legal to make star trek game ?

[rednova]

Hi all:

I remember a long time ago there was a free star trek game for amiga.
Is it legal for me to make a new star trek game if it is free/PD ?

[kolla]

Depends on what jurisdiction you are in. In your case, the US, I guess you should ask the owners of the Star Trek franchise, which I believe is Paramount, they are the ones who decide how legal it is for you.

[amigakid]

It is illegal unless you get the approval since Star Trek is registered and trade marked to the owner/franchise.  I would write to Paramount and ask for permission, and state that it is not for retail, self monetary gain and for Public Domain.  Also wouldn't hurt to note that it is for a computer no longer in production and as a personal project because of your love of the Star Trek Franchise (doesn't hurt to butter them up some ).

[7valleys]

Illegal is not the proper word, it's a violation of copyright, they can sue you in court for any financial damages they feel are justified and the US is noted for judges making big monetary judgements against copyright infringers....

[AndyFC]

Not an answer to whether it's illegal/whatever, but there were plenty of Star Trek PD games (as well as ones related to other brands).

Is it something which will harm the franchise or their market (I doubt paramount is planning to release an Amiga Star Trek game soon).

Perhaps contact some of the authors of current 'unofficial' Star Trek s/w which has made it to release and see if they contacted Paramount. https://play.google.com/store/search?q=star%20trek&c=apps

[Iggy]

If its free I's assume it would fall into the same category as other fans created media (like fan fiction or video).
Basically, its tolerated.

[psxphill]

If its free I's assume it would fall into the same category as other fans created media (like fan fiction or video).
Basically, its tolerated.

Yeah, they have tolerated free stuff for years.

But as soon as there is money involved then BAM http://deadline.com/2015/12/star-trek-fan-films-lawsuit-paramount-axanar-1201674185/

I'd say that you probably wouldn't even come up on their radar, but the smurf game did. Sure there were PD games in the past, but that was in a time when it was hard to know what infringement was going on and it would have been pretty hard to find someone responsible for producing it. Now they just need to send a C&D email to your host.

[Templario]

It is illegal for the copyrights, you remember the case of The Smurf game, other option make a game inside the Star Trek Universe no using the names and characters from the movies, making an own universe.

[psxphill]

other option make a game inside the Star Trek Universe no using the names and characters from the movies, making an own universe.

Star Trek takes place in our universe. A game without the Star Trek name, none of the characters, ships, concepts etc isn't really going to be a Star Trek game.

TBH you'd be better off producing a game based on your own ideas anyway.

[Iggy]

I don't know, the crude Star trek games we had on early, build it yourself PCs were some of the most popular games available (alongside the Lunar Lander games).
But I would have to assume that the game being considered is much more complex.

[scuzzb494]

Hi all:

I remember a long time ago there was a free star trek game for amiga.
Is it legal for me to make a new star trek game if it is free/PD ?

The game wasn't free. I certainly bought mine from a shop. PD Houses generally charged for their disks. Came on two disks... STGame and STData. By von Tobias J Richter who also created a shed load of very cool Star Trek animations which are also available on PD Disks. Interestingly disk one states that the game was created by AGAtron.. Amiga Graphics and Animations though also refers to another name Unique Computing Angus Bell. The second disk STData has German text referring to yet another name and a PDHouse and disk reference.

The disk also carries a Richter animation and pictures of NCC-1701-A Enterprise which has a maximum speed of WARP 12.

The documentation was produced on 11th August 1989. The game appears to have German origin.

I doubt very much that the game could have been produced without referring to the franchise and company owner that held the copyright. Star Trek will hold a worldwide right over the use of its name and I am sure that in these days of internet factoring there are paid representatives tracking all activity of brand names. The risk is not only whether a product can benefit from the brand but whether also it can damage. So I am guessing even folk that display images of product on their websites are at risk of being served.

By the way... STAR TREK The Game on just two disks is very good and most enjoyable. I have also Star Trek the 25th Anniversary game and I still prefer the PD game. Truly amazing given the two disks it comes on. I have the plastic sleeved version of the PDGame which I purchased from my local Amiga store back in 1994.

The simple solution is to write to the company that holds the copyright.

[paul1981]

Hi all:

I remember a long time ago there was a free star trek game for amiga.
Is it legal for me to make a new star trek game if it is free/PD ?

Make the game, credit it to GreenNova productions and then anonymously upload it somewhere.

[rednova]

Thank you all for the replies.
I think now that I'm probably better off making new original games
different from one who has copyrights.

[slaapliedje]

For what it's worth, I had read somewhat recently somewhere that it depends on what Franchise and their history of dealing with such things.  From what I'd read Star Trek owners were generally okay with people making things for it.  Star Wars, not so much.  I think something like Marvel (especially now that Disney owns them) would also probably raise a stink on any of their properties.

Maybe make something in the Firefly Universe?  We could always use a game like that.

[save2600]

Just call it Star Trak.  

Captain Jerk, Lieutenant Manure, Shotty, Mr. Schlock, Commander Pavel Jackoff, Ensign Ho, Mr. Soho.. you get the idea.   :laughing:

Remember Star Drek from the Dr. Demento show? I do!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioH0POPyeEQ