Paramount & CBS Sues Star Trek Axanar Creator

heisenberg

Earl Grey
This morning, I was greeted with news that our production company, Axanar Productions and I, personally, am being sued by CBS Studios, Inc. and Paramount Pictures Corporation for copyright infringement of Star Trek.

First of all, I was disappointed to learn about this through an article in an industry trade. For several years, I’ve worked with a number of people at CBS on Star Trek-related projects, and I would have hoped those personal relationships would have warranted a phone call in advance of the filing of a legal complaint. Nevertheless, I know I speak for everyone at Axanar Productions when I say it is our hope that this can be worked out in a fair and amicable manner.




Paramount Pictures and CBS Studios are suing the crowdfunded Star Trek spin-off "Prelude to Axanar." The makers initially aimed for a $10,000 budget to start the project, but have raised close to a million since. According to the Hollywood studios they are entitled to any and all profits, claiming that the project infringes on their copyrights.

Paramount Pictures is generally not that protective when in comes to fan-made projects that involve the Star Trek franchise

https://torrentfreak.com/movie-studios-sue-fan-funded-star-trek-spin-off-151231/


 
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Bluce Ree

Tech Admin / Council Member
Fan-made productions are intended to be made by fans for fans purely for the pleasure of having more story. Profits cannot be involved. I'm on the studio's side if profits are the goal here.
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
So much for Axanar...
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
That's what these tools get for taking this shit too seriously. Hubris has its sting.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Right here:

Star Trek: Axanar

Im a bit disturbed about the new $650,000 price tag they are now throwing around out there. :( Seems beyond Kickstarter territory. What about Paramount? This cannot be done without CBS or Paramount licensing permission which I do not see in the writeups. Paramount movie division might crush this.

I saw this coming. I did not see anything regarding CBS or Paramount cooperation from the start. It's there for Star Trek Continues and Phase II and many other fan made creations. But Axanar was going for the real thing, it seems. That would have meant a lot more input and control from CBS and licensing from Paramount.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
That's what these tools get for taking this shit too seriously. Hubris has its sting.

They should have approached CBS and Paramount first, asked questions, gotten the necessary approvals, etc.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
That's what these tools get for taking this shit too seriously. Hubris has its sting.

The main problems they created for themselves:

Problem: The use of actual Star Trek actors from the most recent pre-Abrams shows right from the outset
Why?: Because they are too expensive and that is what drove up costs. New actors would have been more sensible.

Problem: Not looping in CBS or Paramount for licensing and/or approval.
Why: Because, duh? The process is easy and inexpensive (free).

Problem: The attempt at a feature film instead of a TV or web series.
Why?: Because this pitted Axanar against Paramount instead of just CBS. The feature length films are going to be fully under Paramount and no competition is going to be allowed.

They could have made their pilot episode of a series with what they spent, instead of a trailer.

alec.jpg
 
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heisenberg

Earl Grey
The main problems they created for themselves:

Problem: The use of actual Star Trek actors from the most recent pre-Abrams shows right from the outset
Why?: Because they are too expensive and that is what drove up costs. New actors would have been more sensible.

Problem: Not looping in CBS or Paramount for licensiung and/or approval.
Why: Because, duh? The process is easy and inexpensive (free).

Problem: The attempt at a feature film instead of a TV or web series.
Why?: Because this pitted Axanar against Paramount instead of just CBS. The feature length films are going to be fully under Paramount and no competition is going to be allowed.

They could have made their pilot episode of a series with what they spent, instead of a trailer.

View attachment 32387


Yeah, the thing that star trek renegades did differently was because that was a fully fan funded project but it never got to the amount they asked for but they still did a pilot movie anyway. The idea of renegades although is shit, and they still pitched the idea towards NBC but they rejected it. lol. Now they are doing a series and I am sure NBC will keep a close eye on that project too.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
They should have approached CBS and Paramount first, asked questions, gotten the necessary approvals, etc.

Either that or they could have simply kept the production at a "fan fic" level. Their mistake was in thinking they were actually playing in the big leagues. Better to just make a simple amateur production and if the big wigs like it then go about asking for permission to do something with a higher budget that is officially sanctioned.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
If this entire project gets broken down, this guy is going to get sued like no tomorrow

Of course it will get broken down. How can a middle ground be reached?
 

heisenberg

Earl Grey
Of course it will get broken down. How can a middle ground be reached?

I meant the guys who supported his kickstarter/indiego project. I am sure they'll be demanding their money back. Especially those that paid 10s of thousands of dollars after this. No doubt, this guy is going to be cleaned.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
This Peters dude does not know when to quit:

http://trekmovie.com/2015/12/30/sta...paramount-and-cbs-over-copyright-infringement

axanar.PNG


Not so fast.

An injunction means precisely that the Axanar team will be ‘deterred from what they are doing’. And, given that there is absolutely no legal grounds for the team to stand on (no, building Axanar Studios does not fall under fair use), Axanar is effectively dead.

There has been no word so far on any other law suits against any other Star Trek fan film groups. Although it seems that Axanar is being singled out as a particularly egregious infringement, it’s not impossible that other films could suffer as a result nor is it impossible for them to have suit brought against them.

MILLIONS. That is what this could cost these folks. They only had one million. This could cost MILLIONS.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
I'm kinda sad about this. Axanar IS Star Trek. It's the best looking Star Trek I have seen since Enterprise went off the air, and it actually looks better than any of the Star Trek series episodes. The ships, the space scenes, the battle scenes, the music and the style is all premium and I WOULD pay to see this on a regular basis. If Paramount/CBS are smart, they will force Axanar to give them a run of episodes as payment for infringing on their copyright, and then hand the project and the studios over to them, and accept jobs on the staff. The Kurtzman series does not stand a chance on it's own.

 

heisenberg

Earl Grey
I'm kinda sad about this. Axanar IS Star Trek. It's the best looking Star Trek I have seen since Enterprise went off the air, and it actually looks better than any of the Star Trek series episodes. The ships, the space scenes, the battle scenes, the music and the style is all premium and I WOULD pay to see this on a regular basis. If Paramount/CBS are smart, they will force Axanar to give them a run of episodes as payment for infringing on their copyright, and then hand the project and the studios over to them, and accept jobs on the staff. The Kurtzman series does not stand a chance on it's own.

This lawsuit will drag on for years....
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
This lawsuit will drag on for years....

Maybe. I am almost certain the Kurtzman Trek series is going to fail. I think that because he and Lindelof are the ones who basically crafted the new JJverse of NuTrek, and the other writer Heather Kadin writes only high fantasy, according to her IMdB page. On the other hand, Axanar is neatly slotted in between Enterprise and TOS (you can see 1701 Enterprise in space dock under construction) This is real Trek. The dialogue between these actors was so true to Trek it was amazing to see it brought out like that. The Axanar people have Trek down pat and the production values are superb. Better than the actual TV series and better than Star Trek Continues. If CBS was making it, they would have a hands down winner and a guaranteed new generation of Trekkies.

Still, you are telling the facts. The lawsuit could go on for a long time. However I find it strange that no injunction has been issued on the Axanar website, the clips on YouTube or public appearances. Injunctions can be issued in 24 hours. Cease and Desist orders can be issued almost immediately, and none of that has taken place. I see a deal opportunity. Axanar is what real Star Trek fans are looking for, not NuTrek. I do not care to see it made into a feature film, but as a TV series it could be just right. A limited but guaranteed 4 year run (for the 4 Years War), with these production values and those starship captains (I could take Tony Todd or leave him). I counted three great starship captains, one woman captain (I remember her from Voyager) and the most realistic starfleet ships I have ever seen.
 
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