Category Archives: News items

News items

Judge Denies Axanar Its Fair Use Defense

From the Axamonitor website, with thanks to File 770 for pointing me to the latest developments.

While a Federal judge denied summary judgment January 4, 2017, to both sides in the Axanar copyright infringement lawsuit, he dealt a major blow to the defendants’ hope to use fair use as a defense in the case.

Going to Trial

The 15-page decision moved the case forward to its scheduled January 31 trial date, striking out a central part of the defendants’ case. While Klausner found Axanar was indeed substantially similar to Star Trek using an extrinsic test, despite the defense’s protestations to the contrary, he left to the jury the intrinsic, or subjective, decision over whether the “total concept and feel of [Axanar and Star Trek works were] substantially similar.”1)

‘Objectively Infringing’

The extrinsic test Klausner used examines “specific expressive elements: the plot, themes, dialogue, mood, setting, pace, characters, and sequence of events in the two works to determine if articulable similarities exist.“2)

« Defendants intentionally use elements from the Star Trek Copyrighted Works to create works that stay true to Star Trek canon down to excruciating details. Defendants even touted that ‘Axanar feels like Star Trek.’ » — Judge R. Gary Klausner

Here, Klausner wrote, the “Defendants [producer Alec Peters and Axanar Productions] intentionally use elements from the Star Trek Copyrighted Works to create works that stay true to Star Trek canon down to excruciating details. Defendants even touted that ‘Axanar feels like Star Trek.’”3)

Read the rest of the article:

http://axamonitor.com/doku.php?id=fair_use_denied

News items

Best wishes flow in for Star Wars star Carrie Fisher

1 Comment

Princess Leia actress and writer in intensive care after medical emergency aboard flight to L.A. Friday

The Associated Press Posted: Dec 24, 2016 12:24 PM ET Last Updated: Dec 24, 2016 12:32 PM ET

Todd Fisher, her brother, said Friday night that she is receiving excellent care, but that he could not classify her condition. He earlier told The Associated Press that she had been stabilized and was out of the emergency room.

In a subsequent interview, he said many details about her condition or what caused the medical emergency are unknown.

Fans on Twitter hoped she would pull through. One wrote: “Carrie Fisher survived alcoholism, addiction, depression, bipolar disorder & 60 years in Hollywood. If anyone can survive 2016, it’s her.”

http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/best-wishes-carrie-fisher-hospital-1.3912177

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/12/23/stars-react-carrie-fishers-health-crisis/95807542/

 

News items

END OF TORONTO FAN INSTITUTION

In her latest newsletter for the group, Yvonne Penney announced Toronto’s First Thursday gatherings will end next week.

December will be the final First Thursday as founded by Tommy Ferguson in 1997. This decision has not been an easy one because of its longevity in the SF community in Toronto and region.

Here is why this is happening:

  1. I am retiring in 2017 and I have a long list of things that I want to accomplish and hopefully will have the time and continued health to do it in.
  2. Arthritis is slowly making its presence felt. For a number of years I have had difficulty in walking because of arthritis in my right ankle, my shoulders are in constant pain and my hips give me grief at times.
  3. Because of an unfortunate atmosphere that has arisen because one member decided he didn’t like the pub we were using. When the Foxes Den suddenly closed its doors (It’s now a Firkin), a new venue needed to be found, and rather than work with the group, he decided to start his own. He and his group cannot lay claim to the original pubnite as they were not around when the First Thursday Pubnite was created, which by the way was not created solely for the 2003 Worldcon bid – it predates that. Also, attendance has been low for the past several years; we no longer had the numbers, even at the Foxes Den, we once had many years ago.

This sort of split is not new; it occurs all the time anywhere in the world for any community or interest. I find it stressful….

News items, Television

Two stories from File 770: Mars, Dr Seus

(1) LITIGATION. File 770 reported in September about the Kickstarter appeal raising funds for Oh, The Places You’ll Boldly Go!, featuring the writing of David Gerrold, the art of Ty Templeton, and the editorial skills of ComicMix’s Glenn Hauman.

The holders of the Dr. Seuss rights have objected and sued for damages reports TMZ.com in “Oh, The Lawsuits You’ll See”.

Dr. Seuss‘ stories should NOT be rehashed with Vulcans or Klingons in the mix — at least not without permission … according to a new lawsuit.

The Doc’s camp just filed suit against ComicMix, which thought it’d be neat to make a ‘Star Trek‘ version of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the Seuss’ co. says ComicMix fused elements of the classic book with their own story, and even jacked actual prose from the original … all without asking.

They say ComicMix knew damn well it was doing the Doc dirty because its Kickstarter page for the project mentioned they might have to go to court to prove their work was parody and not a violation of copyright. They acknowledged, “we may even lose.”

Team Seuss is suing for damages. A lawyer for ComicMix tells us they love Dr. Seuss and hope to resolve the suit amicably.

 

And in case you missed Mars last night:

(2) NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MARS SERIES. Don’t wait until the November 14 premiere. Stream the Mars premiere now.

The year is 2033, and humanity’s first crewed mission to Mars is about to become a reality. As a clock counts down the final 90 seconds to landing, an expert crew of astronauts endures the final harrowing moments before touching down on the red planet. Even with the best training and resources available, the maiden crew of the Daedalus spacecraft must push itself to the brink of human capability in order to successfully establish the first sustainable colony on Mars. Set both in the future and in the present day, the global miniseries event MARS blends feature film-caliber scripted elements set in the future with documentary vérité interviews with today’s best and brightest minds in modern science and innovation, illuminating how research and development is creating the space technology that will enable our first attempt at a mission to Mars.

News items

A couple of Bheer stories

Bheer story #1: Narragansett Beer introduces another Lovecraftian beer.READ MORE1032_GANS_LovecraftWhiteAleSM_WebBanner_R2

Bheer story #2:  …for Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, Shmaltz brewing is appropriately celebrating the beloved franchise with two collector’s edition beers dubbed “Golden Anniversary Ale: The Trouble With Tribbles” and “Golden Anniversary Ale: Voyage To The Northeast Quadrant”.  READ MORE

News items

Robert Silverberg suffered another heart attack

[Thanks to Andrew Porter via File 770 and also to William Pettit (Pete) for the story.]

Robert Silverberg reports that on May 9 he suffered a heart attack in Siena, Italy. He told Andrew Porter in an e-mail:

Repairs performed, I am home now, and all seems well, though as of this morning it appears recovery will be slow.

I do expect to attend the worldcon.

Several dear friends volunteered to come to Siena last week to assist Karen. This proved not to be necessary but was vastly appreciated.

I would not be surprised to receive many messages of concern. Believe me that these will all be received gratefully but I don’t have the strength right now to make individual replies.

I have made no public announcement of the event before this but I no longer regard it as classified info.

Silverberg’s history includes a previous heart attack while on a trip to the UK.

 

News items, Television

Star Trek Coins from Canada’s royal mint

The Star Trek coins were unveiled on the 12th of May at the aviation and space museum in Ottawa. (Read Press Release here.)

TribblesMust see! Absolutely gorgeous, and colourful!

You can go to the web site for the Royal Mint, or here to download from their dropbox.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, STAR DATE: MAY 12, 2016 – The Royal Canadian Mint, under license by CBS Consumer Products, is set to uncover a new world of collectibles celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series.  The unforgettable characters and imagery of the revolutionary TV show, which has captivated legions of fans in Canada and around the world since 1966, have been captured on a stunning variety of coins devoted to the original series. 

A $10 coloured silver coin picturing the commander of U.S.S. Enterprise, KirkCaptain James Tiberius Kirk, was unveiled by William Shatner, the Canadian-born actor who made this character a household name, and Mint President and CEO Sandra Hanington at an event hosted by the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.       

“Through many unforgettable coins, the Royal Canadian Mint has skillfully captured the historical events and cultural experiences whose impact on Canadians continues to be felt today,” said the Honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance. “On the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series, the Government of Canada is pleased that the Mint could commemorate the historic influence of this ground-breaking television series and the uniquely Canadian contributions to its enduring success.”

(Read the rest of the Press Release here.)

News items

Boîte Noire to close, sell off DVD collection

Founder blames youthful tastes, as well as technological change

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“It’s not the same kind of film consumption today,” said Poitras. “A good Boîte Noire customer would come in 30 weeks a year and rent between three and five films. That’s disappeared. Young people are less there. Look, we often talk about film festivals and how they’re festivals for the grey-hair set. It’s a different world. Look, I was in one little corner of the galaxy so it’s hard for me to talk about the entire galaxy. But I see less people interested in the masters, in filmmakers like Fellini and Bergman. For a long time we had a student special. You could rent two films for $5.50. That doesn’t destroy your budget. But it didn’t work. We’re in a society where we entertain ourselves to death. The leisure offering is so much bigger than it was 20 or 30 years ago.”

That was the bit I thought most interesting to us, the full article appears below, click the read more.

Continue reading Boîte Noire to close, sell off DVD collection →

News items

3 Doctor Who stories

File 770 posted 3 Dr Who Stories that I thought would interest the MonSFFen. Two are about the spin-off, Class, and the third is about Gallifrey One 2017 in LA.  Apparently, 2016 tickets sold out in under 2 minutes.

(1) HEAD OF THE CLASS. From Variety: “’Doctor Who’ Spinoff ‘Class’ Taps Katherine Kelly to Lead Ensemble Cast”.

“Happy Valley” alum Katherine Kelly has been tapped to lead an ensemble of newcomers in the “Doctor Who” spinoff “Class.”

Kelly will play a teacher at Coal Hill School, an institution that has been part of the “Doctor Who” universe since its inception in 1963. Students will be played by newbies Greg Austin, Fady Elsayed, Sophie Hopkins and Vivian Oparah.

Filming on “Class” begins this week. There’s no word yet on a target premiere date for the BBC Three/BBC America series created by Patrick Ness. “Doctor Who” and “Class” exec producer Steven Moffat likened the series to a British version of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

(2) ROLL CALL. Sci-Fi Storm completes the roster – “BBC announces the Class of Class”.

Joining Kelly as students at the school are Greg Austin (Mr. Selfridge), Fady Elsayed (My Brother the Devil), Sophie Hopkins (The Meeting Place) and newcomer Vivian Oparah.

With the focus on the young adult audience, each of the students is described as having “hidden secrets and desires. They are facing their own worst fears, navigating a life of friends, parents, school work, sex, sorrow — and possibly the end of existence.”

(3) TWO MINUTE WARNING. Tickets for next year’s Gallifrey One, the Doctor Who-themed convention in LA, go on sale April 16.

As we prepare for Gallifrey One 2017 ticket sales to start, please remember: tickets to Gallifrey One 2016 sold out in less than two minutes. We mention this because we want to emphasize very strongly that you should be prepared to be ready to purchase your tickets shortly before the time announced above….

2017 Ticket Prices

Prices for tickets to our 2017 Gallifrey One convention are as follows:

$95.00 Adult Full Weekend

$50.00 Teen Full Weekend (Ages 12-16)

$20.00 Child Full Weekend (Ages 3-11)

…Please note that we have elected to discontinue single-day tickets for 2017 in order to adequately support our entire attendee base with a complete weekend full of programming. All tickets will allow entry into the 2017 convention at any time throughout the weekend, and attendee badges can be picked up from Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning.

News items

Montreal’s only aviation museum loses its founder

This article from today’s Gazette will be of interest to many of our members, esp those of us who made the trek to the aviation museum in Ottawa. (Photos of that field trip here)

Heritage centre was brainchild of aircraft enthusiast Pasmore

 It is known simply as the Old Stone Barn and it sits in the middle of agricultural farmland on McGill’s Macdonald campus in Ste- Anne- de- Bellevue.

Historian Bill Doran looks at a Fairchild Razorback at the Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre in St-Anne- de-Bellevue on Thursday. Godfrey Stewart Pasmore, who started the museum, died on March 12.

The structure has 23- inch thick walls, is more than 100 years old, and would seem like an inauspicious location for anything other than a place for cattle to retire for the day, or night. But since its radical repurposing a decade ago, it is now home to Montreal’s only aviation museum. The Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre, which opened in 2009, was the brainchild of Godfrey Stewart Pasmore, an aviation enthusiast who passed away March 12 at the age of 83.

“Godfrey was a very special guy,” said Eric Campbell, the museum’s chief of operations. “It’s his determination that got the centre started. There were over 30 aviation museums in Canada, but there was nothing ( like this) in Quebec.”

The museum now houses seven aircraft built by volunteers who shared Pasmore’s passion for aviation history. An adjoining art gallery displays an impressive collection of more than 60 paintings of aircraft, along with dozens of finely detailed model aircraft.

Campbell credits Pasmore for spearheading the museum’s founding, which included 10 years of refurbishing the Old Stone Barn, originally built in the early 1900s by tobacco magnate and philanthropist Sir William Macdonald, to bring it up to modern museum standards.

Pasmore’s passion for vintage aircraft came from his father, said Campbell.

“His father was Hubert Pasmore, a World War I pilot who later ran Fairchild Industries in Longueuil, which produced a lot of aircraft in the 1930s and ’ 40s, and closed just after the war.”

Godfrey Pasmore, a Montreal businessman whose mother was Beatrice Macdonald Molson ( née Stewart), converted part of the Old Stone Barn into a modern art gallery to display his personal art collection.

“Godfrey created over 35 paintings with Canadian aviation artists to honour his father’s career and he wanted a gallery to show it in,” Campbell said. “It’s his will that we are there. I’ve never met anyone who had the determination to put a high- end steel roof on a building he didn’t own. He was that determined to get his art collection shown.”

Museum volunteers also spent 15 years building a replica of the Blériot XI ( Le Scarabée), the first aircraft to fly over Montreal in 1910, piloted by Count Jacques de Lesseps.

“We flew it once on Aug. 29, 2014 to celebrate the first flight over Montreal,” Campbell said. “We also recreated the Razorback ( Fairchild FC- 2), the plane that Godfrey ’s father flew the first international airmail delivery, from Quebec to Ottawa, in 1927.”

Campbell said the museum breaks

even financially, and depends on public donations to survive.

“Every year we come to the end of January and we survived the year,” he said. “We do not have a white knight investor. We are hand to mouth.”

Fundraising efforts will require even more effort, now that Pasmore has passed away, said Campbell.

“It’s up to the rest of us to pick up and carry on the runway of life because Godfrey ran out of runway and we’re here to make sure his dream goes further,” Campbell said.

In an effort to broaden the museum’s appeal to the general public, museum officials are in the process of rebranding it simply as the Montreal Aviation Museum.

“We’re broadening community interest in it,” said former museum president Bill Doran. “That’s what our big aim is, because we’re getting far more Air Cadets and students coming here.”

The museum has a five- year lease with McGill. Doran and other members would like to see that converted into a long- term lease.

“This museum is the best- kept secret on the West Island,” added Doran, a former aircraft maintenance instructor at John Abbott College.

Pasmore leaves a strong legacy for fellow aviation enthusiasts. Even the Old Stone Barn unofficially bears his name, Campbell said.

“A lot of his family and close friends called it ‘ Godfrey’s Church’. It’s there because of him. That’s what he strove to do to protect Canadian aviation history in Quebec.”