Passion vs. price
It's truly a shame when a fan's passion for Star Trek and quality fandom goods become hampered by the cost of a license. Kim is obviously passionate about the franchise and cares for the Trek community. This is why small businesses like Hero Within usually get the short end of the Klingon bat'leth when large companies merge.
I do feel for Kim, who had no way of knowing the Paramount Skydance Corporation would happen when he pivoted his company to focus mostly on Star Trek merchandise. It's a gamble, as the cost of licensing is sure to change as the face of media changes.
Unfortunately, these changes are causing the partnership between Kim's company and Paramount to officially end on Dec. 31. As a writer who creates Star Trek fiction for fun, I can't imagine someone coming to my door and telling me I have to pay millions in license fees just to continue doing so!
Do you think an increased Star Trek licensing price for Hero Within is fair? Should these smaller businesses have some sort of protective clause in their licensing that prevents these price hikes? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And visit the Hero Within's website to take advantage of their "Last Call Preorder" offer.