Paul Jenkins (right) with convicted stalker Shawn O’Halloran, whom Alec Peters has a Protective Order against.
Alec Peters and Axanar Productions have filed a lawsuit against Paul Jenkins, well known comic book author, for copyright fraud and defamation.
Jenkins, was fired from Axanar this past June for inappropriate and unprofessional behavior, and was offered a very fair separation agreement, whereby Jenkins and Axanar Productions each went their separate way, and Jenkins retained co-writer and co-director credits.
Paul Jenkins however, has made it clear that he is more interested in destroying Axanar to get back at Alec than he is at being a professional. Paul has undertaken actions to prevent Axanar Productions from using any of the footage shot
Paul started off by claiming that the footage shot in October 2019 couldn’t be used because he was the director. After Mike Mehrman, Axanar’s lawyer, pointed out that no such right exists, Paul filed a copyright on one of the scripts that Alec wrote and he and Alec edited. Paul then claimed that this copyright registration, which named both Alec and Paul as co-authors, prevented Alec from using any of the material copyrighted. Once again Mike Mehrman pointed out that a joint authroship copyright gives no such veto right.
So what Paul did next is truly mind-boggling. Paul filed a NEW copyright, claiming the edits to the script were ENTIRELY his! Despite just having filed a copyright acknowledging that he and Alec jointly wrote the edits, Paul now lied and filed a fraudulent copyright claiming he was the SOLE author of the edits.
Not only does Alec have ample proof that they worked on the edits together, including messages and emails from Paul stating they were working together, but anyone who knows Alec, knows he wouldn’t let someone have sole control of HIS script. Paul’s entire goal was to screw Alec and the donors and prevent the footage donors had donated over $50,000 for, from being used. Paul’s dishonesty and unprofessionalism is staggering.
To prove Alec treated Paul well, even after he fired him, here is the separation agreement that Alec offered Paul. The # 1 unwritten rule in Hollywood is “Don’t burn your bridges.” Too bad Paul didn’t have the professionalism to follow that advice.
