The definitive copyright thread

[Richard]

Rebellion own Zenith! 

[Richard]

Who owns Mind Wars from Starlord? IPC?

[Hawkmumbler]

Rebellion own Zenith! 

Don't let Grant Morrison here you say that!

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

This thread is a like trying to bottle smoke. Even if there could be a definitive list of who has the rights to what, those rights can be changed or might revert back to someone else at any point.

[sheridan]

This thread is a like trying to bottle smoke. Even if there could be a definitive list of who has the rights to what, those rights can be changed or might revert back to someone else at any point.

It comes up enough in other threads (particularly the reprint wants lists) that I'm expecting this will be updated every now and then...

[CalHab]

Alan McKenzie claims he never assigned the copyright on Summer Magic to 2000AD. Given that he was editing the comic, some people might assume that ensuring creators signed the right contracts might have been part of his job description and failure to ensure that he signed the same contracts that he was happy to see enforced on other creators makes him a bit of a cunt, but I couldn't possibly comment.

John Ridgway seemed distinctly unimpressed with McKenzie's stance in his interview with The Comics Journal:
http://classic.tcj.com/superhero/david-robertson-an-interview-with-john-ridgway-part-two-of-two/

Ridgway also goes into some detail about the contracts of the period.

[sheridan]

This thread is a like trying to bottle smoke. Even if there could be a definitive list of who has the rights to what, those rights can be changed or might revert back to someone else at any point.

...and while I was starting this thread, the ink was drying on the grand Rebellion / most comics from the 1970s/1980s contract!

This link was just posted on another thread - it's mostly about Zenith, but there are also interesting titbits concerning Medivac 318, Zippy Couriers and Chronos Carnival.

[Richard]

Just had a thought -- who owns One-Eyed Jack? If Rebellion now have it, it would be awesome to have a new story by Wagner.

[John Pannozzi]

   

• Judge Dredd (the 1995 film) - who owns that exactly, and particulary the DC adaptation?

Cinergi Pictures produced the film, judging from their Wikipedia page, the rights either went to Disney (who distributed the 95 Dredd film), or maybe producer Andrew G. Vajna (who currently runs The Halcyon Company).


I'd also like to direct everyone's attention to my new thread discussing ownership of Time UK's comic book properties.

[John Pannozzi]

Sorry to double post, but also,

The Dredd pinball game was made by Bally Midway, which has since been bought out by Warner Bros.

Other Dredd games were published (and are presumably still owned) by Virgin (which was bought out by Interplay, who is now selling its assets),  Atari (owner of the Melbourne House and Gremlin Interactive libraries), Tin Man Games, and Kuju Entertainment.

Throwback Entertainment currently owns most of Acclaim's game titles.  Perhaps they own Acclaim's Dredd games.

Also, a company called FarSight Studios put a game called The Pinball Arcade on Steam, which includes a Dredd board.

Rebellion does outright own Dredd vs. Death and Dredd vs. Zombies.

[Tony Angelino]

Just had a thought -- who owns One-Eyed Jack? If Rebellion now have it, it would be awesome to have a new story by Wagner.

I was wondering this also. I would love to see this all reprinted. Excellent art by John Cooper.

I suspect though that Rebellion don't own him as he was created for Valiant (albeit he was created in the 1970's). My understanding was that any characters created for Valiant were not owned by Rebellion. Would be great if that was not the case though.

[John Pannozzi]

   

• IDW: the Dredd volumes, Rogue Trooper, Anderson, Mars Attacks Judge Dredd, et al

I wanna say that Rebellion owns any IDW comics based on 2000AD properties.

Though The Topps Company owns the Mars Attacks Martians, 20th Century Fox owns Aliens and Predator (with Dark Horse Comics owning certain rights to the crossovers), and Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill owns Marshal Law (he guest starred in a Dredd story).

And the Comic Relief Comic (released in 1991 by Fleetway) which features Dredd, is a cluster of copyrights.

[sheridan]

and Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill owns Marshal Law (he guest starred in a Dredd story).

He did?  I don't remember that one!

And the Comic Relief Comic (released in 1991 by Fleetway) which features Dredd, is a cluster of copyrights.

Bruce Forsythe* probably owns copyright on the centre spread in that one :-)

* or was it some other large-chinned 'celebrity'?  I don't do celeb-culture so couldn't comment.

[JOE SOAP]

Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill owns Marshal Law (he guest starred in a Dredd story).

Kinda but not really; it was one page of a ten-pager in one of those specials - 25th anniversary - where all the old toys get poured out onto the floor and played with. A Night 2 Remember prog#1280 -

[maryanddavid]

Ha! I see Amok there too.