Zenith dispute

[ukdane]

Good point DXB. Doesn't Yeowell have a say- it's his artwork afterall. I wonder who put the most work and effort into it?
And what about Brendan McCarthy who did the initial character designs. Does he have a say in it?
And what are the opinions of both these artists, aboutt the block?
Do either of them have copyright problems, or remember signing/not signing the back of their cheques or whatever the problem was?

[archangel 1]

yeah what an image!
thanx for that Dud..
the nightmares are gunna come back...
well back to therapy 4 me

[DavidXBrunt]

I seem to recall Trouty asking Stevy Owl about his opinions on the matter at Dreddcon...3? He posted notes about it, does the site history go back that far?

[ukdane]

Right, I've done some oldthread research:

Thread 4711

Thread 7142 Posted by Agriva
Not Even Zenith Can Fight The Lawyers

Fans of the UK's only real superhero have long been expecting a reprint of his classic adventures but we may be waiting even longer than expected.

UK publisher Titan has printed the first Zenith trade paperback, and 10000 copies or so are sitting in a warehouse, but they cannot be shipped to stores due to a legal entanglement. No-one has specified what the entanglement is, but it is believed that maybe Grant Morrison wasn't paid for doing the work in the first place, meaning that IPC / Fleetway / Rebellion / Titan do not own the rights to reprint.

However, found at the Copyright and Authors? Rights website:
IPC had for years been demanding that contributors sign the back of their cheques before they could be cashed, claiming that the signature handed over "world rights" in the work. Freelancers who attempted to negotiate different terms were told by some editors that they had no choice: they could sell all rights or not work for IPC, the largest publisher in the UK. The NUJ believes that IPC's attempt to impose conditions through a signature on the back of its cheques is illegal under the UK law which defines "a cheque". IPC's action, like many other publishers', also bears investigation under the European Union catch-phrase "abuse of a dominant position".
IPC was 2000AD?s owner at the time when Morrison was working the magazine, and it could be that Morrison's case has been taken up by the NUJ... which is why nobody is allowed to comment on it!"

http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=fan&page=messagethread&choice=10596">Thread 10596

[Funt Solo]

Iok Sotot must be chortling quietly to himself in his tetrahedronal, sentient, pocket universe prison.