tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed May 03 18:17:42 2006
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Re: Hamlet
- From: Shane MiQogh <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Hamlet
- Date: Wed, 3 May 2006 18:17:31 -0700 (PDT)
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- In-reply-to: <[email protected]>
Lady K'Lyssia <[email protected]> wrote:
> How can they renew it? WHo sold it in the first place? And who can
> sell\rent it out to Paramount again?
>
> > The copywrite runs out one day, just hope and pray for that day to come
> > soon that they don't renew it.
> >
the original copyrights would have belonged to Gene, however, when he sold
the series to the original studio/network, that means he sold some of the
copyrights as well (dependent on how the contracts were written). When
Desilu studios was bought by Paramount they gained the properties owned and
controlled by Desilu - that includes Star Trek.
As the owners of the copyright when they finally (and that will be quite a
while - thanks to Disney Corporation and the Mickey Mouse clause [as it has
been called] they have managed to get added to copyright law) start to run
out they can apply for an extension.
Right now, I believe Copyright for corporations stands at roughly 99 years
or something like it - it is a lengthy timeframe.
Now, for the other stuff that needs to be understood here.
Corporations, don't normally go after copyright infringement that strongly -
look at the amount of Star Trek fan fiction on the web that is allowed to
remain on the web without being pulled off - That is a clear violation of
copyright laws.
The reason corporation don't worry about copyright with stuff like trek is
that they are not required by law to defend copyright in order to keep it.
Trademarks on the other must be defended or they are lost. If paramount
studios, as the entity that controls and owns Star Trek, is not seen as
defending their trademarks they risk losing them entirely - which the
trademark becomes a household term and anyone can do anything they want with
it - whether it compliments the Trek Universe or defames it. When paramount
goes after someone they go after them for trademark infringement in most
cases. Like LucasFilms, they have trademarked almost everything to do with
their property.
Many people nowadays don't realize that the word aspirin was originally a
trademark of Bayer Pharmaceuticals. However, Bayer didn't defend the
trademark, so aspirin is now the name used by any pharmaceutical company for
their own variety of salicylic acid.
Xerox faced the same thing in the 70's - and came close to losing their
trademark on their name - Xerox.
While I would like to see Paramount and the other powers that be have some
sort of way for fan organizations to produce good quality items with having
to pay high licensing fees - I also don't want to see the trademarks they
hold become free for any Ferengi to use in any manner they chose with no
regard.
By the Way: as long as Trademarks are defended - they don't run out IIRC.
Carol Hightshoe
www.carolhightshoe.com
www.loreleisignal.com
www.wolfsingerpubs.com
http://klyssia.blogspot.com/
Don't Write What You Know; Write What You Care About -- Passionately!
Oddly enough... There was a rumor on a game currently known as "Tibia", and the rumor states that the minotaurs used to say "Qapla'!" but now they say "Kaplar!" I have yet to confirm this rumor to be true, but i thought it might be a warning before we all think that Paramount won't sue us, that i beleive that it's possible the rumor was true (alot of catchlines and phrases and even names have been used in this game, perhaps to attract attention) and that paramount sent out a warning. There is no record of this though, but just to be on the safe side, i think that this simple harmless game company *MAY* have been threatened by paramount on a 1 word phrase. Personally, if i was part of paramount, i wouldn't see this simple game a threat to royalty loss, but perhaps an advertisement method, to advertise the language... the rumor that they said "Qapla'!" may be false, but even so, it looks lagit... I would put my money on the rumor being true considering they have 2 characters
in the game called "Harsky" and "Stutch". What makes me wonder the most is if Okrand has to ask permission from paramount on his own creation...
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