ATTN JMS: Viacom on the Rampage

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: ATTN JMS: Viacom on the Rampage
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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s  1: Dec 18, 1996: BFrost at exch.reedtool.com (Brian Frost)
+  3: Dec 19, 1996: pokerfac at ix.netcom.com (Lee Hutchinson )
*  4: Dec 19, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: BFrost at exch.reedtool.com (Brian Frost)
Lines: 14

You may or may not be aware that Viacom is trying to shutdown any Web
site that does more than provide discussion of Star Trek.

Seems to me that they are going to shoot themselves in the foot. The
fans are what has given Star Trek life over these many years. 

Would you or WB consider taking such action against Fan maintained B5
sites? I maintain a page for Houston B5 viewers and this would most
definitely affect the layout of my page.

Thanks,

Brian Frost


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From: pokerfac at ix.netcom.com (Lee Hutchinson )
Lines: 23

In <32b8191a.64041817 at news.cyserve.net> BFrost at exch.reedtool.com (Brian
Frost) writes: 
>Would you or WB consider taking such action against Fan maintained B5
>sites? I maintain a page for Houston B5 viewers and this would most
>definitely affect the layout of my page.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Brian Frost

Really??  I'm a Houston B5 viewer, and I'd love to get the URL of your
page.



-- 
Lee Hutchinson
Pokerfac at ix.netcom.com
"One hundred and six miles to Chicago; we got a full tank of gas, a half-
pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."

"Hit it."


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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 17

Actually, WB and I have already had discussions about this (along with
John C. and others in B5 production).  What we proposed, because of the
unique relationship between us and the online community, was that WB *not*
go after the fan web pages AS LONG AS they attached the proper copyright
info to any graphics or other material that's owned by WB.  This prevents
the material from falling into the public domain, which is the main
concern here.  (Most folks don't know that you can lose your copyright if
you do not make best, concerted efforts to defend it.)

It's a sane and sensible policy, and thus far it seems to be working.


 jms




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