Private fundraiser for Axanar may shift away from troubled Ares Digital to more reliable WooCommerce

Ares Digital 3.0 launch continues to be “really close,” says Axanar producer Alec Peters in his Axanar Update video — three months after he claimed the fundraising and perk fulfillment platform would be ready.

Continued delays in launching the platform have come from user interface problems and the fact the developer can only work on the software in his spare time — of which he has little.

Peters admitted to Axanar: Confidential viewers Monday night that his plans to begin shooting this fall depend on raising money, and he’s not ready to do that yet.

Ares Digital was to be the means by which Peters plans to raise the $200,000 he says he needs to produce AxanarLite.

Peters signals he may be moving away from relying on the still unfinished Ares Digital to raise the money for Axanar Lite, saying he’s now looking to the WooCommerce platform to handle his private crowdfunding effort, creating a Kickstarter-like site to handle donations.

Once touted as the be-all end-all solution for Axanar, Peters now says WooCommerce will do the heavy lifting, passing along donor information for fulfillment by Ares Digital.

Former Axanar CTO Terry McIntosh

Meanwhile, former Axanar chief technologist Terry McIntosh is preparing to throw a wrench into Peters’ branding of Ares Digital. McIntosh posted on Facebook:

He’s going to be so surprised when he learns that I’ve spent the $500 and submitted the paperwork to trademark “Ares Digital” with the USPTO [U.S. Patent and Trade Office] last month… *snicker* About two more months until that paperwork comes in and then there will be a rather sharp-tongued C&D sent in his direction.¹⁾

McIntosh adds that he’s set aside money to defend his trademark should Peter pursue litigation:

Everything remains on the table and the funds have been allocated in case he does something typically Alec which requires formal litigation.²⁾

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