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Toby

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Well, Archie have been sorting out reprint rights for a while. There was a period where the Echidnas were omitted in magazine reprints and that's stopped happening. Could be non-indicative of new story rights.

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Well, Archie have been sorting out reprint rights for a while. There was a period where the Echidnas were omitted in magazine reprints and that's stopped happening. Could be non-indicative of new story rights.

 

Well, I wouldn't be too surprised if Scourge doesn't return for newer stories (so I'm not getting my hopes up), but I wasn't aware Archie had to sort out rights for reprints, since the Archives, Selects and Legacy series have been running fine even during the legal issues (other than St. John being omitted from covers). Or is it only Digest/Super Special Magazine that's been affected because of that?

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Well, I wouldn't be too surprised if Scourge doesn't return for newer stories (so I'm not getting my hopes up), but I wasn't aware Archie had to sort out rights for reprints, since the Archives, Selects and Legacy series have been running fine even during the legal issues (other than St. John being omitted from covers). Or is it only Digest/Super Special Magazine that's been affected because of that?

 

The reprints have always had to contend with rights issues, although it is moreso for SSSM and Digest. Penders tried to block the sale of Knuckles Archive #3, Legacy had that change you mentioned, and now the Sonic Saga series has an ongoing situation where they can reprint the stuff but can't publicise it in titles and blurbs (see: the Enerjak Returns arc).

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The reprints have always had to contend with rights issues, although it is moreso for SSSM and Digest. Penders tried to block the sale of Knuckles Archive #3, Legacy had that change you mentioned, and now the Sonic Saga series has an ongoing situation where they can reprint the stuff but can't publicise it in titles and blurbs (see: the Enerjak Returns arc).

 

I see. Though with Knuckles Archives #3, he failed there (and it seemed more like an act of spite than there being a clear ownership issue--didn't SEGA actually file for the rights to those stories shortly after all those issues came up?). What you say makes sense though, I'd actually forgotten about what was happening with the Sagas books. Is it just Penders material that has these issues to sort through?

 

I'm curious, how do Future Mobius stories fare in all this? I noticed on Amazon recently that only volume 2 of Sonic Universe appears to be out of print (I consider not being offered new by Amazon out of print/unavailable) while the rest are fine. Then again, digital copies of that Universe arc and the original stories Penders did do appear to be readily available on comiXology last I checked so I'm really not sure.

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If I had to guess what's happening here

 

1- Archie can't use Penders material for new stuff, but can reprint it

2- Due to trademarks, Archie can't publicize said Penders material- hence no mentions or appearances on covers

3- Penders can claim copyright for Scourge as he's derived of his material, but not trademark as it'd infringe on SEGA's on virtue of being recognizably Sonic painted green

4- Thus despite not being allowed to use Scourge in new stories, they can use him in covers and promotional material since, well, it's green Sonic

 

Just guesswork, though.

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I'm curious, how do Future Mobius stories fare in all this? I noticed on Amazon recently that only volume 2 of Sonic Universe appears to be out of print (I consider not being offered new by Amazon out of print/unavailable) while the rest are fine. Then again, digital copies of that Universe arc and the original stories Penders did do appear to be readily available on comiXology last I checked so I'm really not sure.

 

That's just Amazon being shit. 

 

Although M:XYL is super duper out of bounds now in terms of the new reality. So much so that Eta had to have a name change to Eta from Theta since the latter was used for a M:XYL concept that Ian had forgotten about.

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Scourge Ya-*sees pending licensed approval* I'm not holding my breath also is that countdown to chaos reprint going to contain the first 4 or 5 issues post crossover?

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... Guys the Pending Licensor Approval is irrelevant here. It just means SEGA has to approve. If Archie wasn't sure they can use Scourge in a cover they wouldn't bother putting him even on an early cover.

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They can presumably make a green Sonic at will. The problem just is Penders will potentially go "that's Scourge and Scourge is Evil Sonic", and even if he's nothing to stand on it's still legal fees to pay. So they likely won't touch it.

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One thing that I'm questioning is this notion that Archie can't use Scourge at all. I really don't think this is the case. I think Archie is just cutting ties to certain things under the chance that they could get sued, even if they flat out know that they cannot possible lose the lawsuit. I think the threat of a lawsuit itself is what's causing Archie to cut ties to these things, not that they legally cannot use them at all.

 

Regardless of whether they win a lawsuit or not, they still have to pay all the legal fees initially and that would seriously hurt them, especially after the previous lawsuits that went through. So, I don't think Scourge is off-limits persay. I just think they don't want to potentially get sued regardless of whether they'd win or not.

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So they can't even make a Scourge Expy in the future? He is just an evil Sonic after all.

They can, but at the moment there's too much danger of Penders coming in and claiming copyright infringement. They probably won't start creating expies until they're sure it's safe, so maybe in a couple of years?

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Guh-reat. Ah well; at least if he does come back as an expy it doesn't seem completely out of the question. I'm sure that when Lara-su Chronicles bombs, Penders won't try a stunt like this again.

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I find it funny that Penders got a hold of Evil Sonic when he can't even use his original incarnation in Lara-Su. What's the point?

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Doesn't Penders have to pay legal fees too? One man can't have this much money to keep pushing these cases.

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So, Chip is in. awesome.

Nope, because Unleashed hasn't happened in the comic continuity (well, not before this adaptation). The only other two games with this distinction (in terms of significant titles) are Sonic Chronicles and Sonic Lost World.

Colors too, also SHTH. Did anyone ever ask Ian how many titles were adapted from this new meshed universe?

Is that art or renders? if its renders then I don't think Scourge would be removed, why have Rafta go through all that trouble of creating a modeling a render for Scourge only for them to deny it.  

I find it funny that Penders got a hold of Evil Sonic when he can't even use his original incarnation in Lara-Su. What's the point?

To be a vengeful dick. 

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Doesn't Penders have to pay legal fees too? One man can't have this much money to keep pushing these cases.

You'd think something like that would keep Penders from trying at these lawsuits since he'd be in so much debt.

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Colors too, also SHTH. Did anyone ever ask Ian how many titles were adapted from this new meshed universe?

 

...They're the two titles we KNOW happened in the new reality already. I was on about ones that haven't.

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You'd think something like that would keep Penders from trying at these lawsuits since he'd be in so much debt.

Ah but your wrong, see, his movie and TV deals, video games and novels, comics and GN's and huge lucrative merchandising deals all based around his massive hit original creation "The Lara-Su Chronicles" will make up what he is down due to the court battles and then some. He's the next big thing don't you know. People will rue the day they scoffed at him and his big plans, RUE I say!!

/end scarcasm

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Ah but your wrong, see, his movie and TV deals, video games and novels, comics and GN's and huge lucrative merchandising deals all based around his massive hit original creation "The Lara-Su Chronicles" will make up what he is down due to the court battles and then some. He's the next big thing don't you know. People will rue the day they scoffed at him and his big plans, RUE I say!!

/end scarcasm

I know that's what's he's hoping for but I really can't see that happening.

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I know that's what's he's hoping for but I really can't see that happening.

 

Who knows, maybe he'll sue SEGA and Archie for his legal fees, blaming them for his being in debt and tarnishing his reputation when it all blows up in his face. I honestly wouldn't be surprised when this is the same man that claims "Evil Sonic" and "Robo-Robotnik" are original characters and Tikal and the Knuckles Clan were "obviously inspired" by his work on the comics.

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Who knows how this situation may go down in the future. There is a possibility for something to happen out of left field, since Penders can't be in the best of financial situations right now. The Lara-Su Chronicles is more than likely to bomb on its first volume. So maybe, just maybe there is a chance for alternate universe expies for characters like Scourge in the future, if he lightens up. 

 

Penders didn't win money from any of these cases did he? Archie just gave up the characters on their own accord because they didn't want to pay legal fees?

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Who knows how this situation may go down in the future. There is a possibility for something to happen out of left field, since Penders can't be in the best of financial situations right now. The Lara-Su Chronicles is more than likely to bomb on its first volume. So maybe, just maybe there is a chance for alternate universe expies for characters like Scourge in the future, if he lightens up. 

 

Penders didn't win money from any of these cases did he? Archie just gave up the characters on their own accord because they didn't want to pay legal fees?

My understanding is that the cases were dismissed and they settled as best they could. I believe Penders did say that Archie could use the characters, but they opted out, and that was presumably because they'd have to pay him to use them. Also, he had specific demands for characters like Julie-Su, Lara-Su, and Locke (who was already dead before all that started) and that Future Mobius had to be canon or something to that effect. I don't know the details surrounding that though. As far as I know though, he only really won the rights to his characters back.

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