Prints Hubbub Update

[marina_bonomi]

Hubby's contact in Fantasy Flight Games asked their legal department about Zazzle's 'infringment of copyright' claims, the results are in:

It appears that HBO owns ALL rights to 'A Game of Ice and Fire' merchandising, no matter what. Fantasy Flight's products are protected but, even though they have a pre-existing license, own the art and granted artists the right to sell prints of the commissioned art in their contracts...

...if the artists actually do so they are in breach of HBO rights.

Unless they remove any reference to the IP in the titles and blurbs, for instance turning 'so and so' named character into 'knight'. 


Honestly for a split second I thought it was a joke, it feels like we have landed in Kafka-land

Comments

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

O.o

Oh, my goodness. I'd be furious, too.

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Ellen at the moment we are...I think both angry and flabbergasted apply, I never knew contracts or licenses to be retro-active, having effect on rights already granted to other people.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Have a lawyer look your contract over to be sure - I thought that if an agent signed a contract for rights they didn't have the authority to grant (because they were previously contracted, for example), they couldn't be considered valid. But it may also be that your contract says you have the rights to use the artwork, but doesn't specify whether you can use the IP when selling it, in which case... there may not be anything to be done.

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid you hit the nail on the head, Ellen: FFG's permission doesn't mention the IP.

Argh! I feel like throwing a tantrum based on 'it may be lawful but that doen't make it right!' even though I know it would accomplish absolutely nothing.

[zeeth_kyrah]

Corporations typically move toward Lawful Evil over time, especially as they get large. If the original founder or owner is someone who actually cares about other people, the process is greatly slowed or even halted; but once they leave, die, or get bought out, an alignment change is almost inevitable over the next five to ten years.

I'm surprised Wendy's is doing as well as they are at the moment.

[aliettedb.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's serious nonsense, whether it's legal or not...