And the legal woes just keep on coming for crowdfunding success Axanar. Back in December 2015, film giants Paramount and CBS slapped the project with an infringement lawsuit. The companies have viewed the film as a violation of their intellectual property and filed a lawsuit in California federal court to halt its making. The complaint stated:
“The Axanar Works infringe Plaintiffs’ works by using innumerable copyrighted elements of Star Trek, including its settings, characters, species, and themes.”
California-based Axanar Productions previously explained:
“Axanar is the first independent Star Trek film. While some may call it a ‘fan film’ as we are not licensed by CBS, Axanar has professionals working in front and behind the camera. A fully professional crew, many of whom have worked on Star Trek itself ensure Axanar will be the quality of Star Trek that all fans want to see.
“But Axanar is not just an independent Star Trek film; it is the beginning of a whole new way that fans can get the content they want, by funding it themselves. Why dump hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on 400 cable channels, when what you really want is a few good sci-fi shows? Hollywood is changing. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and other providers are redefining content delivery, and Axanar Productions/Ares Studios hopes to be part of that movement.”
Now, Paramount and CBS are continuing the battle with Axanar and is continuing its legal action by amending its lawsuit to include the use both Klingon language and Vulcan ears. While the film has yet to be filmed, both companies are pretty much looking to make sure that this production does not see the light of day.
The project raised over $1 million through Indiegogo and Kickstarter campaigns. See the full amended lawsuit here.
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