Forum:Copyright Vigilante

Information came my way this morning that there is apparently a woman in Nevada who is stating that Memory Alpha is nothing but a big copyright violation and that most of our pictures and articles are stolen from Paramount Pictures and CBS. Based on the e-mail I received, she is in conversation with some contacts in California to have Memory Alpha shut down. I don’t know how serious we should take this, but thought I would share what I know. -FC 18:55, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Then those contacts would have to shut down pretty much every wiki about every TV show. Unless this person works for CBS or Paramount they would have no standing to sue to shut down MA, as its not their copyright.--31dot 19:08, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm sure that Paramount and CBS are fully aware of the existence of MA. Any company with intellectual property employs an army of people, including a legal staff, to constantly patrol the internet and elsewhere for violations of those intellectual properties. If we were viewed to be in violation of copyrights, or improper use of copyrighted IP, we'd have heard about it... from multiple sources, including Wikia. -- Renegade54 19:13, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
 * And as MA has been around a few years, if it wasn't all right legally, we wouldn't be here now. :) --31dot 19:17, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
 * And the writers of the most recent movie used memory-alpha to help write their script. They've been fully aware of this site for years... :) &mdash; Morder 19:19, 5 June 2009 (UTC)

Yes, indeed, I think we just dealing with someone with too much time on their hands and/or a possible mental problem. -FC 19:36, 5 June 2009 (UTC)


 * A few points:
 * It's very hard to prove that the text of articles are a copyright violation. Pictures, maybe, but aside from direct quotations, articles are more like a review or analysis.
 * It doesn't make sense for Paramount of CBS to take action against MA, because sites like this generate interest and therefor revenue.
 * Memory Alpha has had credits and acknowledgments (in print) in at least 12 Star Trek novels, which (canon or not) are official, licensed Star Trek products. This is a tacit endorsement by Paramount
 * So I wouldn't be to worried. --- Jaz  21:59, 5 June 2009 (UTC)


 * I don't think anyone is worried. A woman in Nevada? That's rich! Might as well be an iguana in Arkansas. Trust me, it will go nowhere. In fact, I can hear Wikia laughing right now. If this forum hadn't been started, we probably never would have heard about this. :) --From Andoria with Love 22:22, 5 June 2009 (UTC)


 * OMG!!! Now an iguana in Arkansas as well??? What next... an aardvark in Iowa??? omgomgomgomg -- Renegade54 23:40, 5 June 2009 (UTC)