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CBS Uses Copyright To Scuttle Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II Episode

Posted by Soulskill on from the to-boldly-say-no-and-cackle-with-glee dept.

McGruber writes "The NY Times ('Cookies Set to Cleared, Captain!') is reporting that CBS is blocking fan-generated internet series 'Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II' from making an episode using an unproduced script from the original series. In a statement, CBS said, 'We fully appreciate and respect the passion and creativity of the "Star Trek" fan and creative communities. This is simply a case of protecting our copyrighted material and the situation has been amicably resolved.'" The original writer of the episode, sci-fi author Norman Spinrad, was enthusiastic about the production, and planned to direct it himself.

6 of 268 comments (clear)

  1. lawsuits by k6mfw · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It seems entertainment industry spends more time on lawsuits, copyright issues, piracy, etc. rather than producing new entertainment material.

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  2. Definition: Amicably by Lumbre · · Score: 5, Funny

    Amicably (am i ka blee): An adverb meaning money exchanged hands to simulate a friendly conflict resolution.

  3. Re:It's a perfectly valid by Hatta · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Copyright exists to promote the creation of art. If CBS is using it to suppress the creation of art, that's not valid at all.

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  4. Why not just license it? by FrankieBaby1986 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why can't CBS just license it for a dollar? Copyright is enforced, license is legit, fans get something that CBS must know they're never going to do anything with. How many unproduced scripts can they have? Would they really ever re-make the series using the old scripts and use this one? Greed, pure and simple. "If we can't use it, nobody can"

    We seriously need copyright reform. Copyright terms should be 14 years again. I think as a society, the we (the US) should just ignore copyrights after that time.

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    ERROR: SIG NOT FOUND (A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ail?:
  5. Re:It's a perfectly valid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We need to get away from the idea that you can just sit on something (anything, really) and take it out of usefulness to society for a worthless end result (nothing ends up being done with it, the item doesn't get better, and it doesn't gain value).

    Just because you can doesn't make it moral.

  6. Re:It's a perfectly valid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why?

    Did it occur to you that CBS might think the script sucks? And since they're the copyright owner they get to decide if they publish it or not. Do you really want a world where it's OK to publish someone else's work against their objections? Like say you write an erotic fanfic, but don't want to puiblish it. Should I really have the right to then make a feature length film based on your erotic fanfic without your approval?