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Topic: Public Domain vs. Corporate Life Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Mark Haslett
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Posted: 05 December 2024 at 5:43pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

I had a discussion with a friend over copyright limits. He was eager to see Disney's control of Mickey Mouse end. He seemed to think that corporate control of these kinds of properties limits something important about people's ability to make art.

But I could only think of the mess that has come about in superhero comics by putting the fans in charge-- I yearn for the corporate voice on high telling everyone at the company to get in line and cooperate on a single, recognizable version of every character so that the illusion of a "real" Spider-Man/Superman/etc. can return.

I don't really think Disney has done right by Mickey Mouse, but I don't think it will get better for Mickey once he's in the public domain.

Does anyone here think about this stuff?
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Matt Reed
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Posted: 05 December 2024 at 5:46pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

The original version of Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie is already in PD.  Happened Jan. 1 of this year.  
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Steve Coates
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Posted: 05 December 2024 at 7:51pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

Yes, I do.

Tarzan of the Apes, the novel is in public domain and can be found on the Gutenberg Project web site, although it is not the original text. You can download a copy of it and many other works.

If you attempt to do anything with it, like publish it and put a price on it, beware of the trademark restrictions. 

You would not be able to advertise using any of the following trademarks:
 
Tarzan®; Tarzan of the Apes®; Lord of the Jungle®; Lord of the Apes™; King of the Apes™; Tarzan and Jane®; John Clayton™; Lord Greystoke™; Tarzan Yell®; The Tarzan Twins™; Tarzan’s Treehouse®; Tarzanimals®; Jane Porter®; Jane Clayton™; Lady Greystoke™; Not Your Average Jane™; Kala™; Kerchak™; Korak™; Korak the Killer™; Kavuru™; Meriem™; Jad-bal-ja™; Nkima™; La of Opar™; Opar™; Gryf™; Mangani™; Mugambi™; Terkoz™; Ziri™; John Carter®; John Carter of Mars®; Dejah Thoris®; Tars Tarkas®; Carthoris™; Tara Carter™; Tara of Gathol™; Tara of Helium™; Tara, Princess of Gathol™; Woola™; White Ape™; A Princess of Mars®; Gods of Mars®; Warlord of Mars®; Chessmen of Mars™; Master Mind of Mars™; Fighting Man of Mars™; Swords of Mars™; Barsoom®; Helium™; Okar™; Thark™; Thern™; Warhoon™; Zodanga™; Pellucidar®; At the Earth’s Core™; David Innes™; Dian the Beautiful™; Mahars™; Carson of Venus®; Carson Napier™; Duare™; Princess of Venus™; Escape on  Venus™; Amtor™; The Moon Maid™; The Moon Men™; The Red Hawk™; Va-nah™; The Land That Time Forgot®; The People That Time Forgot™;  Out of Time’s Abyss™;  Caspak™; Caprona™; The Mucker™; The Eternal Savage™; The Mad King™; The Custers™; Beyond the Farthest Star™; The Cave Girl™; The Girl from Farris’s™; The Girl from Hollywood™; I Am a Barbarian™; Inspector Muldoon™; The Lad and the Lion™; The Lost Continent™; The Man Eater™; The Monster Men™; The Outlaw of Torn™; Pirate Blood™; The War Chief™; Bette Callwell™; Jason Gridley™; Victory Harben™; Swords of Eternity™; Master of Adventure™; Edgar Rice Burroughs®; Edgar Rice Burroughs Authorized Library™; Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe™; ERB Universe™; The Wild Adventures of Edgar Rice Burroughs™; and others owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

Associated logos (including the Tarzan; Tarzan Africa; Since 1912 Tarzan; Jane Porter; John Carter of Mars; Since 1912 John Carter of Mars; JCM stylized; Pellucidar; Carson of Venus; Beyond the Farthest Star; The Land That Time Forgot; The Moon Maid; Swords of Eternity; Victory Harben; the Doodad symbol; Edgar Rice Burroughs; Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.; ERB, Inc., solar system; Edgar Rice Burroughs Authorized Library; Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe; ERB Universe; and Enter the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe logos), characters, names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

Given the trademark restrictions it does not seem like Tarzan, the character, will ever be in the public domain.

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John Byrne
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Posted: 05 December 2024 at 9:06pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Evidently it would be possible to do a Tarzan comic, even to use the name— just not on the cover.

Not a lion I would care to wrestle with!

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Brian ONeill
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Joined: 04 July 2024
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Posted: 05 December 2024 at 9:34pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

'AHHH-EEE-AH-EEE-AH-EEE-AH-EEE-AH!' # 1*...Coming soon from IDW!
*Assuming Carol Burnett hasn't trademarked it*
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John Byrne
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Posted: 05 December 2024 at 9:47pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

I think LORD OF THE JUNGLE would suffice! :-)
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Steve Coates
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Posted: 05 December 2024 at 10:44pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Tarzan is not a great example considering how many characters have been spawned from the concept. What inspired Tarzan?


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Mark Haslett
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Posted: 06 December 2024 at 12:14am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

I can’t generate any interest in a “new” Tarzan, no matter what it’s called.

But that’s part of my feeling in the matter— the point at which a character
loses whatever made it unique to begin with is a bad moment. Tarzan has
been through a tremendous number of meat grinders. He feels like he’s
been public domain a long time since no one ever seems to protect the
character.

Public domain versions and fan fiction seem like related concepts. Tarzan
has long been trapped in stories that were mostly fan fiction.

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Peter Hicks
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Joined: 30 April 2004
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Posted: 06 December 2024 at 4:08am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

Ian Fleming’s early Bond novels are now public domain in Canada.  But I don’t see anyone trying to do anything with them, knowing the movie studio will crush any attempt with lawsuits.
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Rick Whiting
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Posted: 06 December 2024 at 2:32pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

I think LORD OF THE JUNGLE would suffice! :-)

____________________________


That's exactly what Dynamite Comics called their Tarzan series that they published years ago.
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Rick Whiting
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Posted: 06 December 2024 at 2:52pm | IP Logged | 11 post reply

I had a discussion with a friend over copyright limits. He was eager to see Disney's control of Mickey Mouse end. He seemed to think that corporate control of these kinds of properties limits something important about people's ability to make art.

But I could only think of the mess that has come about in superhero comics by putting the fans in charge-- I yearn for the corporate voice on high telling everyone at the company to get in line and cooperate on a single, recognizable version of every character so that the illusion of a "real" Spider-Man/Superman/etc. can return.

I don't really think Disney has done right by Mickey Mouse, but I don't think it will get better for Mickey once he's in the public domain.

________________________________


I agree with you Matt. Franky, I don't know why so many fans are sitting around and salivating for these characters to fall into the public domain when they could just create their own archetype versions of these characters that they would fully own and can do whatever the hell they want to with them. All someone has to do is look at ASTRO CITY to see how it can be done. That series is awesome and it allows Busiek to do his own take on the Marvel and DC superheroes with new archetype characters.
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John Byrne
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Posted: 06 December 2024 at 4:07pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

The artist in me thinks the creators should retain rights forever. Of course, I say that based on a career founded on using characters whose creators had long since surrendered their rights.
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