AXANAR Productions has settled its lawsuit with CBS and Paramount.
Here are some donor-exclusive details.
Dear Donors:
You have stood by us for over a year and today I'm pleased to announce that Axanar Productions has settled its lawsuit with CBS Studios and Paramount Pictures Corporation.
Since the beginning of the lawsuit, over a year ago, we have expressed our desire to address the concerns of the studios, and our willingness to make necessary changes, as long as we could reasonably meet our commitments to Axanar's over 14,000 donors, fans and supporters. We are now able to do exactly that.
According to the terms of our agreement with CBS and Paramount, we are able to share a little more detail with you than the general public. So, here are the highlights of the deal struck with CBS and Paramount (or, at least as much as we can tell you) ...
Our settlement was finalized late last night and early this morning; we are letting you know as soon as possible so you hear from us first. There are several things we can not disclose to the general public, although we've been given the okay to share some of them with you.
Axanar Productions can continue to distribute PRELUDE TO AXANAR on YouTube and at film festivals and conventions - but not at official Star Trek events or conventions. All exhibitions of PRELUDE TO AXANAR must be non-commercial.
Axanar Productions can produce the story of AXANAR, but not as a full-length, motion picture feature. Instead, we are limited (as all fan films are now under the Fan Film Guidelines) to two, fifteen-minute segments that can be distributed on Youtube, etc. We also have to stick to the guidelines regarding the use of the name "Star Trek" in the title of the project, the use of an approved disclaimer, etc.
The two segments may use the services of Richard Hatch, Gary Graham, Kate Vernon and J.G. Hertzler but no other actors who have appeared in professional Star Trek productions. There are also strict guidelines put in place concerning the compensation for the production team (as in none) with regard to their work on the permitted segments.
Axanar Productions will not publicly fundraise for the production of these segments - that means no more Indiegogo or Kickstarter campaigns to support the production of the Axanar story - although private donations may be accepted. That may slow things down a bit, but we're developing options that fall within the conditions of our settlement with CBS and Paramount and promise to keep you informed when we're ready to go.
And finally, all of Axanar Productions' future Star Trek fan film productions need to adhere to the "Guidelines for Fan Films" that were issued last June.
Also, according to the terms of the settlement agreement, there are still some legal details that require our immediate attention over the next sixty days. These aren't major issues, but they are the first things we have to check off our list so we can get back into the business of making AXANAR. Once these issues are resolved, we will begin adapting the script to the new format and begin the entire pre-production process once again from scratch to match the new format.
All in all, we have a lot on our plate. And we're happy to be back at the table!
Throughout this process, we will continue communicating with our fans and backers to ensure they are informed and involved until we reach completion of the production.
As you know, Axanar Productions was created by lifelong Star Trek fans to celebrate our love for Star Trek. Without your support, we wouldn't be able to do what we've done so far or realize our dreams for the future.
Together, we can work together to make our vision of Star Trek a dynamic reality. Thanks so much for your confidence and support.
Live Long and Prosper,
Alec Peters
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