The Viacom Crackdowns

The Viacom/Paramount Crackdowns (beginning in 1995) were an attempt, one that was often successful, by TPTB to shut down fan sites, close down fan publications, and/or extract licensing fees for fans using source texts that Viacom and Paramount owned. 
The first crackdown was especially damaging to fans in the UK and Australia. 
==Other Attempts To Control Fandom==
The 1995 Australia crackdown was not Viacom's first attempt to grab control of Star Trek fannish activities. On April 15, 1994, David Weinstein posted to rec.arts.startrek.fandom that 
While the 1995 Australian fan club efforts may have been more successful, Viacom was unable to stop the online fan communities from carrying on with their 20+ year tradition of writing and posting fan fiction. This has not stopped Viacom from continuing to try as evidenced by its ongoing efforts to shut down Youtube.5 years later, Viacom still suing YouTube out of “principle” published January 31, 2012; accessed February 17, 2012.
===1995===
This is a report that was sent to and printed in several Star Trek newsletters in spring of 1995:
Paramount’s actions against Australian fandom were also vigorously debated in Shayne McCormack's letterzine So You Say and Joanne Kerr's slash letterzine Short Circuit.
Australia's fan club reactions were divided. Some fanzines, like the long standing and well-respected Astrex, folded. Other clubs decided to wait until non-fannish court challenges to the GATT treaty (the basis of some of Viacom's letters to fan clubs) was finalized. Convention organizers also considered abandoning the semi-pro fan conventions that had been the staple of Star Trek fandom for the past 20+ years and dropping actors and other Star Trek cast members as official guests. Source: Morgan Dawn's personal notes, accessed Feb. 16, 2012.
===UK's Reporting: 1995===
A British newsletter, CCSTSG Enterprises, published by Jeffrey Mills, also carried reports from three other Star Trek fandom sources in 1995. According to Jeffrey: 
===UK Fandom's Reaction: 1995===
* "Viacom closed down Trek fanzines in Australia, one of the few countries where there isn’t a technicality in the law that allows them to continue." Sue Bursztynski Blogspot, posted 1.2007, accessed 9.2011 
* "There has been no news from Paramount/Viacom concerning the future of Star Trek fandom in the UK so perhaps no news is good news.... We had expected to hear something by now but, as we haven't, I think it prudent to take a 'wait and see' attitude. While we should be concerned about their interference, Spock would be quick to remind us that it is pointless to worry about what may possibly happen; we will cross that bridge when we come to it. However, I am fervently hoping that clubs like STAG will be allowed to continue without having to pay a license fee." from Star Trek Action Group #120 
* "I found the article on the future of Star Trek fandom most interesting. Paramount is obviously determined to "live long and prosper', economically that is. In the 60s certain executives had Star Trek dead and buried. It was the fans who rescued and nurtured Star Trek during the wilderness years of the 70s, demanding it should be given another chance. The inflationary success of the ST experience during the 1980s, the films and TNG owe much to that fandom. I fear the argument in question is not over the ownership of ideas but over money. There is an unpleasant smell of greed in the air. Perhaps Paramount is being run by the Ferengi! Over the past ten years Star Trek has been a nice little earner for Paramount. And now do they wish to squeeze every last penny out of it in the hope that their bank account will 'boldly go where none have gone before'? I hope I am wrong but it does seem to be a classic case of biting the hand that feeds it." from Star Trek Action Group #120 
* "I imagine that most, if not all, Star Trek fans will be quite horrified at reading about Paramount trying to snub out the fan-run clubs and conventions. I certainly was! It is, of course, typical of Paramount to come up with such a thing; they tried to do away with Star Trek in the first place, at the end of the second season of Classic Trek. It was the fans in the USA who persuaded them to allow a third season via a letter writing campaign. At the end of the third season Paramount probably thought that it was indeed the end of Star Trek. It was the fans who kept the name of Star Trek alive and it was because of the fans that the films, TNG, DS9 and Voyager have come along. They never learn, do they?" from Star Trek Action Group #120 
* "...Paramount (the owners) won't come cheap for a licence. They may charge a smaller fee for fan-run clubs and conventions but that would mean the fans will still have to pay more to cover the fees, and that "more' will go into Paramount's pockets. I think it is about time we told Paramount what we think about all this. We have not been costing Paramount money at all; indeed, Star Trek clubs and fans promote Star Trek. Come off it Paramount, we are Star Trek fans and we are not stupid!" from Star Trek Action Group #120 
* "Star Trek: Fandom or Commercial Commodity? Once Star Trek was some sort of show, not to be taken too seriously. Now, however, the "powers that be' have woken up! Not only can they see that there is money to be made from this, but a lot of money! So, instead of working alongside the world of fandom, instead of working together with the fan market already established, they seemed to have decided to totally take over, not only by running the show for themselves, but by also totally swallowing up everything in their path. This means out go fan-run conventions, in come the newfangled commercial and glitzy productions/conventions. Out go the fan written zines with their home drawn pictures and home spun poems, and in come glossy, snazzy magazines and books with eyecatching designs. Out go the polystyrene sets that wobble, and in come the computer-designed, attention-grabbing special effects, complete with as many gismos and gadgets that the retailer can stock." from Star Trek Action Group #120 
* "I read the article regarding Paramount's dictatorial attitude as to what fans will and will not be allowed to do in the future and I can honestly say I find their attitude disgraceful. They are acting purely out of greed. They make more than enough money out of Trek fans and I fail to see how showing videos at cons and club meetings is going to make the slightest bit of difference to their huge profits. Why should fan run conventions be licenced? I can understand licencing the huge profit-making US cons, but it's out of order to try and licence cons where the main use of their profits is to give it to charity; does Paramount want that money as well? I think they should be told to keep their greedy hands off our conventions and fan clubs and that whatever rules and regulations they try to impose should be completely ignored. They can't sue the whole world, can they?" from Star Trek Action Group #120 
* "I want to comment on the future of fandom; what a nerve Paramount has trying to dictate to us what we can and cannot do. Don't they realise that without our support ST would not be what it is today? Having said that, however, I don't just love ST because Paramount made it. I love ST for what it represents for the future. Paramount cancelled ST, then we, the fans, still watched it and produced fanzines etc. We still supported it when Paramount didn't and now they have the gall to say we can't use the name Star Trek for our fan clubs, or even produce newsletters. What would happen if we suddenly stopped buying anything ST? This would hit them where it hurts most, but they know fans will (myself included) continue to buy ST merchandise. I hope this situation is resolved; if not I fear the worst for fandom. Have Paramount nothing better to do than dictate to us, the loyal, faithful, fans? Whatever happens, Paramount can't take away our love for Star Trek." from Star Trek Action Group #120 
* "The British Star Trek conventions have had it their own way for over twenty years and now it seems that Paramount may be going to crack down on them. Well, everything must come to an end. British Star Trek conventions are run by a clique, a group of people who wouldn't like Paramount to take away their power. The attendees are getting a raw deal at British Conventions these days. The Business Meeting rules are a big joke. The only rule should be "the convention is for the attendees", and not all the mumbo jumbo they have now. If it's going to take Paramount to take away the influence of this clique, then so be it. The Generations convention was a turning point in U.K. conventions. It was competition for the fan run conventions and, like the film, it was the start of a new era, and the end of an old one." from Star Trek Action Group #120 
* "Their proposed action is insane! Why don't they leave the humble and modest D.I.Y. Star Trek fan clubs alone? These clubs only want to share ideas and experiences, all for the love of Star Trek. Paramount gets enough money from the episodes and merchandise. They're nothing but a bunch of hypocrites who didn't want Star Trek in the first place!" from Star Trek Action Group #121 
* "I also want to comment on this bullying of the fan clubs and cons by Paramount referred to in newsletter 119. I cannot tell you how outraged this made me. How greedy and ungrateful can they be? If it wasn't for all us fans doing our bit over the years they wouldn't have all the billions of dollars Star Trek has made for them. The fans make no money and do it for the love of it. I think the fans should do an organised boycott in response, of Paramount's movies, Star Trek programmes and related items to make our feelings known to them. It's just warp ten greed on Paramount's part and is sickening." from Star Trek Action Group #121 
* "I would like to add my thoughts on this new move by Paramount. It seems to me that it is just another way for the fat cats of this world to get a few more dollars out of us. I agree with [N L] (newsletter 119) that a lot of what goes on in fandom comes from us, the fans, which stems from earlier times when Paramount did not really want Star Trek and it was kept alive by its loyal fans with their home produced merchandise and zines. But look now at the new fans and the sudden explosion of merchandise produced for them by Paramount under the clever ploy that this or that is very collectable; I find it disgusting that they can and do rip off loyal supporters. I know that to some it may sound cynical but a lot of us have to work hard for our cash; we just want to be treated fairly and not taken for a ride. Our clubs and cons are run by fans who put in a lot of time and effort for no personal gain; Paramount should let us keep what is ours." from Star Trek Action Group #121 
===US Fannish Reaction: 1995===
Even with increasing fandom use of the Internet, information was slow to reach US fans about Viacom’s attempts to squelch Star Trek fandom in Australia and it took US fans a while to piece together what was happening overseas. Henry Jenkins had traveled to Australia in the summer of 1995, and upon his return discussed the situation on the ACAFEN mailing list and also in the Strange Bedfellows APA. Some wondered whether recent efforts by academics to openly discuss fandom might be contributing to the crackdown. However, others noted that Viacom was a new player in fandom, tended to see fandom as passive consumers and did not understand either the history or the importance of fan communities and how they contributed to their bottom line. Source: Morgan Dawn’s personal notes, accessed February 17, 2012.
On the Virgule-L mailing list, both US, UK, and Australian fans were also discussing the crackdown. A few Australian fans confirmed much of what Jeremy had reported in his UK newsletter and what Henry Jenkins had heard on his Australian travels. The discussion focused on whether Paramount’s actions violated the Australian Constitution which, at the time, allowed its citizens to gather and form fan clubs, even ones that referenced trademarked names. There was speculation whether the actions were the result of Paramount trying to recoup lost revenue after the supporting actors of Star Trek successfully sued for lost action figure royalties. Newspaper articles published in Australia at the time mentioned that Paramount was invoking the recently signed GATT treaty against the Star Trek fan clubs, sending “cease and desist” orders against clubs that sold small amounts of fan made merchandise (hand painted t-shirts, key rings made of recycled old magazine photos). The more corporate savvy pointed out that the harassment of fan clubs coincided with Viacom’s purchase of Paramount and signaled, to many, an permanent shift in the overall fan-creator relationship. A minority opinion was that Paramount’s actions should not have come as a surprise as the lines between official and unofficial fan clubs in Australia had become blurred over the past decade. For example, one fan club had begun charging admission to watch episodes that had not yet aired in Australia. This led to others to wonder if fan club infighting may have led fan clubs to turn to Paramount to settle disputes. Once Paramount’s attention had been pulled towards Australia, the crackdown on fan clubs would be a logical conclusion. Many disagreed with this latter interpretation, feeling that this was a corporate shift by the new owner Viacom against fandom as a whole. Australia just happened to be the easier target (hence Viacom’s statements that it was using Australia as a “test” case). Source: Morgan Dawn’s personal notes, accessed February 17, 2012.
In a 1997 issue of Now Voyager, the zined writes an introduction about print zines which brings up both the crackdown and, ironically, Paramount's dependence on the very thing it was trying to squelch: 
American fans did express a certain healthy level of paranoia as a result of these reports. Some fans decided to keep a lower profile by avoiding the use of the phrase “Star Trek” in online posts. Others pointed out that active, media-producing Star Trek fans were still small fish in a big pond and that there would be little impact to fandom. In the end, the latter group proved to be correct – at least in the US.
===1997===
===2005===
Another attempt to control and limit fannish activities took place in Australia in March 2005. 
===2008: YouTube===
==Further Reading/Meta==
===Star Wars===
* A Chat with Lucasfilm by Scott Chitwood and Paul Ens, theforce.net (March 9, 1999) 
===Star Trek===
* An Open Letter to Star Trek Fans by David Wertheimer, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment (copy of letter sent during the Viacom Crackdown) (March 1, 1997)
* , by Susan Bathos (2009) (an academic paper which studies the effect of the Viacom Crackdown and Australian fan clubs)
* sample of fan protest letter sent to Viacom by June Anne Vollans (December 16, 1996)
* Viacom Continues to Target Star Trek Web Sites, Sci Fi News of the Week (March 1997)
* Paramount Locks Phasers on Trek Fan Sites by Steve Silberman, Wired Magazine (December 18, 1996)
 
* Loskene's Tholian Web: The Wrath of ViaKhan; Update for December 20, 1996 (December 20, 1996); Update for January 7, 1997 
* a cease and desist letter from Paramount to a fan (December 13, 1996)
* Viacom as Borg Info Page (1999)
* Trek Sites on Red Alert as Viacom Sends Fleet of Lawyers by Marcela C. Musgrove (February 17, 1997)
===General===
* Cyber Rights Now: 'Scotty, Beam Down the Lawyers!'; same article, different antiquated style! by Jennifer Granick, Wired Magazine, (October 9, 1997)
* Contested Spaces: The Internet Ate My TV, The TV Company Ate My Internet Site by Djoymi Baker (November 2002)
* Fan Fiction on the line by Janelle Brown, Wired News (August 8, 1997)
===Millennium===
* Fox Slams Bootleg Millennium Sites by Steve Silberman, Wired Magazine (1996)
===Buffy===
* Petitions
* letter This is a petition to have the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" transcripts that once resided at The Slayer's Fanfic Archive reinstated. (January 6, 2000)
* all foxed up (“when it comes to fan site shutdown, fox is the real slayer”) article in “The 11th Hour Web Magazine,” by Sarah Kendzior (October 1999)
* Help Save AleXander's Transcripts (sample letters for fans to send, letter of info, copy of original cease and desist)
* Stand Up for Buffy (December 30, 1999)
* Buffy Manifesto, by Solo84 (December 20, 2000)
==See also==
*TOSed
==References==
Category:Industry
Category:Buffyverse Meta
Category:Millennium
Category:Star Wars Meta
Category:Star Trek Events
Category:1995 Events
Category:2005 Events