head out of your ass, Dusty, grow up and learn that, hey shock of shocks, different people like different things for different reasons. Now get back to your homework, kiddo.
> I’m not spending another dime on your official Star Trek crap fest. Don’t be surprised if a lot of other fans do the same thingnnI’m already there. Like you, I’ve spent a few thousand dollars of my hard-earned money on all of the box sets and movies, but I’ve drawn the line at JJ-Trek. As far as I’m concerned, the franchise is done and buried and I’m no longer supporting this poor excuse of a product they slap the Star Trek label on these days.nnIt’s really a shame Gene Roddenberry’s creation didn’t make it to its 50th anniversary. Yeah, the movies are making money hand over first during their theater runs, but unlike everything that came before, this crap has no long-term value.
I think you are confusing JJTrek with the TNG movies…
Well…considering that they were going to use the money they got from the crowdfunding to start their own studio for other non-Trek ventures and profit from it, CBS did the right thing here.
Respectfully, they’re still using Kirk, Spock, Scotty et. al. and the Enterprise, phasers — so Paramount is effectively stuck as well. The new movies still skew over 25, so presumably plenty of older fans are watching. There are also plenty of new fans being generated by constant play of the various TV series as well. The decline in domestic box office of STID versus ST2009 demonstrates the new fanbase may not be as large as some believe.
Three of the four TNG movies were bad too. Nemesis was very much like the JJ movies. Generations and Insurrection were bad in a different way: trying to be deep and meaningful, but missing the mark. TOS episodes like Way to Eden and Omega Glory had the same problem, as did the first TOS movie.nnI think the difference with JJ was that making a stupid movie seems to have been a deliberate decision. “This is not your father’s Star Trek” was their sales pitch. That meant abandoning any attempt at thoughtfulness and ignoring the universe’s rules (e.g. communication across light years takes time, even with subspace; transporters have limited range) because “only geeks care about that stuff”.nnThe result was that deus ex machinas were not a just sloppy resolution of the story, they were regular and frequent parts of the story.
I’m not the one constantly blasting a set of new movies just because they aren’t the ‘pure’ version of an old TV show that was action-adventure in the first place. Also, I’m 47, not a kid, so go and suck on a lemon, buddy.
According to who? A bunch of older fans trapped in the past and unwilling to accept the truth about their beloved franchise always being action adventure orientated> Buddy, please stop talking codswallop, and see reality for once in your life.
Dusty, Trek fans have always accepted action. Wrath of Khan and First Contact are among the most well-liked Trek movies, and neither was particularly intellectual. The problem with JJTrek was that it was massively and intentionally stupid (as explained in that link I provided). And yes, previous Trek shows and movies have been stupid too. Fans hate “Spock’s Brain” too.
Exhibit A – Star Trek Nemesis vs. Star Trek Beyond:
I’m sorry, but this is people not knowing about what action adventure is (or forgetting about it) because a younger director made a movie that they didn’t like that got younger people to like and respect the franchise said movie was based on. Without young blood and fresh ideas, Star Trek was going to die- a fan film starring the same older actors from previous shows with more Pew! Pew! in it than the official ones from said younger director wasn’t going to cut it, and you know that. Try to accept reality and stop being so butthurt about this.
You say you’re sorry, but people who are sorry don’t end their statements with “accept reality” or the word “butthurt”.nnSpeaking for myself, I have no problem with younger actors playing Kirk, Spock, etc. I have no problem with younger directors – Brannon Braga was young too. I have no problem with new ideas – though I’m stunned if you think the stuff in JJTrek was in any way fresh and original. In the link I provided, I gave reasons why the movie was crap and none of them had anything to do with pining for the old days.nnSo here’s what you need to accept: not everyone fits in your little preconceived pigeonhole of aging fans pining for an imaginary past. Action movies can be good and they can be crap – regardless of whether they’re “Star Trek”. The two JJTreks were crap NOT BECAUSE they departed from TOS but because their stories and their characters’ actions made no sense.
And Star Trek isn’t the show with the ‘vision’ you thought that it had-it never had any, that was just bullshit on Roddenberry’s part due to adoration sent to him at conventions in the 1970’s. Having seen what’s happened, I’m glad that I never contributed any money into this project. As for Abrams not being fresh, I’ll let the box office and the critics speak out on that one (hint: so far, it’s in the positive for him and the negative for so-called ‘fans’ like you who want to keep the franchise a closed sandbox that only a few can get into.)
From what I understand, these fan made productions could not be touched by the copyright holders unless they do it for profit. They did ask permission from Paramount/CBC prior to putting this movie together, atleast they should had. The fundraiser was to pay for the production cost of making the film, no one should be putting this money into their pocket other than getting paid for the labor involved with this production. How many other fan made productions had been made or now in progress. Star Trek Continues, Star Trek New Voyages (Phase II), Of Gods and Men, Renegades, etc. Are these going to be shut down as well?