Ian Shrallow wrote:3. Your grasp of copywrite and intellectual property laws is not that wonderful. It sounds like you just let a bunch kids put fear into you. In most cases people who claim copywrites have never even copywrited the material. In fact, most people don't even know the first thing about the paperwork involved
Actually, in the United Kingdom there is no paper work involved in intellectual copyright (not copywrite, which is text), as shown below in this passage taken from Her Majesty's Patent Office website:
Before you go any further you need to know that there is no official register for copyright. It is an unregistered right (unlike patents, registered designs or trade marks). So, there is no official action to take, (no application to make, forms to fill in or fees to pay). Copyright comes into effect immediately, as soon as something that can be protected is created and "fixed" in some way, eg on paper, on film, via sound recording, as an electronic record on the internet, etc.
(http://www.patent.gov.uk/copy/definition.htm)
Now, due to several international conventions, most noticably the Berne Convention of 1886/1979 (of which the United States, and the United Kingdom are members) is protected in all member countries (again, information taken from Her Majesty's Patent Officer on this page http://www.patent.gov.uk/copy/indetail/copyclaim.htm).
Moving on to the ownership of Star Trek et al, it would feesable for Viacom to begin proceedings against those using the Star Trek name on websites (including this website, and Steve's website, and Tango Fleet, and indeed on various of my own website). As you say, there would be little money in the proceedings, but courts can of course grant other remedies such as injunction or abatement (although, one could debate whether or not that is applicable in such circumstances).
Now, as for Steve copyrighting material under the Star Trek name, we come to an interesting question. In the end, the courts, and only the courts, can make a decision regarding the originality of the work. Not you, this website, Viacom, Steve, myself, nor the Queen (well, possibly her, depending on how far we allow her to allow her sovereign rights to extend). Steve's work could be considered an adaption of the original Star Trek (as much of his work is, for example the Federation Amabassadors pips are based on his the series, but are actually is own work in the entirity, from the pips to the names, as with some of the alian rank insignia). Under British law, it is more than likely they would be considered original.
How this would all fit in to the international nature of this website (I see, for example, that the head administrator is from the Czech Republic, while the assistants appear to be more internationally based), I am unsure, and would be a matter for lawyers with more experience in this field of law.
The law lecture's over now, and returning to the point, it is common courtesy to credit Steve, whether it is legal copyright or not. He spent a lot of time working on that, and it is only what one could call "fair". By not copyright Steve, you create a bad image for yourself and this organisation.
