Comments on: FanMade: RiffTrax Does Phase II+ Federation One Images + New Audio Dramas + more

By: Jim Davis

Jim Davis — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:36:57 +0000

Well, THAT was a nice surprise, finding my face in your column. I had a great deal of fun with President Se’Fron — he was very different from Siroc. I had to be . . . ethical, honest and dplomatic – niceties Siroc never bothered with.

Handling one particular scene required meshing with several different powerful characters, and not losing Se’Fron’s “cool.”

I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Federation One.

By: sean

sean — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:56:38 +0000

#69

I’m sure you knew that Dennis, but if you look up at a few comments by folks like Daoud, it’s clear he wasn’t getting the picture.

From my perspective, RiffTrax wasn’t truly making any money off of Phase II/New Voyages, even if they were offering the video. But I’m glad everyone has kissed and made up anyway!

By: Falvoant

Falvoant — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:50:02 +0000

I dont want to speak for James but,

For the Record….I don’t think any of us had a problem with the Parody
Hell Im a MST3K Fan from way back …..Its not that we can’t laugh at ST TOS or ourselves WE DO….and we get it…

But people just don’t understand when we see something that could jeopardize our professional relationships …We will do ANYTHING we can to preserve and respect those relationships…

Tony
STP2 Crew

By: Dennis Bailey

Dennis Bailey — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:35:40 +0000

#68:”So as I suspected, the MP3 itself IS protected as parody.”

Of course the riffing soundtrack is protected – that was never the issue. The sale of the video was.

Glad to hear that this got settled appropriately.

By: sean

sean — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:18:18 +0000

So as I suspected, the MP3 itself IS protected as parody. I’m sure the assumption by RiffTrax was that a freely-available fan film wasn’t a copyright issue (as many others assumed as well). Those are good fellas over there, and I’m 100% positive they meant no harm by offering the combo video/audio.

Plus, I’d point out that Bill Corbett (Crow T Robot) had some very nice things to say about New Voyages over on the RiffTrax forums.

By: James Cawley

James Cawley — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:51:02 +0000

We sent Rifftrax a C&D and they took down the video/audio compliation.
“WEAT” Is OUR intellectual property and STAR TREK is CBS/PARAMOUNTS. At any rate Rifftrax understood the legalities and complied and we Thank Them for doing so.
James Cawley

By: Imrahil

Imrahil — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:00:24 +0000

Plus, it’s really funny. I adore Trek, but if you can’t laugh at it, you’ve got some serious problems.

Download, watch, love, learn.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:17:03 +0000

Dennis,

Yes MST3K couldn’t use the movies on their show with out the obtaining the rights from the copyright holders (with the exception of films that were public domain) But the fact of the matter is that it is not possible to copyright New Voyages unless Paramount bought it from the producers. Then Paramount would be the copyright holder to that specific work.

Barring that, the work is fair game by the very fact that the people who created it have no rights to their creation. Anyone could take New Voyages and do whatever they want with it until and unless Paramount clams the copyright on it.

I think the stage production was shut down mainly because the didn’t have the money to hire lawyers to fight Paramount.

The only people that hold some rights to some of the material would be Gene Roddenberry, writers of scripts and composers of the music as per Union rules of the day. And the only thing that they have the right to is royalties. Roddenberry or his estate doesn’t have the right so use Star Trek with out permission from Paramount, hence roddenberry.com being shut down for several months until an agreement could be worked out. The composers don’t have the right to release an album of the music with out Paramount’s ok.

So unless Paramount makes a fuss about this, its all a moot point.

By: Krik Semaj

Krik Semaj — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:34:27 +0000

“what “Krik Semaj” says on any subject is never important, and we do not hear his words” Oh brother. That is as mellow dramatic as any Shatner line ever delivered. Why is that Dennis? Or can’t you reply because “you do not hear my words”
How childish. A true “open minded” Trek fan.
Most of the posts on this site are very good. Some are so inane that it is difficult to fathom how they are conceived.
You are obviously offended to the core regarding anyone making fun of Star Trek as are a few others on this site. Many of us have no problem with parody, and are big enough to take it. I really don’t care if you”hear” my words or not. The fact is you just read them. Please learn to lighten up a bit.
I love Star Trek too. Can’t we just be friends?

By: Dennis Bailey

Dennis Bailey — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:04:42 +0000

#60: “If Parody wasn’t protected speech then shows like The Carol Burnett Show and Saturday Night Live would have been shut down a long time ago.”

You’re wrong. Parody isn’t protected to the extent of the appropriation of an entire work or significant portion of a work – which is why, for example, MST3K couldn’t just lift any film at any time and use it commercially.

Paramount shut down at least one stage production in the 1990s which was supposedly using TOS as a framework for political satire – the producers claimed that it was fair use as parody, and the studio won on the basis that it was in fact an illegal appropriation of their trademarks.

And it’s also true that other people than Paramount or NV own copyright on some of this material.

Your guess that RiffTrax cleared this with Paramount would be mistaken as well.

All of that is addressed to Doug – what “Krik Semaj” says on any subject is never important, and we do not hear his words. ;)