Four weeks ago, I wrote a very impassioned op-ed decrying that Trekkers should be fans and not lawyers. I am now going to turn myself into a complete hypocrite and become an armchair attorney myself…partly because of the shameless reason that it seems to boost readership of one’s blog but also because I think there’s a fascinating details about the latest Axanar lawsuit news that’s not being reported at the moment.
Tag: Alec Peters
The Realities of Crowd-Funding, part 4
Last time:
we continued our in-depth discussion of crowd-funding with Alec Peters (Axanar executive producer) and Mike Bawden (Axanar director of public relations), two veterans of Trek fan films who, together, have raised nearly $2 million through multiple Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns for various projects.
Alec and Mike possess a wealth of knowledge about running successful crowd-funding campaigns. And whether you’re planning to do a campaign of your own someday or simply thinking of donating to one, we now conclude this compelling conversation on the realities of crowd-funding…
Why AXANAR just filed a RESPONSE and COUNTERCLAIM to the CBS/Paramount LAWSUIT…
Just when we thought it was winding down…
Three days after J.J. Abrams announced that the copyright infringement lawsuit against AXANAR and Alec Peters was “going away,” the Axanar attorneys at Winston & Strawn filed a legal Response to the most recent amended complaint and ALSO filed a Counterclaim for Declaratory Relief.
Now why would they go and do a provocative thing like that just when the studios were about to start playing nice???
I decided to ask Axanar‘s lead attorney in the case, Erin R. Ranahan. It turns out there was a filing deadline on Monday that, if missed, could have severely and negatively impacted Axanar‘s ability to successfully navigate this lawsuit. Ms. Ranahan explained the situation…
Continue reading “Why AXANAR just filed a RESPONSE and COUNTERCLAIM to the CBS/Paramount LAWSUIT…”
The Realities of Crowd-Funding, part 3
Last time:
we began our fascinating discussion of crowd-funding with two of the most successful campaigners in the history of Trek fan films, Alec Peters (Axanar executive producer) and Mike Bawden (Axanar director of public relations). Together, these two men have organized Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns for multiple productions that have raised nearly $2 million combined (including $1.3 just for Axanar alone).
If you want to know how to run a successful crowd-funding campaign, pay attention to these guys. This discussion isn’t just a Crowd-Funding 101 class; it’s a graduate-level seminar with some amazing insights from two people who’ve actually walked the walk. Their experiences have provided them a unique perspective and many insights that, to me at least, should be considered pure gold to anyone looking to be a part of a successful crowd-funding campaign.
The Realities of Crowd-Funding, part 2
Last time: we looked at some of the factors that might have affected the recent Indiegogo campaign from Star Trek Continues (which just wrapped up last week).
Now it’s time to continue our discussion of crowd-funding with two crowd-funding experts: ALEC PETERS, show-runner of Axanar, and MIKE BAWDEN, director of public relations for Axanar, who has also worked on the Kickstarter for Space Command, an early campaign that raised $242,000. Mike has been involved in over a dozen crowd-funding campaigns, and the two men together have helped to raise nearly two million dollars of donations from fans for various projects, including $1.3 million for Axanar.
If you’re thinking of doing a crowd-funding campaign of any kind, then get out your pen and start taking notes! The following discussion is a crowd-funding “how to” guide that you’re not likely to get anywhere else…
Judge DENIES the AXANAR motion to dismiss the CBS/PARAMOUNT LAWSUIT!
As I said yesterday, folks, mark your calendars for January 31, 2017. Just as CBS gets ready to launch their new Star Trek TV series, the gavel will fall on the judge’s desk to cal to order CBS and Paramount’s lawsuit against Axanar Productions and Alec Peters. Unless there is a settlement or mediation in the next eight and a half months, the most important case ever for fan films (in many people’s opinions) will be litigated in front of a judge and possibly a jury.
Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled as follows:
Although the Court declines to address whether Plaintiffs’ Claims will prosper at this time, the Court does find Plaintiffs’ claims will live long enough to survive Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. For the foregoing reasons, the Court DENIES Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss.
According to the Axanar website:
Winston & Strawn will now prepare our answer to the amended complaint, which is due in 14 days.
In the meantime, we continue our efforts to settle this matter with CBS and Paramount so we can move forward with telling the story of AXANAR in a way that satisfies both the studios and the over ten thousand fans who financially supported our project.
And the (legal) adventure continues…
The realities of crowd-funding, part 1
Going against my better judgment (that’s screaming at me, “Jon, stop typing NOW!”), I’m going to jump head first into the latest controversy surrounding a recent comment claiming that Axanar has “poisoned the well” for all other fan films.
Buckle up, folks!
AXANAR files legal response to CBS/Paramount Amended Lawsuit
On March 28, 2016, the legal team for Axanar Productions and Alec Peters, the firm of Winston & Strawn LLP, filed a response to the AMENDED copyright infringement complaint that was brought by Paramount and CBS on March 11, 2015. The response is Axanar’s second and again seeks a dismissal of the complaint on a number of legal grounds.
The original complaint was brought by Paramount and CBS on December 29, 2015. Axanar’s legal team filed a response on February 22, 2016 seeking dismissal of the lawsuit on a number of legal grounds. Presumably, that response is what has motivated Paramount and CBS to amend their complaint.
Here is a link to the text of the ORIGINAL lawsuit.
Here is a link to the text of Axanar‘s ORIGINAL response.
Here is a link to the text of the AMENDED lawsuit.
Here is a link to the text of Axanar’s LATEST response.
Please note: Fan Film Factor is taking a neutral stance regarding this lawsuit and will simply announce developments as they happen.
For a more complete list of media coverage of this story, Axanar has provided this Press Room Page full of links to news reports and editorials regarding the lawsuit.
CBS/Paramount files an AMENDED complaint against AXANAR
On March 11, 2016, Paramount and CBS filed an amended complaint against Axanar Productions and Alec Peters for copyright infringement complaint, specifying precisely which elements of the Star Trek intellectual property that the two studios believe was illegally used without consent.
The original complaint was brought by Paramount and CBS on December 29, 2015. Axanar’s legal team filed a response on February 22, 2016 seeking dismissal of the lawsuit on a number of legal grounds. Presumably, that response is what has motivated Paramount and CBS to amend their complaint.
Here is a link to the text of the original lawsuit.
Here is a link to the text of Axanar‘s response.
Here is a link to the text of the AMENDED lawsuit.
Please note: Fan Film Factor is taking a neutral stance regarding this lawsuit and will simply announce developments as they happen.
For a more complete list of media coverage of this story, Axanar has provided this Press Room Page full of links to news reports and editorials regarding the lawsuit.
AXANAR files legal response to CBS/Paramount Lawsuit
On February 22, 2016, the legal team for Axanar Productions and Alec Peters, the firm of Winston & Strawn LLP, filed a response to the copyright infringement complaint that was brought by Paramount and CBS on December 29, 2015. The response seeks a dismissal of the complaint on a number of legal grounds.
Here is a link to the text of the original lawsuit.
Here is a link to the text of Axanar‘s response.
Please note: Fan Film Factor is taking a neutral stance regarding this lawsuit and will simply announce developments as they happen.
For a more complete list of media coverage of this story, Axanar has provided this Press Room Page full of links to news reports and editorials regarding the lawsuit.