Hollywood studios Kling-on to Star Trek themes in copyright case
Crowdfunded film locked in battle over its use of franchise elements
Two Hollywood studios have filed an amended complaint to a lawsuit against the makers of a fan-funded Star Trek film, who are accused of copyright infringement.
Axanar Productions Inc and Alec Peters are being sued over the depiction of Star Trek themes, including the appearance of a Vulcan and the use of the Klingon language, in the movie, Axanar.
The movie raised over $1m through crowdfunding websites Kickstarter and Indiegogo and is a lengthier follow-up to the short film, Prelude to Axanar.
Paramount and CBS are due to release a new Star Trek movie and television series in the near future and are keen to protect their intellectual property (IP).
The original complaint was filed last December but after a dismissal motion was brought by Axanar claiming a lack of specificity, the plaintiffs came back with a revised complaint.
The defendant's claim that the lawsuit was 'premature, unripe, and would constitute an impermissible prior restraint on speech' was countered by the Hollywood studios, which highlighted a Facebook post describing the Axanar script as 'fully revised and locked' and 'the best Star Trek movie script ever!'
The copyrighted works alleged to be 'substantially similar' include characters, costumes, settings, logos, and dialogue, including the Klingon language, which was first spoken in Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 and used in several works thereafter.
The challenge raises questions as to whether a fictional language can be protected. As the case develops, Trekkies and IP lawyers alike will be keeping their eyes and Vulcan ears open.
