Star Trek copies Babylon 5 yet again!

[Garibaldi's Hair]

Oh yeah ... how could I forget those,

[nottenst]

scripts on CD-ROM

STar Trek:TNG and DS9 put a whole bunch of their scripts as well as previews for their episodes on CD-ROM quite a number of years back. So, some people already have them in that format.

See this usenet thread for some comments at the time.

Neil

[B5sweepsfan]

After Andromeda, I'm surprised that Majel isn't more involved in this. Don't get me wrong, I've always liked Majel. But it rubbed me a bit wrong that she never referred to herself as Majel Roddenberry until after he passed.

She WAS around during ST:TOS, she makes much more sense as writing forewords than Jr.

I'm also fairly sure she wasn't asked!!

Anyone seen or heard from her recently?

[Jan]

It would have been interesting for Majel to write something for this first book since she was Number One.

Jan

[sftv]

Star Trek Scripts Regular volumes

They've made available the first two volumes of the Star Trek script books.

Each one looks to have five scripts, a special introduction by Eugene Roddenberry, a Roddenberry family photo and a Roddenberry quote. All for the $39.99 price. No sign of discounts during the first week or anything like that in the announcement emails either.

I'm still wondering how they are handling doing the scripts. By the way Joe describes the rules, the individual screenwriter can sell their scripts. Unless there is some special exception for Star Trek, I'd think that the original screenwriters of these episodes would be involved or hopefully will at least be getting some sort of payment.

Maybe a good question for Joe?

Lee

[Jan]

Hard to tell exactly what rights the studio might have regarding scripts since, afaik, the copyright holder is the studio. It's the WGA Separation of Rights provision that allows the writers to sell their scripts *as* scripts. That doesn't necessarily mean that the studio couldn't do it also.

Edit: I just took a look a the books. They're using an image of the Enterprise on the cover, something that JMS has said that he's not able to do with B5 images.

My questions are more along lines that JMS wouldn't be able to answer, I don't think. I'd like to know how/why the *Roddenberry* family got the right to do this. Could it be through a license with Paramount? I don't know of any way to find out.

One thing of note, though. I've now seen both Peter David and D.C. Fontana unsure that they could publish their own B5 scripts without permission from WB, since WB holds the copyright. I spoke to Dorothy Fontana about it myself at the recent WorldCon. She seemed rather interested in the idea so I sent her info after the con about what JMS has been doing. With luck the idea will spread.

Jan

[Dr Maturin]

It's simple. JMS owns the rights to his stuff and at least some or all of the ST writers do not. That, or they do and they're getting royalties.

[Jan]

Except that the WGA Separation of Rights provision is a part of the union contract that applies to all signatories of the WGA. JMS only has the right to publish his scripts as scripts. He cannot change them into (for example) short stories without a license from WB.

Was the union contract the same back 40 years ago? No way of telling, I don't think. I didn't mention the Trek script books to Ms. Fontana, either.

Jan

[Dr Maturin]

I hate those Hollywood unions.

[FuryPilot]

I hate those Hollywood unions.

In this case, why? It is the union deal that allows JMS to sell his B5 scripts.

FP

[Jan]

And the aswer to Lee's question is:

Title: Re: ATTN JMS: Star Trek Script Books - Non roddenbery Scripts
Author: [email protected]
Date: 8 Sep 2006 23:01:50 -0700
Message-ID: <[email protected] .com>

sftv wrote:
> Seeing as the first volumes of the Star Trek Script Books are now
> available, it has brought some questions to mind.
>
> They appear to be planning to include scripts of all of the episodes,
> not just the ones Rodenberry wrote. I would assume that if they are
> selling scripts by other writers, they would need to make arrangements
> with them. Or is there some special arrangement for 1960's scripts or
> Star Trek in particular (seeing as Majel has long been selling
> individual scripts).
>
> I would think that Harlan Ellison would like some say if they will be
> including "City on the Edge of Forever" in an upcoming edition or David
> Gerrold when they get to "The Trouble with Tribbles".
>
> As compared to the B5 script books, there isn't much beyond the scripts
> (five per book) other than an introduction by Eugene Rodenberry, a
> family photo and a Rodenberry quote. There also appears to be no
> discounts available like the B5 Scripts have during the first week of
> availability.
>
> Lee Whiteside
> SFTV.org

Which kind of goes to the core of what I wanted to do with the B5
script books, to make the maximum amount of information and the maximum
number of scripts available for as little as possible. This way, when
all is said and done, you have a real sort of holographic snapshot of
the making of the show from pretty much every angle.

To the larger question above...it's my understanding -- and I could be
wrong, but this is what I've heard -- that the Roddenberry estate made
a deal with the writers to sell their scripts some time ago. Whether
that was a one-time payment, or there's some sort of residual, I don't
know, but there does seem to have been permissions involved.

Speaking of...I plan to get volume 9 done and up for the last week of
this month. It's been kind of crazy of late, as noted earlier, but I'm
coming into a smooth patch for a bit where I can catch up on that and
some Marvel work. The last draft of Changeling has gone in to the
studio, so we're now awaiting a decision concerning
production...Touchstone has responded very well to the Borrowed Lives
pilot script...and I just got back from two days in New York meeting
with the director and producers on the next feature that I'll be
writing for Universal (one of them being Akiva Goldsman, a very nice
man). Also got to meet Will Smith in the production offices of I Am
Legend while I was there. Also seemed like a very nice fellow.

jms

Jan

[Dr Maturin]

In this case, why? It is the union deal that allows JMS to sell his B5 scripts.

FP

Too many rules and too much control over the goings on in the 'Wood. I like that people like Lucas and Rodriguez told them to fuck off.

[Karen]

I got an e-mail from Cafe Press today letting me know that they have 2 Trek scriptbooks for sale and also mechandise with Gene Roddenberry sayings on them. From the e-mail:

"Share Gene Roddenberry's vision with this quotable merchandise. This merchandise is limited-edition, and reflects the quotes inside the volumes launching monthly. Merchandise will remain up for one month only."

Maybe JMS should ask for some sort of royalty based on them using all of his ideas.

[Dr Maturin]

Maybe JMS should ask for some sort of royalty based on them using all of his ideas.

You do know that JMS wasn't the first to do it, right? CafePress is all about that kind of thing.

[Jan]

Umm...rather obviously Cafe Press does print on demand, right? And Roddenberry has been selling scripts, single scripts in regular script format, for years.

The comments are due to the similarities of the offerings, LiM. Until JMS came along, Roddenberry never offered books of multiple scripts with photos and quotes. 'Scuse me...*A* photo and *A* quote in each. It's possible that they intended to do exactly what they're doing even before JMS's project appeared on the front page of USA Today's Money section. The timing seems a little odd, though, especially considering the similarities.

Jan