In December 2015, Paramount and CBS sued the producers of a proposed fan-supported feature length movie called "Axanar" which was to be set in the Star Trek universe. Included in the issues at dispute was the question: who owns the Klingon language and can a language, albeit an invented one, be copyrighted?
Some authors like J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter, welcome fan-made books and movies. Rowling says that she "is happy for spin-offs to be published online as long as the publications are not sold and it is made clear she was not involved in the stories," and that such works are not pornographic or racist.
What does it mean to be a fan? We’ll discuss fan culture and ownership with attorney and writer Drew Clark; and Lynne McNeill, Assistant Professor of Folklore in the English Department at USU; and we’ll hear sound clips from a trailer for “Axanar,” a production of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in Klingon, Carol Burnett’s parody “Went with the Wind,” and others.
Lynne McNeill is Assistant Professor of Folklore in the English Department at Utah State University. You can find the USU Folklore is on Facebook and Twitter @usufolklore.
Drew Clark is counsel at Best Best and Krieger. He was previously opinion editor of Deseret News. He has led efforts to promote progress in telecommunications, media and technology, and has written widely for Ars Technica, GigaOm, National Journal, Slate, and the Washington Post. He earned his bachelor’s degree with honors from Swarthmore College, his master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and his law degree from George Mason University School of Law.
