On July 7, 2008, I received a “cease and desist” letter in the form of an email from Fleet Admiral Sal Lizard. This was the result of a deal that was made with CBS/Paramount for the organization to be permitted to use the word “Starfleet” as a service mark. Shortly after the General Session at the 2008 International Conference in Ithaca, NY on June 28, 2008, the rumors started buzzing that Sal was going to use this new legal foothold to try to shut down this website.

Now, I had the legal right to use the word “Starfleet” and the variation of the STARFLEET logo that appears on this sit. I claim that right according to the guidelines established under “Fair Use” in US Copyright Law. This site is a parody, a criticism, and a lampoon of the current administration of STARFLEET. It’s sort of like walmartsucks.org and has every right to exist.

On July 13, 2008, I received an apology from Sal Lizard. Sal cited, quite simply, that he has been overwhelmed with some situations in his personal life. He overreacted. And he has no intention of following through with any legal action against me or STARFLET Fail.

He still believes the site is detrimental to STARFLEET. I disagree. People are talking. People are posting. People are listening. It’s called “communication.” Right now, that is something that no one on the Executive Committee seems to be doing.

I decided not to post Sal’s apology letter here because Sal cited personal reasons for his reaction. It’s not my place to rake Sal Lizard’s personal life over the coals. I may be diametrically opposed to him politically in a Star Trek fan club. But I don’t hate him, nor do I wish him any ill will.

But, for the record, I am posting the original “cease and desist” letter. Inidentally, the letter was the catalyst that brought this website out of relative obscurity. Traffic has quadrupled since it came down and was made public.

From the Desk of FADM Sal Lizard

July 7, 2008
Dave,

STARFLEET, the International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. is a corporation with a name and reputation to protect. The leadership of STARFLEET has not only the right but the responsibility to protect the assets of STARFLEET, including its name and logo. You and others post on your website unfounded, unverified and malicious information about STARFLEET, its leadership and its members. We are an organization that depends on membership for our existance and your publishing defamatory statements on your website hurts our organization’s efforts to recruit and maintain membership levels. From all appearences, your website, which is open to the general public, only exists to rumormonger and denigrate STARFLEET and its leadership. Therefore, I am writing to demand that you stop publishing false and defamatory statements about STARFLEET, its leaders and its members.

Furthermore, the name STARFLEET and its logo are assets of STARFLEET, and Starfleet has a valid and enforcebable trademark on both. You are using both on your website without permission from STARFLEET, and you are using both in a financial enterprise by, among other things, selling t-shirts that contain STARFLEET’s name and logo. Therefore, I am also writing to formally advise you that you do not have permission from STARFLEET to use its name or logo in any form or content or in any location, website, print or publication, and to demand that you immediately remove the name STARFLEET and its logo from your website and all other publications, products or other areas and cease the use of STARFLEET’s name and logo in any format or forum in the future.

Nothing in this demand shall act as a waiver of the rights of STARFLEET to recover damages for harm caused by your unauthorized use of STARFLEET’s name and logo, or the defamation already published by you.

I have copied this email to the Officers and Directors of the corporation so that all are fully informed.

Sal Lizard,
President and Chairman
STARFLEET, the International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc.