HasLab Deathsaurus

[G.B.Blackrock]

And the most Hasbro has actually done with the RiD 2001 cartoon itself since its original broadcast is use audio-less clips from various episodes for Sky-Byte's Hall of Fame 2012 nominee music video (save for the final clip in the video which did use the dub audio of Sky-Byte singing from the episode "Koji Gets His Wish"), and use this screencap from "The Fish Test" of a two-handed Sky-Byte for his Hall of Fame 2023 winner entry in a Hasbro Pulse livestream:

THAT was probably itself just minimalistic enough to win a "Fair Use" exception if a rightsholder decided to sue.

 

[Sabrblade]

THAT was probably itself just minimalistic enough to win a "Fair Use" exception if a rightsholder decided to sue.

And that's if said rightsholder was even aware of either their ownership of the show or Hasbro's usages of those clips and that pic in those two non-profit instances 11 years apart from each other.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

I would imagine Hasbro absolutely has the US copyright on Sky-Byte's likeness, which is different from the copyright of RiD.

Ther's actually a couple of animated superman movies that are in the public domain despite Superman still being owned by DC/Warner Bros.

 

[NovaSaber]

Trademarks and copyrights are different. Trademarks have to be actively used and/or renewed, or someone else can use the mark (usually a name or logo). Copyrights last a long time without need for attention.

Long story short, Hasbro can use RiD concepts, since any relevant trademarks either expired, or are Hasbro's to start with. But they don't own the actual RiD series itself. THAT is protected by Copyright that Disney is believed to still own, whether Disney does anything with it or not. This means we're not going to be able to see an official release of the series on DVD, BluRay, streaming, whatever anytime soon.

The rights to the Saban-produced Digimon dub currently belong to Toei, though, and it seems like this just happened automatically once no one else had a license to the series itself.

If this is how Saban's contracts with Japanese companies normally worked, RiD's audio could belong to the owners of Car Robots. (Which I guess is Furyu.)

Though it is equally likely that it was just Toei specifically who insisted on a provision like that.

 

[LordGigaIce]

I would imagine Hasbro absolutely has the US copyright on Sky-Byte's likeness, which is different from the copyright of RiD.

Ther's actually a couple of animated superman movies that are in the public domain despite Superman still being owned by DC/Warner Bros.

Yeah, like how Steamboat Willie is public domain but Disney can still sue you into oblivion if you use Mickey Mouse without their permission.

 

[G.B.Blackrock]

And that's if said rightsholder was even aware of either their ownership of the show or Hasbro's usages of those clips and that pic in those two non-profit instances 11 years apart from each other.

Agreed, but my point is that Hasbro's lawyers "took the chance" on that instance because it was so minimal. They're typically VERY risk-averse.

 

[G.B.Blackrock]

Yeah, like how Steamboat Willie is public domain but Disney can still sue you into oblivion if you use Mickey Mouse without their permission.

But, again, there's confusion of copyright and trademarks here. Disney will continue to hold a trademark on Mickey Mouse even once every single one of the Mickey Mouse cartoons enters the Public Domain, so long as Disney keeps using the character.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Agreed, but my point is that Hasbro's lawyers "took the chance" on that instance because it was so minimal. They're typically VERY risk-averse.

Honestly, there's a good chance Hasbro's lawyers never saw the video and the people making it (very good chance being outside contractors) didn't know that Hasbro didn't have the rights to this one transformers series.

But, again, there's confusion of copyright and trademarks here. Disney will continue to hold a trademark on Mickey Mouse even once every single one of the Mickey Mouse cartoons enters the Public Domain, so long as Disney keeps using the character.

Yeah, but that just means you can't make a film or tv show called Micky Mouse.

That said, you can't use any Micky Mouse related stuff that isn't from a cartoon that's been put into a public domain. (So he's stuck in his black and white Steamboat Willie version for the time being.)

But you can do a slightly cynical sequel comic

Mousetrapped

"Mousetrapped" is a webcomic that uses the public domain cartoon, "Steamboat Willie," as basis and...

mousetrappedcomic.blog

Or a ridiculous horror movie, because that's the first thing anyone thinks of when a cartoon hits the public domain, apparently.

 

[Sabrblade]

Heck, just look at this year's BotCon convention comic. The story was a steampunk parody of Steamboat Willie (starring clockwork versions of the characters, notably "Mechy Mouse") with a bunch of past BotCon exclusives making background cameo appearances in their vehicle and beast modes.

Honestly, there's a good chance Hasbro's lawyers never saw the video and the people making it (very good chance being outside contractors) didn't know that Hasbro didn't have the rights to this one transformers series.

Pretty sure it was Rik Alvarez who put together those Hall of Fame music videos. He was employed by Hasbro during the time, as this was during the height of the Aligned era.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Fair enough.

EDIT: Also that's a very cute idea for a comic.

 

[Sabrblade]

EDIT: Also that's a very cute idea for a comic.

That's probably the most positive reaction anyone has ever given it, as the majority reaction from those who read it at the convention (myself included) was "...But why, though?"

Most were expecting a Transformers comic (or at least the third chapter of the BeastBox storyline from the last two years), only to find that it's... a Mickey Mouse parody? Unrelated to anything pertaining to the BotCon of either that year or the past two years? Huh?

It wasn't bad or anything, just a choice that was very strange at best and confusing at worst.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

Well, keep in mind I only said it was a cute idea; I haven't read it nor am I in the Botcon ecosystem so I have nothing to be disappointed at there.

 

[Sabrblade]

Well, keep in mind I only said it was a cute idea; I haven't read it nor am I in the Botcon ecosystem so I have nothing to be disappointed at there.

Sure, that's fair. It's just, when goes to a Transformers convention, a cheeky little Mickey Mouse parody comic isn't something one would expect to receive as an exclusive.

 

[Agent X]

I remember that not-Mickey Mouse comic far more than anything from Beast Box. So perhaps being different was a better choice of action.
( the panel about the comic might have shed some light. I missed that. Probably too busy sucking at 'energon toss')

 

[Sabrblade]

I remember that not-Mickey Mouse comic far more than anything from Beast Box. So perhaps being different was a better choice of action.
( the panel about the comic might have shed some light. I missed that. Probably too busy sucking at 'energon toss')

That's a fair assessment. I was at that panel and asked the panelists directly if they had any plans or intentions to continue the BeastBox story of the previous two years, and they basically indicated that the brief single-panel appearance of the two main human characters from that storyline in the multiversal splash page in the 2024 comic was pretty much the last we were going to see of that story, implying that they were pretty ready to move on from it rather than see it through to any conclusion.

I don't blame them for feeling that way, though, as while the BeastBox storyline was just okay, it didn't really wow or impress (and the first comic from 2022 bafflingly only advertised two of the seven exclusives available at that year's convention).

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Okay, a cursory glance of TFWiki isn't helping, and I don't have time at the moment (it's 5:45am where I am, and I still haven't eaten yet) to delve deeper.

So, what is this BeastBox story?