User blog:Stephan222/UM Corporation vs Tsuburaya Pro.

Tsuburaya Productions is having yet more licencing trouble with the Ultra Series, this time, they're being sued by UM Corporation. As I pointed out in Thread:62096, UM obtained its distribution rights from Chaiyo, infamous for their legal battle over the rights to Ultraman. Here I'm looking at UM's complaint, which you can read here. Keep in mind I'm not a lawyer, so don't take everything I say as absolute.

First off, this shows Chaiyo is determined this time to release all the "original six" series stateside. It is no coincidence that Mr. Sompote recently opened his "Ultraman USA Inc.," and began plans for a film.

The basics can be found in other places, but I'm mentioning a few things which stuck out at me in the complaint document. Not only is UM claiming rights to the original six ultras, but they are also attacking Tsupro for releasing other ultras in countries such as Malaysi, claiming rights to many other ultras. From line one:

TPC has not only published UMC’s licensed Ultraman works in the United States, but has also created new Ultraman characters that are substantially similar to the original, licensed Ultraman characters in appearance, coloring, and style.

The ultra used in their example is Ultraman Tiga. Other ultras, such as Ultraman Cosmos, also bear resemblance to Ultraman (character).

I doubt this will go anywhere. Chaiyo has distribution rights, not ownership of the character himself. However, this will prove a hurdle and expense to Tsuburaya. I believe the term we use is "frivolous lawsuit." Also from the first line:

UMC now seeks damages for TPC’s sundry violations of United States law, plus this court’s declaration that UMC is the exclusive, perpetual licensee to the ULTRAMAN works within the United States.

Note that there is no "first six" in the sentence. It seems UM—and by extension, Chaiyo, are again trying to lay claim to the entire franchise outside of Japan as part of a scheme to create their sacrilegious ULTRAMAN VS GOMOLA IN THE 2020 JAPANESE OLYMPICS film. UM claims exclusive rights to the Ultra Series within the US. Line 35:

Plaintiff is the exclusive licensee in and to the Ultraman works, and Plaintiff’s copyrights in these works are valid and original.

Not only that, but the prayer for relief (at the end of the document) clearly states that UM intends to lay claim to the entire series.

...using Plaintiff’s copyrighted works, and all other ULTRAMAN works enumerated in the 1976 Agreement, including but not limited to reproducing, adapting, distributing, displaying, manufacturing, selling, promoting, advertising, offering for sale, adapting, broadcasting, or otherwise placing into the market any of the ULTRAMAN works or any other substantially similar work in the United States that infringes Plaintiff’s registered copyrights in the ULTRAMAN works or infringes on any other rights conveyed by the 1976 agreement; and (b) doing any act or thing calculated or likely to cause confusion or mistake in the minds of members of the public, or prospective licensees of Plaintiff, as to who has the right to exploit the ULTRAMAN works in the United States;...

This is contradicted by line 56:

. Plaintiff is entitled to a declaratory judgment that Plaintiff is the exclusive licensee of the ULTRAMAN works pursuant to the grant of rights under the 1976 Agreement in the United States.

Despite that, it is clear UM wants to force Tsupro. to give up the rights to other series, such as Tiga. I doubt they'll get anywhere with that though.

UM seems to be working through TIGA Entertainment Company, Ltd. (Hmmm... wonder where that name came from.) From line three:

UMC, through its licensee TIGA Entertainment Company, Ltd. (“TIGA”), acorporation incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong, with its principal place of business in Hong Kong, currently has several licensing agreements for the distribution of Ultraman works within the United States with Golden Media Group (“GMG”), a California Corporation with its principal place of business at 19553 Mesa of the Oaks Newhall, California 91321. GMG, in turn has a distribution licensing agreement with Veranda Entertainment LLC, a California limited liability company with its principal place of business in Los Angeles, California

Digging through the web I found what seems to be TIGA's truly terrible website. It's available here, and they seem to already plan to release the series. Also, they wrote "Nebula" as "Nebura."

TIGA is also working with Golden Media. From line 17:

UMC, through TIGA, has licensed several of the ULTRAMAN works to Golden Media Group (“GMG”), a California corporation. GMG is a company in the business of distributing and managing DVD libraries for various high profile clients, and is located in Newhall, California. On December 20, 2011, TIGA and GMG entered into a four-year licensing agreement for Ultraman in the United States and English Speaking Canada. The license period is from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2016. On February 12, 2012, TIGA and GMG entered into a five-year licensing agreement for the home video rights and digital rights in the Ultra Seven and Ultra Q series in the United States and English Speaking Canada. T

As you can see, this is hardly a matter between only two companies. By extension, this could affect Mill Creek and Shout! Factory, licensed by Chaiyo, and Crunchyroll, connected to Tsuburaya pro.

I doubt they will get any extra rights, but this dispute is not going to end any time soon.

Feel free to discuss this either in the comments or in the forums at Thread:62096.