Website Selling Merchandise Thanking William Shatner for ‘the Memories’

Just when things looked the most dire aboard the Starship Enterprise, Captain Jean-Luc Picard emerged from an access tunnel to lead his crew onward against the Borg threat. The half-machine, half-humanoid were taking over his ship, and Picard (Patrick Stewart) was determined to make a stand.

When the crew pulled him out, he told them that the “reports of my assimilation have been greatly exaggerated.” It was a humorous moment for the film “Star Trek: First Contact” and a call back to an earlier situation. That was a play on the quote attributed to American author Mark Twain, who allegedly said that reports of his “death” had been exaggerated. 

Unfortunately, this quote from Twain could now be used by William Shatner, after someone is selling merchandise marking the “Star Trek” star’s recent death. Mr. Shatner, as most know, is fully and completely alive.

In fact, Shatner has been making up for lost time during the COVID-19 pandemic, which ended in-person conventions. He will be appearing at quite a few live events this summer and fall, including two appearances at the Star Trek Set Tour in Ticonderoga, New York, and the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas in mid-August.  

Shatner is Very Much Alive

The situation stems from a post promoting t-shirts and other memorabilia which celebrate Shatner’s life in the public eye, which, according to the Teezily site, spans from 1951 to 2021. Fans can purchase clothing, iPhone cases, and mugs complete with images of Shatner throughout his career — as Captain James T. Kirk, T.J. Hooker, Denny Crane, and other characters and situations. The memorabilia also uses Shatner’s signature, in bright white, across the photo design. 

The post promoting the new merchandise was first spotted in the International Talk Like William Shatner Day Facebook group. 

Shatner responded with the following:

A representative for Shatner confirmed his intent to sue the company.

Teezily is a website based in France which allows users to load their own artwork for sale on various items, like t-shirts, mugs, and other apparel. The company states that they have a screening process to avoid infringing on copyright.

Additionally, the Teezily website states that the company “does not and will not own the copyrights and other intellectual property rights of your content, so Teezily will not distribute, sell or rent your Content to any other persons, companies, etc.”

Talk Like William Shatner Day

Coincidentally, the “Talk Like William Shatner Day” was launched back in 2009 to honor Shatner’s particular cadence and speaking style. The holiday is held yearly on March 22, which is Shatner’s birthday. Comedian Kevin Polluck, whose frequent Shatner impersonation is well-loved by many, participated in the second “Talk Like William Shatner Day.” 

Aside from his very busy public appearance schedule, Shatner has been involved in several high-profile projects, including a new promotion for a pain relief medication, Coppergel. In a recent ad, Shatner faces former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. 

Other Recent Projects

Shatner also starred in a film with “Designing Woman” actress Jean Smart and fellow “Star Trek III” alumnus Christopher Lloyd in “Senior Moment.” Shatner stars as a retired NASA test pilot who gets into a drag race and loses his license. His friends try to help him through this turn of events, but Shatner’s character only gets better when he meets Smart.  

Film reviewer Anne Brodie saw “Senior Moment.” Brodie wrote that she enjoyed “seeing Shatner, the thunderous Shakespearean actor, and boss of Star Trek Enterprise relaxing, enjoying himself and putting in some endearing comic moments.” 

Back in April, Shatner was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. And before that, Heavy reported on Shatner’s collaboration with the tech company StoryFile. This project involved the company filming Shatner speaking and interacting from every angle and with a new style of camera. This footage will be digitized, allowing the actor to survive beyond his years as a living hologram.  

Even though he’s 90 years old, it looks like Shatner is busier than ever. 

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