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Published Jun 22, 2016

Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines Announced

Dear Star Trek fans,

Star Trek fandom is like no other.

Your support, enthusiasm and passion are the reasons that Star Trek has flourished for five decades and will continue long into the future. You are the reason the original Star Trek series was rescued and renewed in 1968, and the reason it has endured as an iconic and multi-generational phenomenon that has spawned seven television series and 13 movies.

Throughout the years, many of you have expressed your love for the franchise through creative endeavors such as fan films. So today, we want to show our appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots.

The heart of these fan films has always been about expressing one’s love and passion for Star Trek . They have been about fan creativity and sharing unique stories with other fans to show admiration for the TV shows and movies. These films are a labor of love for any fan with desire, imagination and a camera.

We want to support this innovation and encourage celebrations of this beloved cultural phenomenon. It is with this perspective in mind that we are introducing a set of guidelines at Star Trek Fan Films .

Thank you for your ongoing and steadfast enthusiasm and support, which ensure that Star Trek will continue to inspire generations to come.

CBS and Paramount Pictures

Join host Jordan Hoffman and CBS's John Van Citters for a discussion of the Star Trek fan film guidelines on the Wednesday, June 29th episode of ENGAGE: The Official Star Trek Podcast .

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BREAKING: Official Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines Announced By CBS, Paramount

As a result of the lawsuit between CBS and Paramount and Star Trek fan film studio Axanar Productions, the former two studios have released an official list of fan film guidelines.

The list of guidelines include 10 rules fan film productions must follow. CBS and Paramount state they will not “object to, or take legal action against Star Trek fan productions that are non-professional and amateur and meet the…requirements.”

“Throughout the years, many of you have expressed your love for the franchise through creative endeavors such as fan films. So today, we want to show our appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots,” states the studios’ press release.

The guidelines, in part, place a time limit on productions, and do not allow such productions to include the name “ Star Trek ” except in a subtitle labeling the fan film as “A Star Trek fan production.” The requirements also forbids the use of bootleg items or imitations in place of official, commercially available merchandise. Additionally, there is an in-depth description of what it means to have “non-commercial” production, another requirement of fan films.

The full, detailed list of guidelines can be found below.

Axanar Productions and its head, Alec Peters, were sued by Paramount late last year for violating Star Trek intellectual copyright laws while filming the studio’s fan films, Prelude to Axanar and its sequel, Axanar. The case is still set for trial, even after J.J Abrams and Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin voiced their support for Axanar and said that the lawsuit was “going away.” Although the lawsuit’s discovery process will continue as scheduled, settlement talks are said to still be in progress. As it stands, the trial is set for January 2017.

CBS and Paramount Pictures are big believers in reasonable fan fiction and fan creativity, and, in particular, want amateur fan filmmakers to showcase their passion for  Star Trek .  Therefore, CBS and Paramount Pictures will not object to, or take legal action against,  Star Trek  fan productions that are non-professional and amateur and meet the following guidelines. Guidelines for Avoiding Objections: The fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes. The title of the fan production or any parts cannot include the name “ Star Trek .” However, the title must contain a subtitle with the phrase: “A  STAR TREK  FAN PRODUCTION” in plain typeface. The fan production cannot use the term “official” in either its title or subtitle or in any marketing, promotions or social media for the fan production. The content in the fan production must be original, not reproductions, recreations or clips from any  Star Trek  production. If non- Star Trek  third party content is used, all necessary permissions for any third party content should be obtained in writing. If the fan production uses commercially-available  Star Trek  uniforms, accessories, toys and props, these items must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products. The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any  Star Trek  series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees. The fan production must be non-commercial: CBS and Paramount Pictures do not object to limited fundraising for the creation of a fan production, whether 1 or 2 segments and consistent with these guidelines, so long as the total amount does not exceed $50,000, including all platform fees, and when the $50,000 goal is reached, all fundraising must cease. The fan production must only be exhibited or distributed on a no-charge basis and/or shared via streaming services without generating revenue. The fan production cannot be distributed in a physical format such as DVD or Blu-ray. The fan production cannot be used to derive advertising revenue including, but not limited to, through for example, the use of pre or post-roll advertising, click-through advertising banners, that is associated with the fan production. No unlicensed  Star Trek -related or fan production-related merchandise or services can be offered for sale or given away as premiums, perks or rewards or in connection with the fan production fundraising. The fan production cannot derive revenue by selling or licensing fan-created production sets, props or costumes. The fan production must be family friendly and suitable for public presentation. Videos must not include profanity, nudity, obscenity, pornography, depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity, or any material that is offensive, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, disparaging, sexually explicit, threatening, hateful, or any other inappropriate content. The content of the fan production cannot violate any individual’s right of privacy. The fan production must display the following disclaimer in the on-screen credits of the fan productions and on any marketing material including the fan production website or page hosting the fan production:“ Star Trek  and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other  Star Trek  franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made film intended for recreational use.  No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.” Creators of fan productions must not seek to register their works, nor any elements of the works, under copyright or trademark law. Fan productions cannot create or imply any association or endorsement by CBS or Paramount Pictures. CBS and Paramount Pictures reserve the right to revise, revoke and/or withdraw these guidelines at any time in their own discretion. These guidelines are not a license and do not constitute approval or authorization of any fan productions or a waiver of any rights that CBS or Paramount Pictures may have with respect to fan fiction created outside of these guidelines.

photo: Star Trek: New Voyages

via StarTrek.com

Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

87 Comments

Michael Graef

June 23, 2016 at 10:57 am

A sad day for fan productions.

Alexander_R

June 23, 2016 at 11:05 am

SRLY ?! It’s must be a joke, CBS & Paramount are killing the Star Trek universe… Well done guys… Instead of learning from the fan films, they continues with this stupid alternate universe…

June 23, 2016 at 11:24 am

These guidelines are very generous. They don’t have to allow fan films AT ALL. And if you want to blame someone for killing fan films, look no further than Axanar and their shameless campaign to leverage C/P’s IP for personal financial gain.

June 23, 2016 at 12:28 pm

You work for Paramount, it’s not possible to be so dumb. The Fan Films made Star Trek alive when Paramount doesn’t give a shit, when Paramount said to Bryan Singer “Get off with your Star Trek movie”, so please…

Goregrinder

June 23, 2016 at 4:36 pm

It doesn’t matter if Paramount gives a shit or not. The point of this is to protect their IP from other people making money from it. It would be no different if you started your own movie franchise, became successful, and then I came along and started making my fan version of your movies, but charged money for my version of the movie and merch.

Basically, I would be making money off your idea, without paying you any sort of royalty or compensation. CBS/Paramount are just financially protecting their product. Does it suck for fan films as we know it? Yeah, of course. But this has always been a gray area, and at least now we know where fan films stand in the Star Trek world, at least legally.

Besides, they aren’t killing fan films, you can still make them. There are just established guidelines you have to film now, if you do choose to make them.

June 23, 2016 at 5:02 pm

“they aren’t killing fan films”

Yes they are. They have every right to do so, since it is their property – but they are spitting in the face of those who made their property so valuable in the first place.

Your tone isn’t very conducive to a discussion, but I’ll explain my position in more detail.

I love fan films. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be lamenting their death. I love STC, I enjoy some of New Voyages, and I thought Prelude to Axanar was decent. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing them anymore because of one individual’s excesses. Alec Peters ran a Kickstarter using the Star Trek IP in order to develop a for-profit studio, as well as paid himself a salary to work on the movie. His merchandising also got out of control. Oh, and he repeatedly said that Axanar wasn’t a fan film. Rather, it was the “first fully professional, independent Star Trek film.”

Fan films are great; I’m really going to miss them. This is truly the end of an era. But you can’t blame CBS/Paramount for putting firm parameters on fans’ legal rights to use their intellectual property. Axanar exploited their historic generosity.

June 23, 2016 at 5:12 pm

“we won’t be seeing them anymore because of one individual’s excesses”

Your logic is flawed. If this were just about one individual, the guidelines would have been quite different.

Nor did Peters do anything others before him had not done

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek/19418/star-trek-phase-ii-the-first-professional-fan-film

“World Enough and Time director Marc Zicree … tells us that World Enough and Time was produced with the full co-operation and knowledge of Paramount and CBS (from “Business Affairs on down”), that he was given directorial advice by no less than J.J. Abrams while shooting the show and that several key personnel were paid for their involvement – including George Takei, and Zicree himself. The show had many professional crew members on board, hired by Zicree’s own production company, including a professional editor, Chris Cronin, who worked at industry rates. He lists a couple dozen more cast and crew members, each with extensive working credentials, some with Emmy and other awards to their names. He also mentions that a day of shooting actually took place on the Universal lot.

This ultimately begs the question we began with; is Star Trek: Phase II/New Voyages the first professional fan film? When your free, web released movie uses copyrighted characters, but is endorsed by CBS and Paramount; when it features fans in acting roles alongside Trek alumni; when amateur producers rub shoulders with directors who worked on Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation – where do you draw the line?” – 2008

CBS/Paramount has answered the question raised, not by Peters, but by NUMEROUS fan productions. And it is NOT a good answer. Any number of different answers could have been provided – which would protect C/P’s copyrights etc and ALSO helped the fan films to flourish. C/P instead chose to target them for destruction. C/P are responsible for that action – not Peters, not Crowley, not Russ, etc.. Trying to blame any of them for the choices made by C/P is scapegoating.

June 23, 2016 at 5:19 pm

Saying Peters didn’t do anything that hadn’t been done before does not make it true.

– No other production built a for-profit studio with Kickstarter money raised using the Star Trek IP. – No other executive producer paid themselves a salary to work on his/her production. – No other production repeatedly said it wasn’t a fan film. – No other production created an online store to sell Star Trek coffee, Star Trek model kits, etc.

These are plain facts.

June 23, 2016 at 5:25 pm

“These are plain facts”

Given that the article I posted (from 2008) contradicts most of that, no they are not facts at all. But it is obvious you are not here for any other reason than to attack Peters. Certainly seeking some way that rights could be protected AND fan productions like Peters, AND Crawley, AND Russ et all could still proceed is NOT something you have the SLIGHTEST interest in.

Hate is ugly. It definitely isn’t Trek.

Good Bye and Good Riddance to you.

June 23, 2016 at 5:33 pm

The article you posted doesn’t contradict any of what I said. I’d suggest you provide exact quotes, except that I know it’s not possible.

I find it strange that Axanar defenders talk about critics as ugly haters when their own tone is so angry and taciturn. I don’t need to resort to name-calling to make my points, which are all objectively, verifiably true.

I’m sorry that you’re so upset. It is indeed sad that the golden age of Trek fan films is over. However, this isn’t the big bad corporation smothering “the little guy.” Still, though, you’re free to believe what you want; that’s your right.

Take care. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

ericphillips

June 27, 2016 at 2:27 pm

I know Zicree personally, and the help he got was because he knows those individuals personally- his friends- as he has been in the biz for years. What he did no do is draw a salary or make a dime off the production, pay anyone for their work, or fund his own studio on donations.

June 27, 2016 at 2:32 pm

“What he did no do is draw a salary or make a dime off the production, pay anyone for their work, or fund his own studio on donations.”

Funny. That’s not what Zicree himself stated publicly:

“He tells us that World Enough and Time was produced with the full co-operation and knowledge of Paramount and CBS (from “Business Affairs on down”), that he was given directorial advice by no less than J.J. Abrams while shooting the show and that several key personnel were paid for their involvement – including George Takei, and Zicree himself. The show had many professional crew members on board, hired by Zicree’s own production company, including a professional editor, Chris Cronin, who worked at industry rates. He lists a couple dozen more cast and crew members, each with extensive working credentials, some with Emmy and other awards to their names. He also mentions that a day of shooting actually took place on the Universal lot.”

Read more: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek/19418/star-trek-phase-ii-the-first-professional-fan-film#ixzz4Co21uts5

Joseph Heston

July 2, 2016 at 12:39 am

You consider 15 minutes _generous_? That’s only enough time for a trailer.

July 2, 2016 at 12:54 am

It’s 30 minutes, actually. And, yes, it’s very generous to let fans use intellectual property they don’t own in this way. The fact that fans are allowed to crowd-fund to the tune of $50,000 after the crap Axanar pulled is remarkably kind.

Aldo Rodriguez

June 23, 2016 at 11:40 am

Several productions have already called it quits. Others are just finishing their productions that they already started and then will close as well. Star Wars doesn’t seem to have this issue, in fact, THEY HOLD AWARDS for the best fan film productions! It doesn’t seem to be harming them, financial-wise especially. So why be a KILLJOY, CBS/Paramount?! On the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek no less?! THANKS FOR NOTHING!

June 23, 2016 at 12:36 pm

What should one expect from the pathetic CBS/P? They are idiots, they have NEVER acted responsible with the franchise. I am so done with Trek! It is dead in my eyes!

June 23, 2016 at 4:43 pm

Because Star Wars is a billion dollar franchise, while Star Trek is still just a multi million dollar franchise. There is a big difference between the two IP’s, and it appears CBS/Paramount want to make sure that ANY money that is made off of any form of Trek, goes to them.

They still promote fan films, they just don’t want you making money off them. And just because Disney does one thing, doesn’t mean all other studios have to follow suit. CBS/Paramount could have said “NO MORE FAN FILMS” and legally went after every single production company that made a fan film in the past few years, and took all of them to court for copyright infringement. They totally and legally could have done that…but they didn’t.

Basically, all they said was: The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!

June 23, 2016 at 6:21 pm

“just a multi-million dollar franchise”??? Uh, NO. Try FOUR BILLION-DOLLAR franchise as of 2006 according to CNBC ( and that was BEFORE the reboot movies ) These fan productions were designed to be non-profit and not money-makers (any money collected goes into to production and not in their pockets – THAT was ALWAYS understood by these fan film makers), and CBS/Paramount never “promoted fan films”, where did you get THAT idea? CBS/Paramount now wants to micromanage the situation to the point that it isn’t a “labor of love” anymore, which was the fan productions were ALL ABOUT! (And spare me the Picard quote from First Contact. That was cheesy and pathetic) https://trekmovie.com/2006/08/21/cnbc-trek-worth-4bparamount-frakes-spiner-brooks-talk-trek-bling/

June 23, 2016 at 5:14 pm

It’s ironic that you say that. Guess what the guidelines are for the Star Wars fan film contest? The film can only be FIVE MINUTES long… ten less than the rules announced for Star Trek.

I say again: CBS/Paramount graciously let New Voyages, Star Trek Continues, and many other productions operate with restriction… as long as they weren’t making a profit. Axanar openly expressed their intentions to make a profit. Using Kickstarter money raised off the Star Trek IP, they built a for-profit studio. The executive producer also paid himself a salary.

It’s incredibly disappointing that NV, STC, and many other productions may be forced to disband. But let’s not pretend that CBS and Paramount are being unreasonable. They’re protecting their IP (in a way that’s still very generous, frankly) after one individual/production exploited their historic tolerance of fan expression.

June 23, 2016 at 6:18 pm

The 5 minutes rule is to be elegible to the award. There is no movement from Disney/Lucasfilm against movies that have 10, 20 or more minutes. The only downside of a longer fan film is that it won’t receive any award. There are also other rules regarding soundtrack and stuff like that, but those are also just to make the movie elegible or not.

Some of the rules from CBS/Paramount do make sense. Some of them, however, are designed specifically to avoid fanfilms. Even agreeing that the Axanar guy f**ked up, they using a grenade to kill one ant.

TheLotusTeaDragon

June 23, 2016 at 6:56 pm

These are the guidelines Alec Peters asked for. They are the guidelines David Gerrold specifically asked for. They are what Axanar’s lawyers were pushing for. Well, guess what? They got them. Don’t like it? Take it up with Alec Peters.

Jayson Deare

June 23, 2016 at 11:24 pm

Just because they don’t do anything about it doesn’t mean they allow it if someone raised a million dollars for an independent Star Wars production or were producing fan series like Continues and New Voyages I am sure Disney would be suing right now as most works are short one offs they don’t need to do anything.

June 23, 2016 at 11:21 pm

The official Lucas film guidelines limit all fan films in the contest to 5 minutes and also all licenses to your work are transferred to Lucasfilm these guidelines are actually less limiting than Lucasfilms

June 24, 2016 at 9:41 am

“in the contest” being the KEY point. Lucas does NOT place a limit on ANY and ALL films like C/P. So you are completely WRONG. These guidelines are FAR more “draconian” than anything Lucas has told all their fans – because it is NOT limited to just submissions for a particular award.

June 24, 2016 at 9:52 am

Go read the Disney Terms of use replying to all of their properties Marvel, ESPN, Star Wars etc. If you think that they will allow someone to crowd fund hundreds of thousands of dollars for a fan film. Star Wars fan films as labors of love are tolerated on shoe string budgets by fans for fans no external fund raising involved.

Lucasfilm has never allowed an ongoing series like Star Trek Continues and New Voyages and now under Disney will continue that policy.

If you don’t think that Disney would use its contest guidelines as an example of general guidelines in a lawsuit then….

You want to make something with friends that are talented fine. Star Trek was the same way till crowd funding became the norm.

June 24, 2016 at 10:00 am

“Go read the Disney Terms of use replying to all of their properties Marvel, ESPN, Star Wars etc.”

Non-sequitur. Your claim was that “the official Lucas film guidelines” are “actually less limiting than Lucasfilms”. As demonstrated, that claim is NOT true. All your hand-waving doesn’t change that fact.

If you want to make a DIFFERENT claim – as you are now trying to do – go right ahead. It doesn’t change the falsehood of the original claim.

So rant all you like, you claim was wrong.

June 24, 2016 at 10:05 am

Okay then I will say this Disney’s official terms are you can’t use shit outside the contest so way worse than Star Trek’s have fun ranting and picking apart people’s comments to look more intelligent on the Internet!

June 24, 2016 at 10:12 am

Apparently Jayson feels the need to attack the people who point out the errors of his claims. As a famous someone would say, “That is highly illogical.”

As to the rest, one need merely do a google search of all the Star Wars fan films released just this year which don’t meet the Lucasfilm guidelines or the supposed “Disney official terms” to see the assertions being made are mere hyperbole.

One is left wondering WHY individuals like Jayson are so ENTHUSIASTIC in their defense of these “draconian” guidelines. They hurt, not help or foster, the fan film community.

It’s almost as if Jayson and his fellow travelers are not here in support of that community at all.

June 24, 2016 at 10:14 am

“In the contest”. If you want to make a 40 minutes fanfilm you can. And the licenses being transferred to them should be quite obvious as they own the licenses to Star Wars.

Point in case here is not that CBS/Paramount are wrong. They are not. I’m talking about relationship with the fandom. CBS/Paramount says “do it in under 15 minutes or we will sue you” while Disney/Lucasfilm says “do it in under 5 minutes and you may win an award”.

June 24, 2016 at 10:23 am

There are no official rules for fan films other than the contest rules. Right now they are tolerant of low budget non crowd funded productions. Star Wars fandom has been far more respectful of keeping things by fans for fans if you look at fan film budgets etc. If you make something Star Wars that’s 40 minutes or 10 or whatever they can sue you if they feel like it.

June 24, 2016 at 4:37 pm

They certainly can, but they haven’t. And I agree that the fandom of Star Wars is more respectful. However, by making an award (that goes back at least 10 years), they make fans interested in making fan films under their rules without having to go to justice. Thus, they gather the fans that are interested in fan films around them and make a good relationship with them.

Botany Cameos

June 26, 2016 at 8:00 pm

“They can, but they haven’t”.

Neither had CBS/Paramount.

They only sued Axanar because of the money issue, but they never went after the others before. Axanar ruined it. 🙁

Gregg Birdsong

June 23, 2016 at 12:07 pm

Damn I was looking forward to Axanar

June 23, 2016 at 12:11 pm

Be clear…CBS/P didn’t kill fan films. Axanar and Alec Peters did. They pissed in the sandbox.

June 23, 2016 at 12:31 pm

CBS & Paramount doesn’t give a shit of ST for a decade, when the fan films continues to extand the universe…

June 26, 2016 at 8:04 pm

The things axanar fanboys will say are amazing! lmao

> “CBS & Paramount doesn’t give a shit of ST for a decade”

In the past decade they have done more for Trek than anyone had in decades!

As a long time TOS fan (who enjoyed the other incarnations of Trek since then, but missed the feeling of TOS, the characters, and the kind of mix of interesting plot + entertaining fun that TOS had in a better manner than later Trek), I’m delighted with what they are currently doing for Trek.

But of course, brainwashed axamarines can’t see any of it, they are busy constantly pretending any new Trek is bad, so talking to you is a waste of time.

June 23, 2016 at 5:36 pm

No. Even if one agrees that Peters was wrong – ie pissed in the sandbox – banning essentially EVERYONE from the sandbox and specifically TARGETING people OTHER than Peters is C/P’s doing and their doing ALONE.

You are blaming the bathwater for the parent throwing out the baby with that bathwater. That is NOT logical.

All caps on words don’t make them extra true.

June 23, 2016 at 12:55 pm

In other words: “We really want your work to SUCK. Happy 50th Anniversary! Go see our movie!”

June 23, 2016 at 7:07 pm

Alec Peters’ work did suck. After more than a million dollars, and years of bringing in donations, they didn’t even have a cast for the film set aside. Even now, there’s no cast, as some of them have left after issues with Peters, most notably Tony Todd. Go on, though, I’m sure that’s not the bow of the ship sinking. It’s just the sea being jealous of the size of your vessel.

June 23, 2016 at 1:06 pm

This is no different than the government saying “Okay, we won’t ban guns. We’ll just tax them at $10,000 a piece and only allow them to hold one bullet.” The result is the SAME as banning them.

This is nothing but a completely CYNICAL attempt to destroy fan productions while PRETENDING they are ‘allowing’ them.

June 23, 2016 at 7:08 pm

Actually, it’s quite different. Almost in every way it’s different. Also, all caps on words don’t make them extra true. It makes you look like a fervent cult member, honestly.

June 23, 2016 at 1:44 pm

And I thought that the proposed rules were onerous–they were, without question, strangling in comparison to many other published guidelines–but this is a joke. At this point there’s little choice but to hope that Axanar moves forward and can break the back of these regulations because I can’t see much good coming from a production made within the gallows–I mean framework of these guidelines.

June 23, 2016 at 2:14 pm

“I can’t see much good coming from a production made within the gallows–I mean framework of these guidelines”

That’s a feature, not a bug.

June 23, 2016 at 6:58 pm

These guidelines exist specifically because of Axanar. They took honey from a swarm of bees. When the bees became angry, they swatted at them. Now they’re upset because the bees are stinging. Well, everyone gets stung when a swarm of bees is enraged by one asshole who can’t control how much of someone else’s honey he takes. Especially when he turns around and sells that honey as his own.

June 24, 2016 at 9:06 am

I wouldn’t let CBS and Paramount off the hook so easily. They are not an unintelligent creature like bees. You look at the guidelines comma several of them are specifically aiming at other fan productions, not Axanar. Among the sentient creatures of the galaxy what they are doing looks much more like settling some scores and using Axanar, though arguably guilty of some excesses, as a scape goat.

June 24, 2016 at 9:48 am

“I wouldn’t let CBS and Paramount off the hook so easily.”

I’ve blocked Dragon and a couple others. They aren’t here to support the Trek community. They are here SOLELY to spew their bile at Peters. That Trek fans have been hurt by C/P’s guidelines is something they simply do not give a damn about – as some have said explicitly (ex “anything that hurts Peters makes me happy”).

Theirs is not they spirit or character of Star Trek. They simply have hate in their hearts and want to infect everyone else with it.

Arron Bubba Ratcliff

June 23, 2016 at 1:51 pm

Well Good job Alec peters and Axanar you turds have ruined Trek fan films.that greedy talent less hack i hope he gets boils in places that shouldn’t be mentioned in public.I thought the guidelines Peters proposed stunk.I guess all that mattered to him was getting the 1.5 million from fans to make his studio.i am so ticked off right now at peters and CBS/Paramount. I hope the New Trek Series on CBS all Access bombs.Matter of fact I’m canceling my subscription.Hmmm i wonder if i can gather enough local fans to boycott the new trek movie.

June 23, 2016 at 4:47 pm

You probably might, but good luck. I know I won’t be boycotting the new Trek movies. I like all Trek.

June 24, 2016 at 6:13 am

Go ahead and boycott. I’ve been listening to fans “boycotting” nuTrek for the last several years. The movies made a shit ton of money without them and I’m sure Beyond will do just fine without them this time around as well.

June 26, 2016 at 8:08 pm

The more the extreme fringe of the fandom behaves like crazy cultists and calls for boycotts over ridiculous nonsense, the more the copyright owners feel divorced of them and feel less need to listen to what they want, so their alienating behavior is counterproductive at best.

Meanwhile, the public at large as well as all of us fans (the real ones who actually care about the franchise and enjoy Trek as a whole) continue greatly enjoying the new movies, and the money to keep the franchise alive keeps pouring in.

Frank Fradella

June 23, 2016 at 2:25 pm

“The requirements also forbids the use of bootleg items or imitations in place of official, commercially available merchandise.” Not true. Read it again. It says that if you’re going to use commercially available products, they must be legit. It says nothing about creating your own.

June 23, 2016 at 3:11 pm

These guidelines are terrible and ridiculous. The “Star Trek Continues” people have always played fair with CBS/Paramount and have never made any money off of Star Trek … and CBS/Paramount treats them like this.

I HAD been excited about the new series that was going to debut on CBS in 2017, but these guidelines have left such a bad taste in my mouth that now I’m not sure that I’ll subscribe after all.

Way to kill my love, Paramount!

June 24, 2016 at 6:10 am

And I’m sure if you asked the “Star Trek Continues” people, (you know, the people Alec Peters threw under the bus) they’d be laying the blame for all of this squarely on Alec Peters.

June 24, 2016 at 3:55 pm

Alec Peters and Axanar are the ones who made guidelines necessary, but CBS and Paramount could simply have stated that fan productions were not permitted to make money off of the films. Such a rule would have scuttled Axanar while still letting the Star Trek Continues and Star Trek New Voyages people do their thing.

So, yes, I DO blame CBS and Paramount, because shutting down Axanar didn’t require limiting fan productions to 15-minute episodes or limiting series to two episodes.

June 24, 2016 at 4:21 pm

Paramount did what they had to do to prevent the next jack ass with delusions of grandeur from trying to make a living off their property. They left things nice and gray, and respectable people respected that. Let one production get away with it, and others will try the same. You don’t negotiate with hostage takers for the same reason.

June 23, 2016 at 4:42 pm

Copyright laws need to change. Under the 1909 law, in about two years this would have been a non-issue as TOS would have been in the public domain. Instead we have the 1978 law and it’s extension from 1998 so that franchises like Star Trek, Mickey Mouse, Superman, etc, never go into the public domain. That’s not how it’s suppose to work!

Star Trek itself has certainly benefited from the public domain over the years and it’s time that it joins those same works it’s ripped off of. Contact your elected representatives and tell them not to pass then next proposed extension for 2018! Let things go into the public domain like they were meant to!

June 23, 2016 at 5:01 pm

No. The issue isn’t a problem with Copyright laws. It’s with people being complete jerks about what is their property. There are any number of ways this situation could have been resolved to the benefit of and satisfaction of all involved. But they chose not to – as is their right. What that choice tells us, however, is how little they respect the fans who have made their property valuable.

June 23, 2016 at 7:00 pm

You’re right. Axanar shouldn’t have claimed to be making the first fully independent Star Trek film with property that wasn’t theirs. Live and learn.

June 23, 2016 at 7:06 pm

Yes, they should have been one of MANY to make fully independent Star Trek EPISODES with property that wasn’t theirs. LOL

It is truly astounding how many people are not here because they love Star Trek but because they hate Peters.

Good Riddance.

June 23, 2016 at 7:09 pm

So you’ll block me, too, because that doesn’t indicate your inability to respond to valid criticism.

June 24, 2016 at 4:11 am

This has gotten to the level of performance art. It’s difficult to believe that a post like Rad4Cap’s could be genuine.

No matter how politely or logically you lay out the facts of the situation, Axanar supporters’ response is essentially: “You’re a hater and you should die.”

Actually, that’s starting to make a little sense. If Axanar, which was to be a collection of CGI space battles loosely connected by shouted dialogue, is supposedly “real Star Trek,” then the tone of Alex’s supporters makes sense. In their minds, wrath and vengeance constitute “Gene’s vision.”

June 24, 2016 at 5:43 am

Shouty dialogue is the best Star Trek dialogue.

June 24, 2016 at 5:59 am

“No matter how politely or logically you lay out the facts of the situation, Axanar supporters’ response is essentially: “You’re a hater and you should die.”

That or “You’re a CBS employee”. Joseph McCarthy would’ve loved these guys.

RIP Fan productions. All because of the fear of success of Axanar.

All because Axanar stole property that wasn’t theirs, and paid themselves for the privilege. Be angry, but also be correct.

Soren Chartier

June 23, 2016 at 5:40 pm

Nothing like fully biting off the hand that feeds you and keeps your constantly near death franchise alive. This is sorely limiting and an insult to many top notch fan film producers mainly the biggest two of James Cawley and Star Trek Continues. This literally kills my interest in trek and have been a lifelong fan since TOS. After this I think a boycott is in order.

June 23, 2016 at 7:10 pm

The hand that feeds CBS/Paramount paid hundreds of millions of dollars for the last Star Trek film. The $1.5 million raised by Axanar hasn’t even produced a two hour fan film, oh, I mean, independent production that uses someone else’s IP.

June 23, 2016 at 7:23 pm

Why punish an entire sea of fandom for one production that decided to take it to deep space? I wouldn’t exactly call the new rules “fair sentencing”.

June 23, 2016 at 7:49 pm

That’s the thing, it isn’t a punishment. By all rights, CBS/Paramount could shut the lid on all productions, and sue them into oblivion, the law would be on their side, and rightfully so. Instead, they made the guidelines that some of the more outspoken, vocal fans of Axanar (and Axanar itself, along with their lawyers) demanded.

Well, they got those guidelines, and they’re more generous than what people making Star Wars fan films get. If you don’t like them, talk to David Gerrold, who openly stated years ago that he felt Star Trek should have guidelines like Star Wars. Well, CBS/Paramount went and made those guidelines, though they made them a little more lenient than Lucas/Disney did for the SW franchise.

Remember, you’re playing in CBS/Paramount’s sandbox. It’s their property, and so if they see people making money off the back of their property, they have every right to shut that down. Axanar was making money. Peters was personally profiting from it. Instead of killing every fan production for breaking the unspoken rule of “don’t sell anything, don’t make a profit, don’t pay yourself,” they restricted things.

They may eventually ease up, but for right now their response is very reasonable for a major corporation who caught someone profiting off of their work.

June 23, 2016 at 8:24 pm

They were are already taking Alec Peters to court, or so I thought, as it was apparently dropped as of a few weeks ago in favor of laying out these new rules. Again, why throw the baby out with the bath water? There are others, such as James Cawley’s STPII and Star Trek Continues, both of whom have done really great work and were just starting to take off after having invested A LOT into their sets and productions..(as was a small group Pacific 201 which had a lot of promise too) But with Axanar crossing the line, now everyone, fans included, get to suffer. In a word, it’s just shitty. Certainly CBS could have been a little more fair handed.

I’m 45 and have been a life long fan starting with TOS. I understand and get the IP issue and how fan films need to be kept in check but when a studio is already raking in mega-millions and has for the last 45+ years I just don’t see how a few small productions hurt them as it invigorates the fan base as well creates new fans. I wasn’t even very excited about Trek until these new fan films started to actually produce pro-worthy episodes. It made me want to go see the movies, buy official merch, etc, etc. IT HELPED CBS. And IMO the Abrams “twilight-verse” has been bad enough to endure so it’s been nice to see people with true Trek in them keep the original spirit alive.

CBS is totally missing the big picture all in the name of the almighty dollar and if they would relax the reigns a little they would see that they would in fact have much more to gain with both money and more fans over the long run by imposing some reasonable rules. I mean 15 minute episodes and $50k limits? Really? Give me a break. They simply can’t see the forest for the trees!!!! It should at least be 30 min per episode and allow at least a 1 part / 2 part episode for every 10 episodes and maybe put a cap of 50 episodes total per group or maybe 100 for more die-hard professional groups such as STPII and STC. 15 minutes? It’s like why even bother.

And it’s not exactly like there are a ton of people out doing this stuff anyway! And it’s not like they are going to make money hand over fist when it takes a huge team to pull off a good one hour episode. Both camps have been lucky to crank out one every six damn months so tell me who’s getting rich there?

In my opinion dedicated fans are doing this for their great love of Star Trek nothing more and CBS should not only respect it, they should be flattered and thankful, yet it’s obvious THEY AREN’T.. And if Alec Peters was making Axanar for personal net gain then sue him and hang him out to dry. And let everyone else keep the dream of good Star Trek alive.

Gene Roddenberry is rolling over in his grave! Fans are so much more than just a body who buys a movie ticket!!!!

June 23, 2016 at 8:40 pm

Soren The case is still on going. it has not been settled or dismissed.it’s in the discovery phase.The sad thing is Peters and his lawyer were pushing for guidelines as part of their counter suit. Well they got guidelines all right.All of which Axanar fails to meet lol

June 23, 2016 at 9:25 pm

It hasn’t been dropped. The lawsuit is still going. Quite frankly, it seems they relaxed the reins too much, as Axanar is a prime example of this. CBS told them to stop, and Axanar refused. This could have been over already, if Axanar would have backed down. Instead, they pushed back, and they openly stated they would continue production. Alec Peters and Robert Meyer Burnett taunted CBS openly.

Up until this point, STC, Renegades, all the other productions were being casually ignored, save for a few directives here and there (you can’t do this or that). Axanar made the loudest noise, so that’s where CBS directed their attention. Axanar demanded guidelines, and so CBS gave them. What rules do you hand down to your screaming, petulant child? Hard ones.

The hope is that their behavior will change. These are behavior modification rules. No more $1 million kickstarters, no more Star Trek alumni causing brand dilution, especially in a year with a new film and a new TV series coming out.

These were reasonable steps CBS/P took. We may not like them, but there they are. Maybe in the future CBS/P will relax them, but for now, they have to show who is in control of the IP.

Still, in all of this, watch how Axanar behaves. Watch what they do. Robert Meyer Burnett has already talked about making the whole film anyway. His response to CBS/P’s announcement was to quote the Kirk line “the word is no. I am therefore going anyway.”

That may work in the movies, but not in real life. Axanar seems like they won’t rest until they’re either allowed to make a business on top of CBS/P’s property, or until they get all fan films shut down permanently.

July 18, 2016 at 5:33 am

you should think twice and think again

about what you just said when paramount and CBS

made these rules and take a hard good look

no one can make a movie from it

July 20, 2016 at 11:33 pm

Including the fan productions making movies with it? Perhaps you should let them know they’re doing it wrong. 😉

June 24, 2016 at 6:07 am

Well they are suing him and hanging him out to dry. They’re also going to make sure that there will be no other Alec Peters stealing their property. Also, Gene Roddenberry is not rolling over in his grave. Roddenberry was a greedy bastard who did this: https://mentalfloss.com/article/28895/star-trek-theme-song-has-lyrics

If Roddenberry were alive today, he’d be leading the charge AGAINST Alec Peters.

June 24, 2016 at 3:09 pm

Reminds me of the TOS episode “A Piece of the Action” lol. And I do think a charge against Peters was warranted, no matter who leads it. IP should most certainly be respected but having let the smaller productions exist for so long, it’s still a big slap in the face to have the rug pulled out from under them so forcefully. Again, 15 minutes is a joke. All this is going to do is turn away a whole generation of fans, myself included.

June 24, 2016 at 11:22 am

I’ve blocked Dragon and a couple others here. Their frenetic posting is NOT in support the Trek community. They are here SOLELY to spew their bile at Peters (and anyone who doesn’t join in their spiteful rage). That Trek fans have been hurt by C/P’s guidelines is something they simply do NOT give a DAMN about – as some have said explicitly (ex “anything that hurts Peters makes me happy”).

Theirs is NOT they spirit or character of Star Trek. They simply have hate in their hearts and (like the Borg) want to infect -actual- Trek fans with it.

Time to boycott .

At least for me , They don’t give a crap about the fans

This Anniversary fu-k you, to the fans who make films is the final straw

Blaming this on Axanar is getting ridiculous ,

you don’t throw out the entire barrel because one apple might be going bad { I say might be because Axanar NEVER GOT MADE}

June 24, 2016 at 9:54 am

“Blaming this on Axanar is getting ridiculous ,you don’t throw out the entire barrel because one apple might be going bad”

I pointed out elsewhere that even IF everything said about Peters is true, blaming Peters for the guidelines created by C/P is like blaming the bathwater for the PARENT choosing to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

It is simply irrational. But those that mindlessly attack Peters are not interested in the Trek community of fans. They don’t want to see it prosper. They simply want Peters to fail – and then gleefully stomp on his grave. They don’t give a DAMN about what C/P has done here to the fan community.

They are not here posting in love of Trek, but in hatred of Peters.

In other words, they betray the principles OF Star Trek.

June 25, 2016 at 8:58 am

This is the message of Star Trek. A community of different people coming together to make something greater than the whole. That’s the foundation of the Federation. Now, a bunch of people get together, croudfund the feature film we WISH paramount would make. And instead of jumping on this, investing in it, helping make what is effectively FREE content. Paramount and CBS do their best to stamp it out. I mean, they want to make money right? Axanar has brought them a FREE audience. It has self funded itself meaning no investment required from the studio. The studio as owners could easily use this movie to push the new 2017, and Beyond movie. Or they could slap in on the official Star Trek website with adverts. They could take the movie, sell it on DVD / Blu-ray. They could do a whole Fan Made section on their websites, their paid for streaming services. They could do any number of things to make a profit, and at zero investment. They could help us CELEBRATE Star Trek, instead they are putting on their giant boots and stamping on the fires of the community as much as possible.

All CBS/ Paramount need is a simple rule. If you make it with the Star Trek brand. We have the right to sell it.

They are all so short sighted it sickens me.

Captain Torpedo

June 25, 2016 at 8:01 pm

https://i.giphy.com/41I5c7m6CNqHm.gif

June 27, 2016 at 2:23 pm

Thank you Alec Peters for ruining it for everyone.

July 10, 2016 at 2:30 pm

I would like to fight Paramount and CBS about these rules

we want sequels we love Star Trek we need more time to make the movie

we want a beginning, middle and an end

do you agree or disagree

We also need more time to do to it in

July 18, 2016 at 5:16 am

Who wants too fight CBS or Paramount for fan films,

1 The fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.

2 The title of the fan production or any parts cannot include the name “Star Trek.” However, the title must contain a subtitle with the phrase: “A STAR TREK FAN PRODUCTION” in plain typeface. The fan production cannot use the term “official” in either its title or subtitle or in any marketing, promotions or social media for the fan production.

3 The content in the fan production must be original, not reproductions, recreations or clips from any Star Trek production. If non-Star Trek third party content is used, all necessary permissions for any third party content should be obtained in writing.

4 if the fan production uses commercially-available Star Trek uniforms, accessories, toys and props, these items must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products.

5 The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any Star Trek series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees.

6 The fan production must be non-commercial

* CBS and Paramount Pictures do not object to limited fundraising for the creation of a fan production, whether 1 or 2 segments and consistent with these guidelines, so long as the total amount does not exceed $50,000, including all platform fees, and when the $50,000 goal is reached, all fundraising must cease.

*The fan production must only be exhibited or distributed on a no-charge basis and/or shared via streaming services without generating revenue.

* The fan production cannot be distributed in a physical format such as DVD or Blu-ray.

The fan production cannot be used to derive advertising revenue including, but not limited to, through for example, the use of pre or post-roll advertising, click-through advertising banners, that is associated with the fan production.

*No unlicensed Star Trek-related or fan production-related merchandise or services can be offered for sale or given away as premiums, perks or rewards or in connection with the fan production fundraising

* The fan production cannot derive revenue by selling or licensing fan-created production sets, props or costumes.

7 The fan production must be family friendly and suitable for public presentation. Videos must not include profanity, nudity, obscenity, pornography, depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity, or any material that is offensive, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, disparaging, sexually explicit, threatening, hateful, or any other inappropriate content. The content of the fan production cannot violate any individual’s right of privacy.

8 The fan production must display the following disclaimer in the on-screen credits of the fan productions and on any marketing material including the fan production website or page hosting the fan production:”Star Trek and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made film intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.”

9 Creators of fan productions must not seek to register their works, nor any elements of the works, under copyright or trademark law

10 Fan productions cannot create or imply any association or endorsement by CBS or Paramount Pictures.

CBS and Paramount Pictures reserve the right to revise, revoke and/or withdraw these guidelines at any time in their own discretion. These guidelines are not a license and do not constitute approval or authorization of any fan productions or a waiver of any rights that CBS or Paramount Pictures may have with respect to fan fiction created outside of these guidelin

July 28, 2016 at 5:16 am

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Paramount, CBS Establish ‘Star Trek’ Fan Film Guidelines

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

With the rightsholders of the Star Trek  franchise still embroiled in a legal battle with the sci-fi series’ diehard fan base over the unofficial fan-made prequel Axanar , CBS and Paramount have unveiled 10 guidelines  that would allow for Star Trek fans to create their own tributes while avoiding potential litigation, the AV Club reports .

“Throughout the years, many of you have expressed your love for the franchise through creative endeavors such as fan films. So today, we want to show our appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots,” CBS and Paramount said in a statement posted on the Star Trek site.

“The heart of these fan films has always been about expressing one’s love and passion for Star Trek,” the companies said. “They have been about fan creativity and sharing unique stories with other fans to show admiration for the TV shows and movies. These films are a labor of love for any fan with desire, imagination and a camera.”

Under the set of guidelines, any Star Trek fan film may not have a single-story runtime of over 15 minutes, or 30 minutes for an anthology of stories. In the case of Axanar , the filmmakers behind the popular, crowdfunded film planned four parts to form one long feature; in the new guidelines, however, CBS and Paramount warn “no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes” would be allowed.

The guidelines also prevent filmmakers from using the words “Star Trek” in the official title while also containing the subtitle “A Star Trek Fan Production.” Filmmakers may utilize aspects that directly impinge on the Star Trek copyright, like the iconic uniforms, but these items “must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products.”

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After Axanar ‘s $1 million fundraising goal put the fan film in CBS/Paramount crosshairs, the companies have now mandated that the production budget of fan films cannot exceed $50,000, that only amateur cast and crew can be used and the film can only be shared on “a no-charge basis.”

Even after Star Trek reboot directors J.J. Abrams and Justin Lin held peace talks  in an effort to reconcile the franchises’ rightsholders and its fervent fan base, the legal battle between CBS/Paramount and Axanar producers continues on in court. However, in what could be epic trolling on the part of Axanar ‘s filmmakers, the film’s second trailer was unveiled the same day Star Trek imposed their new guidelines:

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• The Inventory

The Official Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines Are Here and They Are Onerous

Good news: Paramount and CBS’ have created a way to ensure a fan film won’t get sued. Bad news: The way they’ve done that is by issuing some seriously confusing and oppressive rules about what fans can and can’t do.

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Back in May, after J.J. Abrams said a lawsuit against the fan film Axanar would be going away, CBS and Paramount also said they were working on a set of guidelines that would let fans make films but also keep their copyright safe. Today’s announcement doesn’t mention Axanar, a lawsuit that is, as far as we can tell, still going on , but it does explain how the studios view fan films. Here’s part of the announcement:

Throughout the years, many of you have expressed your love for the franchise through creative endeavors such as fan films. So today, we want to show our appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots. The heart of these fan films has always been about expressing one’s love and passion for Star Trek . They have been about fan creativity and sharing unique stories with other fans to show admiration for the TV shows and movies. These films are a labor of love for any fan with desire, imagination and a camera. We want to support this innovation and encourage celebrations of this beloved cultural phenomenon. It is with this perspective in mind that we are introducing a set of guidelines at Star Trek Fan Films .

“Bringing fan films back to their roots” seems to mean making sure they are low-budget, pure experiences with as little money involved as possible.

There are 10 enumerated guidelines , and while some of them seem fairly straightforward (“Fan productions cannot create or imply any association or endorsement by CBS or Paramount Pictures” and the inclusion of a disclaimer) most of them are not.

For example, the guidelines limit the length of a fan film to 15 minutes or two parts that, combined, can’t be longer than 30 minutes. And the title can’t say Star Trek , but it must have the subtitle “A STAR TREK FAN PRODUCTION” and the subtitle must be “in plain typeface.”

Nothing in the fan film can be taken from any actual Star Trek production: no clips, reproductions, or recreations. Nothing can be on-screen that was purchased unless it was officially licensed merchandise—i.e. no buying a perfect uniform replica from an unlicensed but high-quality store.

And how about this fun little restriction?

The fan production must be family friendly and suitable for public presentation. Videos must not include profanity, nudity, obscenity, pornography, depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity, or any material that is offensive, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, disparaging, sexually explicit, threatening, hateful, or any other inappropriate content. The content of the fan production cannot violate any individual’s right of privacy.

Some of these kind of make sense, but “offensive” is a very broad category. So is the general “family friendly” requirement. Plus, we’ve seen the characters in the actual show drink alcohol. Yet that can’t happen in a fan film?

And then there’s this:

The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any Star Trek series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees.

No one who’s ever worked on Star Trek in any way can ever make a fan film. No one who did VFX for one can, as a fan, do VFX for a fan film... even for no money. The bit about actors seems specifically tailored against the fan series Star Trek: New Voyages , which had cameos from George Takei and Grace Lee Whitney (who played Janice Rand).

And none of that takes into account the six-part section on how much money can be raised and how, how the film must be shown, how it can’t be given out on any physical format, and that it absolutely must never make any kind of profit.

These guidelines aren’t requirements, obviously,;they’re just the only way to guarantee your fan film won’t get sued. Of course, you’ve also got to hope that the term “guideline” is real and that they’re not actual rules, because it’s going to be hard to fulfill every one of these requirements.

Of course CBS and Paramount own Star Trek and it’s perfectly reasonable for them to want to protect their copyright. And it’s even more generous than most for them to promise no legal action against fan films that meet their guidelines. However, it’s a bit rich for them to claim, as they do at the start, that they are “big believers in reasonable fan fiction and fan creativity, and, in particular, want amateur fan filmmakers to showcase their passion for Star Trek .”

If that’s what they want, then they need to realize that their guidelines are going to make that rather difficult.

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Creators of ‘Star Trek’ fan films given list of rules to follow to avoid being sued

Along with restricting fan films to no more than 30-minute running times and $50,000 budgets, the restrictions also demand that fan films use only officially licensed Star Trek merchandise as props, set pieces, and costumes. And those are just a few of the rules the studios want aspiring filmmaker fans to follow.

“We want to show our appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots,” stated the two studios in a joint announcement accompanying the release of the fan-film restrictions. “The heart of these fan films has always been about expressing one’s love and passion for Star Trek. They have been about fan creativity and sharing unique stories with other fans to show admiration for the TV shows and movies. These films are a labor of love for any fan with desire, imagination and a camera.”

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The full list of restrictions was published on Star Trek.com , and is prefaced with the following statement: “CBS and Paramount Pictures are big believers in reasonable fan fiction and fan creativity, and, in particular, want amateur fan filmmakers to showcase their passion for Star Trek. Therefore, CBS and Paramount Pictures will not object to, or take legal action against, Star Trek fan productions that are nonprofessional and amateur and meet the following guidelines.”

While some of the restrictions adhere to what’s long been understood as the unspoken rules of fan films — not profiting off the films,  not using material from the official shows or movies, and including a disclaimer about the project’s unofficial status are some examples — others rules have generated quite a bit of criticism from filmmakers, both professional and amateur. Star Trek director J.J. Abrams and the director of the upcoming  Star Trek Beyond have both indicated that they hope to see the studios drop their lawsuit against the creators of  Axanar , a fan-funded feature that raised $1 million on Kickstarter and set the stage for the current legal battle.

Axanar executive producer Alec Peters chimed in with his own response to the list of rules shortly after they were released.

“While CBS and Paramount claim to want to encourage the passion of fans to produce ‘reasonable fan fiction,’ the restrictions presented do just the opposite, willfully ignoring over 40 years of fan works that helped buoy the Star Trek franchise through some very lean years and enthusiastically spread the magic of the franchise in more plentiful times,” wrote Peters. “Around the franchise’s 50th anniversary, we would have hoped CBS and Paramount would have taken this opportunity to unite with Star Trek fans in celebration of their creativity, not seek to crush it.”

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Fan Film Guidelines

1 - prime directive.

If you would like to visit us or shoot a fan film, all your activities, fan film, film producers, directors, writers and all the cast and crew must comply with Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines published by Paramount/CBS. You have to comply with the guidelines during the preproduction, production, postproduction and also during and after the release of the film. Otherwise, it is not possible to use our fan set. No commercial activities are allowed in connection with the fan set. If you break this rule, no other cooperation or even your visit is possible.

2 - Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines

CBS and Paramount Pictures are big believers in reasonable fan fiction and fan creativity, and, in particular, want amateur fan filmmakers to showcase their passion for  Star Trek . Therefore, CBS and Paramount Pictures will not object to, or take legal action against,  Star Trek  fan productions that are non-professional and amateur and meet the following guidelines.

The fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.

The title of the fan production or any parts cannot include the name “ Star Trek .” However, the title must contain a subtitle with the phrase: “A  STAR TREK  FAN PRODUCTION” in plain typeface. The fan production cannot use the term “official” in either its title or subtitle or in any marketing, promotions or social media for the fan production.

• The content in the fan production must be original, not reproductions, recreations or clips from any  Star Trek  production. If non- Star Trek  third party content is used, all necessary permissions for any third party content should be obtained in writing.

CBS and Paramount Pictures reserve the right to revise, revoke and/or withdraw these guidelines at any time in their own discretion. These guidelines are not a license and do not constitute approval or authorization of any fan productions or a waiver of any rights that CBS or Paramount Pictures may have with respect to fan fiction created outside of these guidelines.

If the fan production uses commercially-available  Star Trek  uniforms, accessories, toys and props, these items must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products.

• The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any  Star Trek  series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees.
• CBS and Paramount Pictures do not object to limited fundraising for the creation of a fan production, whether 1 or 2 segments and consistent with these guidelines, so long as the total amount does not exceed $50,000, including all platform fees, and when the $50,000 goal is reached, all fundraising must cease.
• The fan production must only be exhibited or distributed on a no-charge basis and/or shared via streaming services without generating revenue.
• The fan production cannot be distributed in a physical format such as DVD or Blu-ray.
• The fan production cannot be used to derive advertising revenue including, but not limited to, through for example, the use of pre or post-roll advertising, click-through advertising banners, that is associated with the fan production.
• No unlicensed  Star Trek -related or fan production-related merchandise or services can be offered for sale or given away as premiums, perks or rewards or in connection with the fan production fundraising.
• The fan production cannot derive revenue by selling or licensing fan-created production sets, props or costumes.
• The fan production must be family friendly and suitable for public presentation. Videos must not include profanity, nudity, obscenity, pornography, depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity, or any material that is offensive, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, disparaging, sexually explicit, threatening, hateful, or any other inappropriate content. The content of the fan production cannot violate any individual’s right of privacy.
• The fan production must display the following disclaimer in the on-screen credits of the fan productions and on any marketing material including the fan production website or page hosting the fan production:
• “ Star Trek  and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other  Star Trek  franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made film intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.”
• Creators of fan productions must not seek to register their works, nor any elements of the works, under copyright or trademark law.
• Fan productions cannot create or imply any association or endorsement by CBS or Paramount Pictures.

Created by FSFilm  - Jan "Sokar" Krátký a Radek "Flash" Bělina Date 1. 5. 2018

Paramount, CBS Release 'Star Trek' Fan Film Guidelines

As a lawsuit against one fan film trudges on, the two companies have released detailed rules for amateurs who want to make "Star Trek" productions of their own.

Amid tensions surrounding their lawsuit against the producers of a "Star Trek" fan film , Paramount Pictures and CBS have released details guidelines for amateur productions.

"Throughout the years, many of you have expressed your love for the franchise through creative endeavors such as fan films," the two companies said in a statement released this morning. "So today, we want to show our appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots."

The "Guidelines for Avoiding Objections" specify 10 rules to avoid legal action from Paramount and CBS, including the fan production cannot use "Star Trek" in the title, but must include the phrase "A 'Star Trek' Fan Production" in the subtitle.

That in itself will prove a hurdle for existing fan series like "Star Trek Continues" and "Star Trek New Voyages," but the major blow comes in the run-time limitations set by the companies: A fan production must be less than 15 minutes long for a single, self-contained story, and more than two segments that don't exceed 30 minutes in total. There can be no additional seasons, episodes, sequels or remakes.

Paramount and CBS sued the producers of the crowd-funded prequel “Star Trek Axanar" in December, a move that surprised fans and professionals alike, as the rights holders had long tolerated -- and even encouraged -- fan productions. “Star Trek Beyond” director Justin Lin sided with fans in March, tweeting , “This is getting ridiculous! I support the fans. Trek belongs to all of us.”

Just last month J.J. Abrams announced at a fan event that Lin helped to convince Paramount executives to drop the lawsuit, but as of last week the litigation was inching forward .

The new guidelines also dictate that fan productions may not be remakes of "Star Trek" films or episodes, must use bootlegs or imitations of commercially available uniforms or props, and cannot use any writers or actors who have previously been employed on a "Star Trek" series or movie.

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CBS and Paramount issue guidelines to 'Star Trek' fans

FILE- This undated file photo shows actors in the TV series "Star Trek," from left, Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock, William Shatner as Captain Kirk, DeForest Kelley as Doctor McCoy and James Doohan as Commander Scott. (AP Photo/Paramount Television ,File) ** NO SALES ** (AP/Paramount Television)

CBS and Paramount Pictures announced they will not take legal action against amateur productions of “Star Trek” fan films as long as a list of 10 conditions are met. This comes after a fan funded film, “Axanar,” stirred a lawsuit based on whether or not elements of the fan flick were copyrighted.

On Thursday CBS and Paramount Pictures released a joint statement with their guidelines for those looking to make their own “Star Trek”-like films. The companies said the hope in issuing guidelines is to bring “fan films back to their roots.”

“Axanar” Executive Producer Alec Peters told FOX411 he is disappointed in the studios.

“While CBS and Paramount claim to want to encourage the passion of fans to produce reasonable fan fiction, the restrictions presented do just the opposite, willfully ignoring over 40 years of fan works that helped buoy the 'Star Trek' franchise through some very lean years and enthusiastically spread the magic of the franchise in more plentiful times," he told us in a statement via email.

The guidelines state that in order for fans to avoid a lawsuit, the “fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a self-contained story…not to exceed 30 minutes total with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.” The guidelines state that the fan production title cannot include the name “Star Trek;” the content must be original and not a recreation of any clip from a “Star Trek” production; and if the production uses commercially available “Star Trek” uniforms, the items must be official merchandise.

The guidelines also insist that the fan films include amateur participants. They must be non-commercial, family friendly and must display a disclaimer written by CBS and Paramount. The fan productions also cannot imply association or endorsement from CBS or Paramount Pictures, and creators must not seek to register their work under copyright or trademark law.

Paramount and CBS claim in the suit “Axanar” uses “innumerable copyrighted elements of ‘Star Trek,’ including its settings, characters, species, and themes.”

In February, a lawyer for Axanar Productions argued to FOX411 the “Star Trek” community has relied on fan fiction for years.

“Historically, fan fiction has been a driving force in the ‘Star Trek’ community."

Indeed, a YouTube search for “Star Trek” fan films brings up a playlist of more than 30 flicks.

But this is not the first time a fan-made flick has caused a copyright dispute. In 2014, Universal Studios filed a lawsuit claiming the film project “Section 6” was a James Bond knockoff. The case was eventually settled. Last year, a “Power Rangers” fan-made short film was taken off of streaming sites after Saban Entertainment, which owns the franchise, filed a copyright infringement complaint.

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CBS and Paramount release 'Star Trek' fan film guidelines

The studios are open to fan-made productions, just not without a laundry list of restrictions..

While Paramount and CBS's lawsuit against Axanar Productions is still ongoing , the two studios have finally produced a set of guidelines meant to govern fan-made Star Trek productions in the future. While the guidelines might be a good start, and a sign that studios could be warming up to community input, they are still extremely limiting.

"[W]e want to show out appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots," the two studios wrote in an announcement . "The heart of these fan films has always been about expressing one's love and passion for Star Trek . They have been about fan creativity and sharing unique stories with other fans to show admiration for the TV shows and movies. These films are a labor of love for any fan with desire, imagination and a camera."

However, according to the guidelines themselves , Paramount and CBS would like those fans to keep their creativity limited to "less than 15 minutes for a self-contained story" or no more 30 minutes for a truly epic two-parter. Also: no sequels or additional seasons are allowed, so aspiring Trek writers will have to be careful about reusing their own original characters. Also, the material "must be family friendly" and cannot include "profanity, nudity, obscenity, pornography, depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity," or basically anything else that might hurt the brand. (Which makes one wonder how " The Naked Now " ever got the green light at CBS.)

Aside from those creative restrictions, the new guidelines also limit fundraising to $50,000 and require indie filmmakers to use only officially licensed merchandise "and not bootleg items or imitations" as props and set pieces. Any fan films that make it through those production hoops will also have to distance themselves from the official productions with an obligatory disclaimer.

The guidelines, which have already been called " onerous " and " super uncool ", would obviously kill a production like Axanar , which pulled in $1 million in funding from a kickstarter campaign. But the production team remains unfazed. Today, the group fired back with another teaser trailer that flies in the face of these restrictions:

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Paramount, CBS Release Rules for Star Trek Fan Films

By jake rossen | jun 24, 2016.

Fan films have always skirted a fine line between homage and copyright infringement. Some rights holders, like Lucasfilm, have embraced the efforts of Star Wars loyalists by hosting amateur film festivals and holding contests ; Steven Spielberg once met with a group of people who were creating a Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) remake.

But the increasing sums of money raised through crowdsourcing and more affordable production equipment that can offer near-professional results is beginning to weigh more on studios’ minds. In late 2015, Paramount and CBS, which jointly control the Star Trek franchise, sued the makers of Star Trek: Anaxar , an amateur film that obtained its $1.2 million budget by way of Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

Although the lawsuit has yet to be settled, the two corporations have just released a set of guidelines for fan film producers in an attempt to keep all parties from bolding going into a courtroom, SlashFilm reports . Among them:

Fan films must not exceed 30 minutes in length total and must not be part of an ongoing “season.”

Cast and crew must not be compensated for their efforts.

Fundraising cannot exceed $50,000.

The finished product must be made available at no charge online, with no physical media (Blu-ray, DVD) distributed.

Alec Peters, a producer on Anaxar , told The Wrap that the rules appear to be “tailor made to shut down” fan efforts and will only prove to be “disheartening” to amateur Trek filmmakers. For the full guidelines, head over to StarTrek.com .

[h/t SlashFilm ]

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‘Star Trek’ Wants to Regulate Fan Culture, But It’s Not Going to Be Easy

Liz shannon miller.

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As of September 8, “ Star Trek ” will have officially been a part of American pop culture for 50 years, and it has one of the most robust and passionate fandoms in pop culture history. Fandom is basically a synonym for love — and “Star Trek” is currently in the process of telling some fans how to express their love.

It has been, to be frank, a bit of a mess.

How One Fan Film Set Things Off

In May 2016, one of the nerdiest things ever written was filed with the United States District Court. In a ruling by Judge R. Gary Klausner , His Honor declared that a lawsuit filed by Paramount Pictures and CBS Studios should proceed, because:

“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.”

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This followed many pages of deliberation as to whether a “Star Trek” fan project known as “Axanar” had infringed upon specific aspects of Paramount and CBS’s copyright. It was all part of an ongoing legal battle that began in December 2015, when CBS and Paramount sued the “Axanar” production, largely over a Kickstarter campaign that had raised over a million dollars for production of an unauthorized, ongoing series based in the “Star Trek” universe.

Because the “Axanar” suit is in active litigation right now, both CBS and “Axanar” representatives turned down multiple requests to speak on the record. But a high-profile lawsuit over a project that clearly puts CBS and Paramount in a David v. Goliath-esque battle isn’t great press for “Star Trek,” and J.J. Abrams and Justin Lin recently became heroes for the little guy by promising that  they were urging for a settlement to the “Axanar” suit . Negotiations are still in progress there, but in the meantime, other little guys were given some guidance as to how they might play in the “Star Trek” universe without being sued.

The Post-“Axanar” Guidelines

At the end of June, the official “Star Trek” website published a series of guidelines (guidelines is an important word here, we’ll get back to that) for people wishing to make their own fan films. You can read the full list  here  — some of the most important stipulations are:

• The fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.
• The title of the fan production or any parts cannot include the name “Star Trek.” However, the title must contain a subtitle with the phrase: “A STAR TREK FAN PRODUCTION” in plain typeface. The fan production cannot use the term “official” in either its title or subtitle or in any marketing, promotions or social media for the fan production.
• The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any Star Trek series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees.

While CBS declined to comment or answer IndieWire’s questions regarding these guidelines, it did offer up some direct communication with fans. After the announcement, CBS’s John Van Citters spoke with journalist Jordan Hoffman on the official “Star Trek” podcast “Engage,” and in their hour-long conversation, Van Citters emphasized that these are “guidelines” — i.e., not hard and fast rules. He also clarified that the reason for their existence was to let fans know what parameters they should consider, if they wished to get involved.

While not officially linked to the “Axanar” suit and resulting drama, the guidelines certainly include some pointed elements, especially the focus on crowdfunding campaigns and what is and isn’t permitted. It was crowdfunding campaigns, Van Citters said, where real “abuses” were taking place when it came to the “Star Trek” brand.

And in the end, it’s all about the brand. Van Citters repeated two themes over the course of the podcast: “Star Trek” deserves respect, and “Star Trek” needs to be protected. After all, Van Citters’ job is to evaluate any potential material that might be associated with the “Star Trek” brand, ensuring that nothing subpar or damaging might be associated with it. (It’s no different than Disney making sure sub-par or inappropriate Mickey Mouse merchandise, for example, doesn’t hit the marketplace.)

This is notably one of the few times that a major pop culture franchise has provided an idea of best practices for fans who want to make their own works within that universe — especially visual works like an actual fan film, which could be seen as competition for the officially produced works CBS and Paramount have planned to roll out over the next year. (Lucasfilm has run a semi-regular contest for “Star Wars” fan films since 2002, but the rules for entries there are even tighter than CBS’s for “Star Trek.”)

But in reality, what does this mean for fan films?

“A Declaration of War”

In general, the guidelines haven’t really pleased anyone on the fan side of things. USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s Henry Jenkins, a media studies professor with decades of experience examining fan culture, told IndieWire via email:

“Despite a warm and fuzzy prelude, the Fan Film Statement is apt to be read as a declaration of war on fan filmmakers. These guidelines are anything but ‘reasonable’ in that I can’t think of any currently available fan films that would come anywhere near meeting the expectations here and the guidelines would prohibit many forms of practice that would be explicitly protected under current understandings of Federal law regarding parody and transformative use.”

As just one example of how these guidelines seem misguided — “depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity” are on the no-no list. That rules out any tributes to one of the greatest on-screen bar fights of all time: Scotty versus the Klingons in “The Trouble With Tribbles.”  Here’s a clip  (officially uploaded, by the way, to the CBS YouTube channel). It’s a bar fight that’s so good, it inspired  an officially licensed beer , just announced for the 50th anniversary. You can buy the “Tribbles”-inspired beer in stores next week, but you can’t show anyone drink it on screen.

The reason that these are “guidelines” is that CBS is not officially vetting fan films, or nitpicking every project that might be made going forward. The idea is that if fan filmmakers want to avoid upsetting the company and its lawyers, they just need to understand the basic spirit of these rules. (Also, it’s important to note that according to Van Citters, any fan film currently online should consider itself safe — these restrictions only apply to new projects going forward.)

That said, at least one project isn’t taking its chances. The series “Renegades,” currently in production, stars former “Trek” actors including Walter Koenig, Tim Russ, Nichelle Nichols, Terry Farrell, Robert Picardo, Robert Beltran, Cirroc Lofton and Aron Eisenberg — who would not be allowed to be involved, per the new guidelines. It is also deliberately meant to be an ongoing series, not a story limited to 30 minutes.

That’s why the creators have decided to shed the “Star Trek” trappings and be completely independent: “‘Renegades,’ from the get go, was designed to be transformative… not derivative,”  they wrote on their official site . “Thus, with very minor changes to our script, we have eliminated all of the ‘Star Trek’ references.”

Van Citters characterized one motivation for these rules as a desire to level the playing field for fan productions — so that a fan film that wasn’t able to get former “Trek” cast members wasn’t disadvantaged in comparison. But was that ever really a concern? Are fan films really in competition with each other? And also…

Does Anyone Really Own “Star Trek”?

The answer to that, of course, is yes. CBS and Paramount own the rights to the franchise.

But to understand just how alive a thing “Trek” culture can be, take the Klingon language. Created by linguist Marc Okrand in 1982 for “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan,” Klingon has become a real dialect — you can not only buy “The Klingon Dictionary” in stores, but many other books, including “Hamlet,” the “Restored Klingon Version.”

These books are the intellectual property of Paramount, but as Okrand said  in a recent interview , “If you pick up a copy of Webster’s dictionary, it’s copyrighted. It doesn’t mean every word in the book is copyrighted… And it’s the same thing with the Klingon dictionary.”

There are legitimately  people in the world  who can be said to speak fluent Klingon, for the same reason that calling someone a “Vulcan” never requires explanation. “Star Trek” is something bigger than copyright — something driven entirely by the passion of fans, especially during the franchise’s leaner years.

It’s a constant theme of coverage when new people are brought to the franchise — the need to state the fact that, like “Star Trek Beyond” director Justin Lin, they’re “lifelong fans.” (Von Critters, when introduced on the “Engage” podcast, spent some serious time talking about how he grew up watching “Trek” in the 1970s before clarifying his current role at CBS.)

Von Critters wants to protect the “Trek” brand, but does it really need protecting? There’s something so nebulous about “Star Trek,” about the power it has over us. Perhaps that’s due to the fact that it’s got so many facets to it. Just on the screen, you have the original NBC series, the original films, “The Next Generation” and other spin-off series, the J.J. Abrams-directed reboot and now the upcoming CBS All Access series produced by Bryan Fuller. Add to that legions of books and video games and comics, and it’s more than a franchise — it’s a universe, one that’s always nurtured fan creativity.

“Trek” fandom will survive the fan film guidelines, and perhaps the guidelines will lead to a new generation of fan works, as creators who might have once avoided playing with someone else’s intellectual property find themselves inspired to give it a shot. But there’s one simple truth to all of this: Telling people how to love something is no way to nurture that love.

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‘Star Trek’ fans slam CBS and Paramount after it releases guidelines for fan films

'star trek' now has 10 guidelines to follow if you don't want to face legal action..

Michelle Jaworski

Posted on Jun 24, 2016   Updated on May 26, 2021, 1:30 pm CDT

In the midst of a  pivotal and ongoing lawsuit against the producers of a crowdfunded Star Trek fan film, CBS and Paramount Pictures have released a set of guidelines for future filmmakers.

The guidelines first appeared on the Star Trek official website Thursday, and in an explanation accompanying it CBS and Paramount Pictures praised Star Trek fans’ support over the past five decades and emphasized that they “want to support this innovation and encourage celebrations of this beloved cultural phenomenon.”

“The heart of these fan films has always been about expressing one’s love and passion for Star Trek ,” CBS and Paramount wrote . “They have been about fan creativity and sharing unique stories with other fans to show admiration for the TV shows and movies. These films are a labor of love for any fan with desire, imagination and a camera.”

While they may support fanfiction and creativity, the Star Trek fan film guidelines are essentially a list of 10 different criteria a fan film must meet so CBS and Paramount Pictures don’t take legal action against it. (And even then that doesn’t guarantee your film’s safety; CBS and Paramount “reserve the right to revise, revoke and/or withdraw these guidelines at any time in their own discretion.”)

That includes (but is not limited to):

The length of a Star Trek fan film has to be less than 15 minutes for a self-contained story) up to two episodes or parts with a 30-minute time limit. Any kind of follow-up is not allowed.

You can’t use “Star Trek” in the film’s name but you have to use “A Star Trek Fan Production” in your project’s subtitle and any promotions.

You have to use official Star Trek merchandise in your production (and not knockoffs).

Anybody who was part of a previous Star Trek production can’t participate in a Star Trek film—and the people who work on it cannot be compensated.

Fan films are noncommercial and you can only raise up to $50,000 for your production.

Fan films must include a disclaimer that says CBS Studios and Paramount Pictures are not endorsed or affiliated with their film.

Many of these guidelines would directly impact Star Trek Axanar , the fan film which CBS and Paramount Pictures have an ongoing lawsuit against. Axanar is a full-length movie, it crowdfunded more than $1 million, and features several Star Trek alumni. Axanar ’s legal fight has received support from J.J. Abrams and Justin Lin in recent months.

Some fans were quick to point out that the Star Trek Fan Film guidelines would stifle creativity and making it nearly impossible for fans to even make fan films.

https://twitter.com/solarguy17/status/745994244528103428

Wow. These new "guidelines" for Star Trek fan films are a massive slap in the face to previous fan films. https://t.co/jiunwz043U — John Callaham (@JCalNEO) June 23, 2016

Others condemned Axanar for ruining it for everyone else.

“The trouble with Axanar is that all the money raised wasn’t going on the Axanar feature,” Chris Murphy wrote . “Portions of it were going to Peters and Co. Effectively they were paying themselves out of the fund. Weasel wording aside, this is a textbook definition of ‘profiting’ and they were doing it based on the Star Trek IP. Furthermore, funds were also being used to set up Peters own studio, which, it was planned, would go on to make for profit features. Effectively, the lure of a Star Trek fan film was being used to generate money to build something else, and line the pockets of those involved.”

The producers behind Axanar  condemned the new guidelines.

We have been asking for guidelines for years. CBS decided to make those guidelines Draconian. https://t.co/RCto5KP8NQ — Axanar (@Axanarfilm) June 23, 2016

“These guidelines appear to have been tailor-made to shut down all of the major fan productions and stifle fandom,” Axanar executive producer Alec Peters told the Wrap in a statement. “In no way can that be seen as supportive or encouraging, which is very disheartening.

“While CBS and Paramount claim to want to encourage the passion of fans to produce ‘reasonable fan fiction,’ the restrictions presented do just the opposite, willfully ignoring over forty years of fan works that helped buoy the Star Trek franchise through some very lean years and enthusiastically spread the magic of the franchise in more plentiful times,” Peters continued. “Around the franchise’s 50th anniversary, we would have hoped CBS and Paramount would have taken this opportunity to unite with ‘Star Trek’ fans in celebration of their creativity, not seek to crush it.”

Michelle Jaworski is a staff writer and TV/film critic at the Daily Dot. She covers entertainment, geek culture, and pop culture and has covered everything from the Sundance Film Festival, NYFF, and Tribeca to New York Comic Con and Con of Thrones. She is based in Brooklyn.

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CBS and Paramount Pictures announce new guidelines on ‘Star Trek’ fan films

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CBS and Paramount Pictures have a message for the “Star Trek” fan-film community: Live long and prosper … within limits.

Six months after filing a copyright infringement lawsuit against the makers of an ambitious crowdfunded fan film called “Star Trek: Axanar,” Paramount and CBS issued new guidelines Thursday directed at those looking to create their own “Star Trek”-inspired works.

While acknowledging the passionate fan base that has sustained the “Star Trek” universe for 50 years, the companies set 10 new rules delineating what will and will not be tolerated when it comes to fan-made “Trek” movies – rules that they said in a joint statement were aimed at “bringing fan films back to their roots.”

According to the newly stated guidelines, fan productions must be “less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.” As a planned feature-length film, “Axanar” would be in clear violation of those terms, as would a long-running web series called “Star Trek: New Voyages.”

“Star Trek” fan films must also be fully amateur productions, with no compensation for the creators or actors and no involvement from anyone currently or formerly employed on any official “Star Trek” film or series. In the past, alumni from the “Star Trek” franchise like Nichelle Nichols and George Takei have occasionally appeared in fan films.

To avoid running afoul of CBS and Paramount lawyers, “Star Trek” fan films must be “non-commercial,” generating no revenue either directly or through the selling of merchandise. Crowd-funding campaigns for such films cannot exceed $50,000 in donations (the makers of “Axanar” raised more than $1.2 million), and the titles of any fan-created work cannot include the words “Star Trek” and must include the subtitle “A Star Trek Fan Production.”

The “Axanar” case has sparked considerable controversy within the “Star Trek” fan community, with some championing the film as a David-and-Goliath battle for creative freedom and others sharply criticizing the film’s creators for overstepping their bounds and threatening the entire world of fan films.

In an interview with The Times last week , Robert Meyer Burnett – who is set to direct “Axanar” if it ever goes into production – predicted that, in response to the film, CBS and Paramount would take steps to strictly limit such fan productions.

“I think the thinking now is we need to be punished for whatever perceived transgressions there are,” he said. “If we are able to make ‘Axanar,’ I think it’s going to be seriously curtailed in terms of our ability to make the film that we were making.”

How exactly the new fan film rules will affect the ongoing “Axanar” lawsuit is, for now, unclear; the two sides remain in settlement talks. After the guidelines were announced, the official “Star Trek: Axanar” Twitter feed called them “draconian.”

In a statement, “Axanar” co-writer and producer Alec Peters said, “These guidelines appear to have been tailor-made to shut down all of the major fan productions and stifle fandom. In no way can that be seen as supportive or encouraging, which is very disheartening.”

With the latest film in the “Star Trek” franchise, “Star Trek Beyond,” set to open July 22 and a new “Star Trek” TV series due next year, CBS and Paramount are attempting to walk a fine line: drawing sharp legal lines around their copyrighted intellectual property without alienating or antagonizing the diehard “Star Trek” fan community.

At a fan event last month for “Star Trek Beyond,” the film’s producer, J.J. Abrams – who directed the 2009 “Star Trek” big-screen reboot and its 2013 sequel – said that, for his part, he believes that such litigation is “not an appropriate way to deal with the fans.”

“The fans should be celebrating this thing,” Abrams said. “The fans of ‘Star Trek’ are part of this world.”

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Wednesday 6 July 2016

The star trek fan film guidelines.

Star Trek fandom is like no other. Your support, enthusiasm and passion are the reasons that Star Trek has flourished for five decades and will continue long into the future. You are the reason the original Star Trek series was rescued and renewed in 1968, and the reason it has endured as an iconic and multi-generational phenomenon that has spawned seven television series and 13 movies. Throughout the years, many of you have expressed your love for the franchise through creative endeavors such as fan films. So today, we want to show our appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots. The heart of these fan films has always been about expressing one’s love and passion for Star Trek. They have been about fan creativity and sharing unique stories with other fans to show admiration for the TV shows and movies. These films are a labor of love for any fan with desire, imagination and a camera. We want to support this innovation and encourage celebrations of this beloved cultural phenomenon. It is with this perspective in mind that we are introducing a set of guidelines at Star Trek Fan Films. Thank you for your ongoing and steadfast enthusiasm and support, which ensure that Star Trek will continue to inspire generations to come.

• Episodes should be no longer than 15 minutes, and can only be told in a maximum of two parts (ie, 30 minutes total). So no ongoing series.
• No Star Trek in the main title, but there must be a subtitle "A Star Trek fan production".
• No straight reproductions of scenes from Star Trek .
• When Star Trek props and costumes exist as official merchandise these must be used rather than bootleg reproductions.
• No involvement of anyone with professional connections to Star Trek productions (actors and behind the scenes staff).
• Fan films must be non-commercial, no home video releases, no adverts, no related merchandise. They can use crowd funding, to a maximum of $50,000.
• Must be "family friendly", with quite a long list of censored content to make sure Star Trek is represented as, nice.
• A provided disclaimer must be included on-screen as part of the credits, and on any websites.
• Creators may not register there works under copyright or trademark law.
• No association or endorsement with CBS or Paramount Pictures may be implied.

I've spoken with some people, including some people that have been involved peripherally with fan films , that it has created a bit of a barrier of entry to some people. Because there's Star Trek fans all over the world, and they don't necessarily have the ability to access Hollywood actors, and even meet people who worked on Trek, unless they are able to travel to one of the larger conventions. So, for a lot of people they felt like: "Well, I can't get this actor or that actor, I can't get these people to tell me story; I don't know if I should bother, because I just can't compete on the level these other guys are playing at".

A lot of the emphasis for this frankly came from what we've seen happening with fan films in recent years. What we felt needed to be done, in order to protect fan films for the long term. And that seems a little counter intuitive that putting some form of, what people are considering to be restrictions on fan creativity, but it's something that needed to be done, in order to cure some abuses that have been out there, and to kind of refocus this around the fan experience, and around creating more stories, rather than this kind of arms race around talent and fundraising.

While I don't agree with everything in the regulations, I'm glad Paramount/CBS has released guidelines. Play by the rules, which are still generous... I mean look... it's like someone I don't know saying that I can use their Ferrari for a day every week, simply because I love those bitchin' cars. I'd say that's pretty generous. Fan creativity has always been instrumental in keeping Star Trek alive, but it was clear that regulation needed to happen. Raising a million dollars on someone else's property, and proclaiming that you will do it better than they ever could is inviting the person who owns the house to step in and lay down some rules. Hello? The studio has always been very generous, and in my opinion are still being incredibly tolerant. My advice is to not see the 30 minute limit as a boundary, see it as a creative challenge. Roddenberry's pre Star Trek writing gig was Have Gun Will Travel. Those shows were 22 minutes long, and they were lean, mean and to the point drama. Believe me, Paramount/CBS does respect and appreciate the fans, and there are many fans of the fans there. I am hopeful that eventually things will loosen up. In the meantime, wouldn't be something if these rules led to the creation of a all new, and original saga. I know we've got it in us.

First and foremost, we have the utmost respect for CBS and their right to protect their property as they see fit. As soon as we know for sure how the latest developments will impact STC we will most certainly share it with all of you. STC was created purely out of love and tribute, not a desire for profit or self-promotion. Thank you again for all your support.

Without consultation with the very people they’re imposing guidelines upon, CBS and Paramount have completely destroyed the great future works of some of Star Trek‘s biggest and most life-long fans, who express their love for the Star Trek franchise through tireless creativity and industrious passion, with no hope of return other then sharing that passion with fellow fans and the greater world around them. Star Trek fandom is singular. There’s never been anything like it in the history of humanity. With these fan film guidelines, the current rights holders, who INHERITED those rights back in 2005, have effectively put a cap on the very fandom which kept the franchise alive for half a century. What a way to celebrate Star Trek‘s 50th Anniversary.

As you know, we've already begun filming “The Requiem” so we cannot halt, suspend, or postpone production. Renegades, from the get go, was designed to be transformative... not derivative. Thus, with very minor changes to our script, we have eliminated all of the Star Trek references. The good news is that Renegades is now a completely original and ongoing series. 

If you're operating within the framework of this it's going to open up new opportunities, there's no question. At official events and conventions in the past, we haven't been able to grant permission to show fan films, we haven't been able to grant permission for fan film groups to exhibit and fund-raise at them. If you're in compliance with these, that is something that's going to change; there is a lot of opportunity that comes with this, and that's something I am very excited about because it's going to help ramp up fan involvement and fan participation...

2 comments:

Very interesting. Most of the rules are pretty expected and understandable, but #1 and #5 both strike me as... kind of asinine. Forcing fans to buy CBS' grossly overpriced Trek merch really leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth, and only allowing short, standalone micro-episodes strikes me as a profoundly defensive move--as though CBS is genuinely afraid low-budget fan films are competing with the, you know, actual Star Trek stuff. To be honest, I think we're worse off now than we were *before* there were clear guidelines.

With attention spans world-wide diminishing by the nanosecond, one wonders if CBS/Paramount have unintentionally written the script for the most successful long-term Star Trek series in living memory.

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CBS cites crowdfunding as reason for new, strict Star Trek fan film guidelines

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Share All sharing options for: CBS cites crowdfunding as reason for new, strict Star Trek fan film guidelines

Last week, Paramount Pictures and CBS released a new class of strict guidelines for Star Trek fans who wanted to make their own films based on the long-running franchise. In a new interview on Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast , a CBS executive said it has no plans to go after fans who make these films, but has to ensure it isn't losing talent in a crowdfunding era.

John Van Citters, vice president of product development at CBS, said that crowdfunding had led to a boom in Star Trek-related merchandise essentially being sold to backers, and neither CBS or Paramount are seeing any of the profit. Citters said that unlike previous fan films, the actual movie was no longer what fans were interested in supporting, but rather the physical merchandise they would receive for supporting the project on Kickstarter or Indiegogo at a certain level. Backer rewards, Citters argued, are specifically what CBS and Paramount are looking to combat with the new guidelines.

"They’re not intended to end fan films, but with the explosion of crowdfunding, abuses have very definitely crept into the process," Citters said. "For many it became more about the item that you were donating to get than it was about supporting a fan production for its own sake."

Citters added that with crowdfunding potentially amassing millions of dollars for production and casting, CBS was also concerned that former stars of the series would be working with fans to create elaborate films. Citters said that once professional actors known for their work in the TV series or films get involved, it’s no longer in the spirit of fan fiction, and CBS doesn't want fans profiting off of its talent.

That being said, Citters said CBS has no plans to go after previous fan films that violate the new guidelines, nor does it have any plans to actively chase down new fan films that just slightly violate the code. Instead, CBS will keep an eye out for mega productions, like the  controversial Axanar — which started this entire debacle — and take action if need be.

The guidelines come just a couple of weeks before the newest Star Trek film, Beyond , and months before the debut of CBS’ new Star Trek series . The full list of rules for making a Star Trek-related fan film can be read here .

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Star Trek fan film guidelines defended by CBS official

New rules are 'not intended to end fan films,' John Van Citters says

Star Trek fan films will be still able to live long and prosper in the wake of last week’s announcement of official guidelines governing such productions, according to a CBS official.

John Van Citters, vice president of product development for CBS Consumer Products, joined the latest episode of Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast to discuss the new guidelines, which have been criticized by some Trek fans and embraced by others.

“We’ve seen an explosion of fan films in recent years, and we know that these come from a place of very deep love for Star Trek ,” Van Citters said. But due to increasingly sophisticated and accessible filmmaking tools as well as the rise of crowdfunding, rights holders CBS and Paramount felt the need to clarify the line between professional and fan productions.

Van Citters stressed that the guidelines were not designed to quash fan films, however.

“That’s not what we’re trying to do here,” he said. “They’re not intended to end fan films, but with the explosion of crowdfunding, abuses have very definitely crept into the process. For many it became more about the item that you were donating to get than it was about supporting a fan production for its own sake.”

He continued, “The productions started spiraling larger and larger. There’s something of an arms race about how many Hollywood names could be attached, how many people that have previously worked on Trek , how many famous actors could you involve. And that’s not really in the spirit of fan fiction.”

Responding to compiled fan questions, Van Citters explained that CBS won’t be going after pre-existing Star Trek fan films which don’t adhere to the new guidelines, nor will it be actively reviewing and policing new ones for compliance.

Van Citters also said the fan film guidelines are “a separate issue” from the high-profile Star Trek fan film Axanar , which is the subject of a copyright lawsuit filed by CBS and Paramount last year. He declined to comment on pending litigation but confirmed that discussions toward a possible settlement are ongoing.

Listen to Van Citters’ full interview on the Engage podcast .

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Official Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines

See also: CBS Official Explains Fan Film Guidelines and Guidelines Aftermath and Star Wars Guidelines Comparisons and Axanar Tries to Rally Fan Films to Its Proposed Guidelines

CBS and Paramount Pictures revealed a set of guidelines on June 23, 2016, for fan films that would preclude the use of any professionals and the formats used by the major fan productions, including Axanar .

The guidelines, described by many fans on the Internet as “draconian” were condemned by Axanar producer Alec Peters in a statement later that day:

I’m really disappointed that this set of guidelines represents the studios’ best efforts on behalf of fans. These guidelines appear to have been tailor-made to shut down all of the major fan productions and stifle fandom. In no way can that be seen as supportive or encouraging, which is very disheartening. While CBS and Paramount claim to want to encourage the passion of fans to produce “reasonable fan fiction”, the restrictions presented do just the opposite, willfully ignoring over forty years of fan works that helped buoy the Star Trek franchise through some very lean years and enthusiastically spread the magic of the franchise in more plentiful times. Around the franchise’s 50th anniversary, we would have hoped CBS and Paramount would have taken this opportunity to unite with Star Trek fans in celebration of their creativity, not seek to crush it. 1)

The Guidelines

Here is the full text of the Star Trek Fan Films Guidelines: 2)

Guidelines for Avoiding Objections:

1. The fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.

2. The title of the fan production or any parts cannot include the name “Star Trek.” However, the title must contain a subtitle with the phrase: “A STAR TREK FAN PRODUCTION” in plain typeface. The fan production cannot use the term “official” in either its title or subtitle or in any marketing, promotions or social media for the fan production.

3. The content in the fan production must be original, not reproductions, recreations or clips from any Star Trek production. If non-Star Trek third party content is used, all necessary permissions for any third party content should be obtained in writing.

4. If the fan production uses commercially-available Star Trek uniforms, accessories, toys and props, these items must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products.

5. The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any Star Trek series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees.

6. The fan production must be non-commercial:

• CBS and Paramount Pictures do not object to limited fundraising for the creation of a fan production, whether 1 or 2 segments and consistent with these guidelines, so long as the total amount does not exceed $50,000, including all platform fees, and when the $50,000 goal is reached, all fundraising must cease.
• The fan production must only be exhibited or distributed on a no-charge basis and/or shared via streaming services without generating revenue.
• The fan production cannot be distributed in a physical format such as DVD or Blu-ray.
• The fan production cannot be used to derive advertising revenue including, but not limited to, through for example, the use of pre or post-roll advertising, click-through advertising banners, that is associated with the fan production.
• No unlicensed Star Trek-related or fan production-related merchandise or services can be offered for sale or given away as premiums, perks or rewards or in connection with the fan production fundraising.
• The fan production cannot derive revenue by selling or licensing fan-created production sets, props or costumes.

7. The fan production must be family friendly and suitable for public presentation. Videos must not include profanity, nudity, obscenity, pornography, depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity, or any material that is offensive, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, disparaging, sexually explicit, threatening, hateful, or any other inappropriate content. The content of the fan production cannot violate any individual’s right of privacy.

8. The fan production must display the following disclaimer in the on-screen credits of the fan productions and on any marketing material including the fan production website or page hosting the fan production:

“Star Trek and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made film intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.”

9. Creators of fan productions must not seek to register their works, nor any elements of the works, under copyright or trademark law.

10. Fan productions cannot create or imply any association or endorsement by CBS or Paramount Pictures.

cbs_guidelines.txt · Last modified: 2009/05/26 00:24 (external edit)

"Axanar," Other Fan Films Endangered By New "Star Trek" Guidelines

"Anything that is already out there will remain out there,” a CBS exec said on June 29. "We have no intention of taking anything down."

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Star Trek Continues .

Set phasers on stunned: The vast ecosystem of Star Trek fan productions is about to undergo a radical change after CBS and Paramount Pictures released a set of new fan film guidelines .

According to the 10-point guidelines released on Thursday, June 23, Trek fan productions cannot "exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes," cannot include " Star Trek " in their titles, cannot involve anyone who has worked on Star Trek films or series, and cannot raise more than $50,000 for an individual production. In return for following these and other guidelines, CBS and Paramount state they "will not object to, or take legal action against" any "non-professional and amateur" fan productions.

Most prominently, the guidelines would severely restrict plans for Axanar , the Trek fan film that CBS and Paramount sued for copyright infringement in December, and the production that appears to have sparked the guidelines in the first place. Gary Graham was set to reprise his role from Star Trek: Enterprise as a Vulcan ambassador; the production raised over $1.2 million in crowdfunding campaigns; and creator Alec Peters had planned for Axanar to be a feature-length production well over the 30-minute time limit.

The guidelines also seem to directly affect several of the most popular and well-regarded Trek fan productions over the past two decades seeing as they operate as ongoing "series," including Star Trek Continues and Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II . The former has raised well over $300,000 via several crowdfunding campaigns to support its elaborate recreations of the sets from the original Trek TV series, and the latter has featured episodes guest starring established Trek actors like Walter Koenig and George Takei.

Meanwhile, Star Trek: Voyager star Tim Russ is currently directing and starring in Renegades: The Requiem , originally a Star Trek fan film co-starring Trek alum like Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Terry Farrell, Robert Picardo, and Robert Beltran. On June 25, the production announced on Facebook that it would continue production "without any Star Trek elements … [as] a completely original and ongoing series."

In response to the guidelines, Star Trek Continues creator and star Vic Mignogna noted in a Facebook post that the production "has the utmost respect for CBS and their right to protect their property as they see fit," and that he is not yet certain what impact the new guidelines will have on his production. (The other aforementioned productions did not immediately respond to requests to comment, and a spokesperson for CBS said she could not comment on how the guidelines would affect individual fan productions.)

CBS executive John Van Citters said on the June 29 episode of the official Star Trek podcast, Engage , that CBS and Paramount will not be "retroactively" applying the new fan film guidelines to previously published Star Trek fan productions. "We're not going to be contacting YouTube and service providers and trying to scrub the internet of fan Star Trek ," he said. "Anything that is already out there will remain out there. We have no intention of taking anything down."

He did not, however, specifically address whether the guideline that fan productions cannot include "additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels, or remakes" would cause ongoing fan productions like Star Trek Continues to cease production.

Alec Peters in Prelude to Axanar .

As BuzzFeed News detailed in a story in mid-June, the lawsuit between Axanar Productions and CBS and Paramount has drawn so much attention that J.J. Abrams — who is producing the latest film, Star Trek Beyond — announced at a Trek fan event in May that due to lobbying from Beyond 's director Justin Lin, the lawsuit would be "going away" in a matter of weeks.

CBS and Paramount subsequently announced in a joint statement that, along with its ongoing settlement negotiations with Axanar Productions, the studios were "working on a set of fan film guidelines." While those guidelines are now official, however, the suit continues to be litigated by both sides.

In a brief joint statement from CBS and Paramount to BuzzFeed News on Thursday, a spokesperson said that lawsuit talks are still "ongoing," and that the companies "continue to be hopeful that we will reach a settlement shortly."

Peters told BuzzFeed News in April that he had specifically asked CBS executives for fan film guidelines in August 2015. "They told me, 'We can't tell you what you can do, and we can't tell you what you can't do, but we'll tell you when you've crossed the line,'" said Peters. "I kind of was frustrated, because I wanted guidelines."

In a statement to BuzzFeed News on June 23, however, Peters made clear that the guidelines CBS and Paramount ultimately created were not what he wanted:

I'm really disappointed that this set of guidelines represents the studios' best efforts on behalf of fans. These guidelines appear to have been tailor-made to shut down all of the major fan productions and stifle fandom. In no way can that be seen as supportive or encouraging, which is very disheartening. While CBS and Paramount claim to want to encourage the passion of fans to produce "reasonable fan fiction", the restrictions presented do just the opposite, willfully ignoring over forty years of fan works that helped buoy the Star Trek franchise through some very lean years and enthusiastically spread the magic of the franchise in more plentiful times. Around the franchise's 50th anniversary, we would have hoped CBS and Paramount would have taken this opportunity to unite with Star Trek fans in celebration of their creativity, not seek to crush it.

During his Engage interview, Citters emphasized that CBS and Paramount would not be reviewing any fan films for compliance with the guidelines. He did note that "a couple" of fan productions have reached out to him since the guidelines were announced seeking clarification, but he did not specify which ones. Instead, he singled out Requiem, praising the filmmakers' decision to move forward as an original production. "I encourage fans to express their love for Star Trek by creating their own worlds," he said. "I think that's a terrific, terrific thing to do, and ultimately much easier for them."

This story has been updated to reflect CBS executive John Van Citters' June 29 podcast interview regarding fan film guidelines, as well as the decision by the filmmakers behind Requiem to strip all Star Trek elements from their film.

Previous updates included statements regarding the Star Trek fan film guidelines from Axanar creator Alec Peters and Star Trek Continues creator Vic Mignogna.

Screen Rant

Ghosts season 3 finale: pete's power reveal & whether he returns for final episode explained by star.

Ghosts star Richie Moriarty reveals whether, following the reveal of his game-changing ghost power, Pete will be present for the season 3 finale.

• Pete from Ghosts is making a return in the season 3 finale following the reveal of his new power to travel beyond the mansion.
• Actor Richie Moriarty hints at exciting possibilities for Pete's character and limitations on his power.
• The Ghosts season 3 finale will air on May 2 and is guaranteed to end in a cliffhanger.

Popular Ghosts character Pete will return in the season 3 finale, according to the actor who plays him. The hit CBS sitcom Ghosts is an adaptation of the British series of the same name, and focuses on a pair of married New Yorkers who move into a beautiful country mansion, unaware it is haunted by a selection of benevolent ghosts. Pete, a ghost and former travel agent, has been on the show since season 1, and Ghosts season 3 , episode 9 revealed that his power is that he is able to leave the mansion and travel anywhere.

Actor Richie Moriarty, who plays Pete, discussed his character's new power in an interview with TVLine , and spoke about what this reveal could mean for the season finale. Episode 9 ended with Pete traveling to visit his family, but Moriarty acknowledged he'll be back for the last episode. Read the actor's comments on the topic below:

I will say that he does make it back to Woodstone by the finale. The nice thing that the Joes [showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman] have done with this power is that it opens up a huge world of possibilities for him and where he’s able to go, but they find a really smart way to place a limitation on the power so that it can’t be used constantly. I guess I shouldn’t say too much more than that, but they do a really good job of sort of putting reins on this power.

CBS' Ghosts: Every Ghost Time Period & Backstory Explained

How will pete's power impact the ghosts season 3 finale, pete's new power changes ghosts' rules.

Pete's ability to now leave the Woodstone mansion provides a lot of exciting possibilities for storylines , and gives him a deeper link to Sam and Jay, as he can help or assist the characters in their day-to-day lives. However, as Moriarty has alluded to, it seems likely that the writers are going to be clever about placing limitations on what Pete is able to do as a character, and this is something that could become more apparent in Ghosts season 4 .

Having a ghost with powers too strong would serve as a deus ex machina, and provide easy outs for plot contrivances, so this is likely to be something Ghosts showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman will be keen to avoid. However, the power will also be a great chance to explore the character of Pete in greater detail , with last week's episode ending with the ghost boarding a plane to St. Lucia to visit his daughter and grandson. Getting to venture out into the world can help Pete grow and experience new things.

Ghosts is a show that likes to keep its audience guessing, and Pete's power certainly came as a surprise, since the series has long established that ghosts have to remain where they died. This twist opens up the world a bit more , and just in time for the season 3 finale, which is confirmed to end with a cliffhanger. It could be that Pete's power will tie into the season-ending twist somehow, picking up on this new story thread. Regardless, Pete will return for the end of Ghosts season 3 and be present to celebrate Isaac's wedding.

The Ghosts season 3 finale airs at 8:30 PM ET on CBS on May 2.

Source: TVLine

Ghosts (US)

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Ghosts is a CBS sitcom that is based on the British series of the same name. Premiering in 2021, the series focuses on married couple Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), who have inherited a mansion from one of Sam's distant relatives. They turn the house into a bed and breakfast. When Sam has a near-death experience, she begins to interact with the quirky group of ghosts who live in the mansion.

'Picard's Michelle Hurd Reveals Who She Wants To See Raffi Team Up With in a 'Star Trek: Legacy' Spin-Off

Fans haven't given up hope for 'Star Trek: Legacy' and Hurd shared some exciting potential team-ups at Calgary Expo this weekend.

The Big Picture

• Fans are still hopeful for a Star Trek: Legacy spin-off series after the successful final season of Picard on Paramount+.
• Actress Michelle Hurd expresses excitement for the potential spin-off and a desire to work with more Next Generation alums.
• Hurd mentions wanting Raffi to meet Guinan; recently Whoopi Goldberg hinted at a possible return to the franchise.

While there's been no official news of a spin-off in the year since Star Trek: Picard Season 3 became one of Paramount+'s most-watched Star Trek seasons, fans are still holding out hope for Star Trek: Legacy . Despite still waiting for a green light from the studio herself, actress Michelle Hurd spoke hopefully about the potential spin-off series during a panel hosted by Collider's Maggie Lovitt at Calgary Expo this weekend. When Lovitt asked what it means to Hurd to know so many people want to see her come back to play Raffi again, she said, "It's an unbelievable honor and one that I absolutely cherish and understand the responsibility of."

As the panel went on, Hurd accepted several Star Trek questions from the attendees in the crowd. When one hopeful fan opened with plans to " assume Star Trek: Legacy is a go " Hurd wholeheartedly agreed saying, "Shall we? I like that, I like where you're going." The fan would go on to ask which other "legacy" characters from the long-running franchise she'd like to see Raffi team up with on the spin-off.

Hurd noted that "Raffi didn't get to interact with everybody that came back." As much as she loved working with Michael Dorn as Worf for most of the season, Hurd had a few other Next Generation alums from Picard Season 3 that she'd love to share the screen with. She went on to say:

"I mean, Levar Burton , Kunta Kinte, I mean can I just— I had one line, I think, with Marina [Sirtis] on the second season. I didn't really get to work other than shooting with Gates [McFadden] . So, of that, I would love to actually experience those guys. And then, you know, what I love is that Terry Matalas is such an OG that he, I mean, he had to like, you know, force some of our cameos on the show because…how do I say [this]? But some people, maybe the studio didn't really get it. They were like, ‘Oh, why would we bring this character on? Nobody knows him.’ And it was like, ‘No, everybody— YOU don't know, but everybody knows them.’ So I honestly, I think that he would, he would do an amazing job pulling in people. "

Michelle Hurd Wants to See Raffi Meet Guinan If 'Star Trek: Legacy' Happens

Hurd had one more major player from Next Generation and Picard that she would love to see Raffi team up with, saying "selfishly, Guinan would be nice to play with, I’m just saying." And it's possible she could get her wish. A few weeks ago Whoopi Goldberg — who played Guinan across six of Next Generation 's seven seasons — played coy when her The View co-host Joy Behar appeared to spill the beans about Goldberg potentially returning to the franchise again.

While we wait to see if Paramount+ will boldly go with Star Trek: Legacy , you can watch both Picard and Next Generation in their entirety on the streamer.

Star Trek: Picard

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

Watch on Paramount+