Bereaved family of Ishirou Honda sues Toho for copyright to Godzilla!

[ryuuseipro]

http://blogos.com/article/25808/

According to this article, the bereaved family of film director Ishirou Honda is suing Toho Company, Ltd. for the copyright to Godzilla. (Some say this may only affect the films Honda made.) In a past case, the copyright for Godzilla was supposed to belong to the Honda estate, but Toho insists on having at least the merchandising rights to the character.

The family of Akira Kurosawa won a similar case a while back, so this case has a lot of credibility (unlike a certain shady Thai businessman who tried to claim Ultraman as his).

Otherwise, I don't think this will have any negative effect on any upcoming US Godzilla commodities. None that I know of, anyway.

 

[kamen rider simon]

didnt i already make a topic about this

 

[ryuuseipro]

didnt i already make a topic about this

You did? If so, I can't find it.

 

[ForeverRed]

didnt i already make a topic about this

No, you didn't. :redface2:

I hope that doesn't affect the new US Godzilla film. :disappoin

 

[Bigdog]

No, you didn't. :redface2:

I hope that doesn't affect the new US Godzilla film. :disappoin

If they seriously gave a ****, why didn't they come 20-30 years damn sooner?

Those entitled asshole-brats can go **** themselves. They didn't create Godzilla nor did the descendents of Superman's creators create Superman. Maybe they should not have been so stupid to not make companies like Ishinomori Prod. for their parents' products. But Ishiro Honda Didn't create Godzilla, it was Tanaka. They should be getting the money if any.

My feeling of this is if the creators didn't claim it prior to their death or made any action to get them, it's tough ****. They didn't step up at all plus its not like they don't credit them. like with Superman.

Toho should sniff them out with Yakuza and claim their well earned and deserved asset since so many of the films have been made and NO ONE came forward. They're just a bunch of greedy bitches who are crutching on their fathers or grandfathers legacies for the sake of cash, which I don't support.

 

[ryuuseipro]

If they seriously gave a ****, why didn't they come 20-30 years damn sooner?

Those entitled asshole-brats can go **** themselves. They didn't create Godzilla nor did the descendents of Superman's creators create Superman. Maybe they should not have been so stupid to not make companies like Ishinomori Prod. for their parents' products. But Ishiro Honda Didn't create Godzilla, it was Tanaka. They should be getting the money if any.

My feeling of this is if the creators didn't claim it prior to their death or made any action to get them, it's tough ****. They didn't step up at all plus its not like they don't credit them. like with Superman.

Toho should sniff them out with Yakuza and claim their well earned and deserved asset since so many of the films have been made and NO ONE came forward. They're just a bunch of greedy bitches who are crutching on their fathers or grandfathers legacies for the sake of cash, which I don't support.

I wouldn't give Tomoyuki Tanaka all the credit. Although he came up with the idea, he is just one of a committee that created Godzilla under the umbrella of Toho.

Anyway, Ed Godziszewski has more information on the case:

http://armandsrancho.blogspot.com/2011/12/honda-estate-vs-toho-some-more.html

Yes, there is a legal case ongoing in Japan. Has been for a while. I have heard about the case from Ryuji [Honda] for a couple years. The family has preferred to just quietly pursue the case the way it should be done, in court. It all stems from the Japanese system that gives rights to writers (not directors).

The first ruling is due in February.

 

[Lynxara]

If they seriously gave a ****, why didn't they come 20-30 years damn sooner?

I dunno how it goes in Japan, but in the US, this tends to happen because Congress will make changes to copyright laws that are retroactive (i.e., apply to works made before the law was changed). A specific instance of this is why Jerry Siegel's heirs have been able to pursue a case for a share of the Superman copyrights-- the law was changed well after Siegel had passed away, but in a way that specifically applied to work done during Siegel's lifetime.

 

[Dr Kain]

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. So suddenly Honda's family wants to take Godzilla away from Toho. That isn't going to happen. That is like Siegel's family trying to take Superman away from DC.