the Licensiing argument was debunked six months ago. It was first promulgated by the blogger "Midnight'sEdge" on his Youtube show.
Weirdo, you're absolutely dead right-this isn't a continuity error, and it's not a case of licensing conflicts. This is simply erasing all that came before because the owner of the IP wanted to erase it and create it over again in his own image. I mean, it should've been obvious when they stripped the Klingons of everything that made them cool and engaging and replaced them with generic space-monsters that use the language but none of the visual cues (beyond some ridges on their heads), none of the cultural cues (except repeating the name "Kahless" in the first episode), and deliberately stomping all over the rest of the visual language of the setting.
It's 'Star Trek" because that's what's on the box, but it only has superficial, passing references to Star Trek mostly employed to exploit name recogition and a fandom that would buy used toiletpaper if it's got an Official Star Trek seal on it.
Hey, you know, can't argue too hard-the move worked. CBS is making money, and there are a host of people who'll defend to the death how 'authentic' and such it is, even in the face of the most ridiculous and unnecessary changes, because it has 'Star Trek' on the box.
But it's fundamentally LESS respectful of the original than even the JJAbrams movies are, and that's a deliberate and intentional creative decision by the IP holder.
Thus, the "Official Prime Timeline" seal, which can't be changed by fandom, it's there unless or until there's another IP holder who can or will change it (unlikely.)
MY problem with it, is that taken as a separate product, on it's own merits alone, ignoring the Trek seal, it doesn't hold up. The characters are bland, boring, and unlikeable, the villains are one-dimensional, the whole thing takes itself too seriously and has no life, joy, or humour in it. The Universe they present isn't merely 'dark', it's Dull and lifeless.