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Re: Viacom shutting down ST websites
In article <32bb8672.3980655@news.dx.net>, shannara@pnx.com wrote:
> Dear sir,
> Apparently you haven't been around this business very long and
> obviously know nothing of the history of Star Trek.
Not the best way to start and win. You don't tell a company that they don't
know about their own business. It only serves to make you look foolish.
> If it wasn't for
> the fans, you literally would not have this cash cow you call Star
> Trek. It was fans that undertook a massive mail-in campaign to
> save Star Trek and bring it back a third season. But NBC was
> determined to kill it and wouldn't support it that third year. But
> fans still kept the faith and wrote non-profit fan stories and kept it
> alive in their hearts. Then came the reruns and fans went for
> Trek bigtime, and eventually the popularity was great enough
> to support movies and then spinoff shows.
You can't compare the two. Fans in 1967 didn't freely exchange pictures and
video of the show that they did not pay for on the scale that is happening
today. That's the problem. Nowhere have I seen that Paramount/Viacom wants
to shut down these sites simply because they're about Star Trek. It's the
video/pictures/.wavs that they object to. Learn about what is and isn't
fair use and take advantage of it. Make a parody site, talk about ideas,
just don't steal imagery from the show/movies.
> Don't ever forget who buys the books, the collectibles and the toys.
> It's the fans. The same people who, driven by their love for Trek,
> have created free sites to PROMOTE your cash cow!
There is a difference between PROMOTE and GIVE AWAY THEIR COPYRIGHTED
MATERIAL. Nothing is wrong with a website that says "the new Star Trek
book/toy/collectible is great. Everyone should get it." But you can't say
"here's a copy of it."
> The Internet is a place for free exchange
> of ideas. The fans simply are not going to accept anything else.
Ideas? fine. Pictures and videos of commercial products? No.
I think that Paramount/Viacom is afraid of losing their ownership of Star
Trek if they continue to let the brazen robbery of their copyright
continue. By allowing so many sites to take their material and not say
anything, they are in fact condoning it. If Paramount loses control of Star
Trek, that is definitely *not* in the fans best interest.
--
Judi Sohn
judis@interport.net
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