'Star Trek' fan film sued for copyright infringement

CNN ^ | December 31, 2015 | Aarom Smith

[C19fan]

Paramount (PGRE) and CBS (CBS), which own the rights to "Star Trek," are going after Alec Peters and Axanar Productions, which are raising money through Indiegogo to produce a movie called "Axanar." The companies accuse Peters of "unauthorized exploitation" of the "Star Trek" franchise.

[C19fan]

Probably Paramount and CBS are legally right but this still sucks. I saw the preview of "Axanar" on YouTube and it looks impressive. I bet it is would have been better than the third new Star Trek film which look horrible on the preview.

[MrEdd]

Once they financed their project on Kickstarter it became not merely a fan endeavor but a commercial venture.

[RginTN]

Does it use the exact names from star trek? Star trek doesnt own the scifi concept.

The parody of Star Wars wasn’t sued. And the Twilight author hasnt sued the writers of fanfiction who’ve gone on to publish their books.

[Dr. Sivana]

If you don’t protect your copyrights you might lose them. Paramount should work out a deal.

[fieldmarshaldj]

The Abrams Faux Trek films are complete garbage. Some of these fan-produced works are a masterpiece by comparison and remotely jibe with established history.

[Bobalu]

Yup, Paramount should embrace this effort and bring all involved in it into the fold.

The quality of this fan-fiction effort is impressive!

[SoCal Pubbie]

Not necessarily. If the funds raised only cover costs and it’s distributed for free it wouldn’t be for profit.

[Charles Martel]

Axanar uses the name of one character seen in a single episode of the original series.

[discostu]

Not merely legally right, but legally necessary. The courts have ruled over and over again that you must vigorously defend your copyright or you surrender it. Fan films tap dance in a minefield.

[Bratch]

Alec Peters’ Statement On The Star Trek Axanar Lawsuit

Posted December 30, 2015 by Erik Amaya

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Citing disappointment that he first learned of the suit via industry publications, Star Trek: Axanar co-writer and producer Alec Peters said in a statement obtained by Bleeding Cool that he hopes to discuss “solutions with all parties that can be mutually beneficial.”

Early today, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Paramount and CBS are suing Peters and Axanar Productions for “vicious copyright infringement” in regard to their crowdsourced fan film project, Star Trek: Axanar.

In the statement, Peters reiterates that the project is a fan work, saying, “Fan films – whether related to Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Power Rangers, Batman or any other franchise – are labors of love that keep fans engaged, entertained, and keep favorite characters alive in the hearts of fans. Like other current fan films, Axanar entered production based on a very long history and relationship between fandom and studios. We’re not doing anything new here.”

He also notes the project is a labor of love continuing the tradition of fans telling new stories in the universe devised by creator Gene Roddenberry and his collaborators nearly fifty years ago.

Peters’ statement in full:

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.

Axanar is a fan film. Fan films – whether related to Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Power Rangers, Batman or any other franchise – are labors of love that keep fans engaged, entertained, and keep favorite characters alive in the hearts of fans. Like other current fan films, AXANAR entered production based on a very long history and relationship between fandom and studios. We’re not doing anything new here.

Like all fan films, AXANAR is a love letter to a beloved franchise.  For nearly 50 years, Star Trek’s devotees have been creating new Star Trek stories to share with fellow fans. That’s all we’re trying to do here.

Since the original Star Trek TV series, when the letter writing campaign by fans got NBC to greenlight a third season of Star Trek, fan support has been critical to the success of the franchise.  It is the Star Trek fans themselves who are most affected here, for by suing Axanar Productions to stop making our movie and collect so-called damages, CBS and Paramount are suing the very people who have enthusiastically maintained the universe created by Gene Roddenberry so many years ago.

The fact that many of the fans involved with Axanar Productions are also industry professionals speaks volumes to the influence of Star Trek in the entertainment industry. Not surprisingly, these fans want to give something back. We’re very proud that the work we’ve done to date looks so good. That is also a reflection of the devotion of Star Trek’s fans.

Like everything related to Axanar Productions, we take this matter very seriously and remain open to discussing solutions with all parties that can be mutually beneficial.

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[W.]

I enjoy, among other things Trek, Star Trek Continues. Their attention to detail is second to none—everything looks like it came out of the TOS prop room. Amazingly well done! I’m one picky perfectionistic SOB, and I didn’t see anything out of place.

[pierrem15]

Well, that depends on the nature of the production company and relevant copyright law.

a) If the production company is a non-profit, they have considerably more leeway to use copyrighted material.

b)Paramount has already allowed many fan-based, not for profit mini movies based on the Star Trek franchise-- this significantly dilutes their copyrights.

[pierrem15]

Parodies are exempt from copyright: under the 1st Amendment, they are considered expressions of opinion.

If there have been a lot of non-licensed, commercial Start Trek books out there, then Paramount has a real problem with their copyright to "Star Trek" related content-- basically, the movies themselves are copyrighted but the franchise is not.

[vladimir998]

I just watched their “Prelude to Axanar” film. Excellent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W1_8IV8uhA

[johnthebaptistmoore]

BTW, how many fan based Star Trek films are there in total, worldwide? A lot!

[vladimir998]

Come to think of it, why don’t they make a Klingon TV series? I think Star Trek fans would love a Klingon series with all the twists and turns of Game of Thrones.

[hoagy62]

Axanar uses the name of one character seen in a single episode of the original series.

True, but that's not all they use. They use the races and names of Federation members and enemies...Vulcans, Klingons, etc.

Despite that, I think CBS and Paramount are being jerks with this and need to back off or come to a mutually-acceptable agreement with the Axanar crew. I, for one, want to see this film made. I would watch it in a New York minute. (If you doubt me, look up the short film "Prelude to Axanar" on YouTube. If the production values are any indication, this film will be excellent.)

[hoagy62]

See post 14 above for the link. Thanks!

[PCPOET7]

Just went to view there material on you tube. this is theater quality production and acting....paramount had to stop its production because it is superior to there Star Trek. they have a 30 Minuit prequel that I suggest any fan of the franchise view as soon as possible because I am thinking it will be pulled from the internet in the next three days.

[tcrlaf]

“Fan Films” have been allowed, as long as they are “Not-for-Profit”.

The moment you start making a living from it, it’s infringement.