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Filing found here:

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/07/23/Transformers.pdf


They feel that the Skystriker with booster pack painted as Jetfire violates their IP rights and filed a copyright suit.



The offending toy:

From the perspective of someone who isn't insane, I think this is asinine.

But from the perspective of a collector with two of these on the shelf, new in box, I hope that the toys are recalled and everyone except me gets a visit from the IP police, who take the toys away.

Dear Harmony Gold the US Navy is outside for a chat , something about you trying to trademark "Jolly Rodger" Squadron

I thought we had buried this years ago in the great "Every mecha game and cartoon suing each other over Copyright infringement " lawsuits it was painful to watch back then and i have never forgiven Harmony for ruining my Stinger mechs

 azazel the cat wrote:
From the perspective of someone who isn't insane, I think this is asinine.

But from the perspective of a collector with two of these on the shelf, new in box, I hope that the toys are recalled and everyone except me gets a visit from the IP police, who take the toys away.

Hasbro customer service says this won't affect any distribution of the left over SDCC stock on HasbroToyShop.

My prediction: The sets will sell out in an hour or two when put up online, Hasbro will send Harmony a letter saying "Sorry, no offense meant, we'll destroy the Booster Pack mold(which is what this is really about) right away. Won't happen again!" and the case will be dismissed due to settling out of court.

Hasbro wins by having sold all the sets and Harmony Gold "wins" by the offending part not being available in the future.

Sounds just fine to me. To ebay with the second copy, then!

From the Seibertron boards(via the board owner):

Seibertron wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Why this and not Classics Jetfire?

From what I've been told by someone at Harmony Gold, apparently Hasbro has asked for usage of its likeness in the past (i.e. Classics Jetfire) and was told that was OK. Apparently they didn't ask this time around.

Interesting if true.

 azazel the cat wrote:
Sounds just fine to me. To ebay with the second copy, then!

I'd wait a few years for the price to go up if I were you.

So, Harmony Gold owns the license to the F-14 now? Or do they own the rights to all planes painted white with red stripes? Is it the boosters? Those don't even look like the originals. How is this infringing on their copyrights? Furthermore, why didn't they complain over a month ago when Hasbro first revealed the set?

A bit of clarification from a Transformers nerd (that is to say, me).

The offending part in question is the booster pack. This is the very same part that came with the original G1 Jetfire toy. However, the original Jetfire was actually a redeco of a Macross toy. Hasbro's right to use the part has long since expired. Technically, the part in question belongs to Harmony Gold, so they have every right to complain.

 Squigsquasher wrote:
This is the very same part that came with the original G1 Jetfire toy.

It doesn't look like the same part. It is similar enough, obliviously, but even the main vehicle is different as well when compared. The one on the toy in question looks like a smaller vehicle strapped to the top, whereas the original is just two extra, much larger, booster rockets.

Ah yes, forgot about the Veritech Fighter, er Jetfire...

If I recollect he (it) was actually pretty badass as well.

He was super articulated for the time, but that owes more to being a re-purposed Veritech toy mold and not a Takara mold. IIRC, the Gerwalk mode was actually advertised on the TF packaging, too, though it's something that Hasbro isn't legally allowed to mention anymore in reference to Jetfire/Skyfire.

Due to being a non-Takara figure, he was never released in Japan, he only showed in about 4 episodes, and his cartoon/comic version looks MUCH different(different head, chunky alt mode, different name).





Incidentally, there's a variant of the original G1 release that still features the UN Spacy logo.

 Ahtman wrote:

 Squigsquasher wrote:
This is the very same part that came with the original G1 Jetfire toy.

It doesn't look like the same part. It is similar enough, obliviously, but even the main vehicle is different as well when compared. The one on the toy in question looks like a smaller vehicle strapped to the top, whereas the original is just two extra, much larger, booster rockets.

I stand corrected! You're right, it does look different. Hmm.

In any case, as much as I usually dislike older toys (before the age of ball joints) that is pretty bloody pimpin'.

Startlingly like a Macross veritech.

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Startlingly like a Macross veritech.

That's the issue, yes.

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Startlingly like a Macross veritech.

... because it is...

Come on, guys. It's not reasonable to expect everyone to be familiar with the minutiae of a single toy that was released nearly 30 years ago.

As Platuan4th said, the original Jetfire toy was a repurposed mold from a shared manufacturer. The mold was only leased for a brief run, so it was a hard toy to find - which is why if you can find one boxed on ebay, it's about $400 or so depending on condition.

It was a pretty badass toy, by the way, my friend had one. I'd put it right up there with Metroplex and Shockwave but slightly below Galvatron.

 Savagecoyote wrote:
I thought we had buried this years ago in the great "Every mecha game and cartoon suing each other over Copyright infringement " lawsuits it was painful to watch back then and i have never forgiven Harmony for ruining my Stinger mechs

As a Battletech fan my instant response whenever I hear of Harmony Gold doing anything is to say 'feth you Harmony Gold'.

And I know little about the countless mecha properties outside of Battletech, and I know even less about IP law, but feth you Harmony Gold.

 Ouze wrote:
As Platuan4th said, the original Jetfire toy was a repurposed mold from a shared manufacturer. The mold was only leased for a brief run, so it was a hard toy to find - which is why if you can find one boxed on ebay, it's about $400 or so depending on condition.

Mine isn't boxed but I still have all the pieces. In fact I think it is the only Transformer I own.

I have a bunch of the Beast Wars ones, though no boxes.

I don't have any of my G1 transformers anymore. After spending a year or two amassing them, I got them bagged up to take to my grandmothers house. My dad thought it was a bag of trash, and dumped it into the incinerator on the way to the store while I was getting ready :(

Thhpt with your transformer models. Sorry, but if you don't have a foot tall GI Joe complete with kid sized jeep, artillery, and shark the size of a small bass you aint gak!

 Ouze wrote:
I have a bunch of the Beast Wars ones, though no boxes.

I don't have any of my G1 transformers anymore. After spending a year or two amassing them, I got them bagged up to take to my grandmothers house. My dad thought it was a bag of trash, and dumped it into the incinerator on the way to the store while I was getting ready :(

NOOOOO!


I think I may have a few Transformers laying around...


Ah, here we go:






Oh, and what's that box on the floor with the top hat on it? Why it's a Trypticon in a box!

Most of my G1's and Unicron trilogy figures are still packed up(that last shelf in the corner is for them).

nvrmind

 Ouze wrote:
I have a bunch of the Beast Wars ones, though no boxes.

I don't have any of my G1 transformers anymore. After spending a year or two amassing them, I got them bagged up to take to my grandmothers house. My dad thought it was a bag of trash, and dumped it into the incinerator on the way to the store while I was getting ready :(

If my dad did that I would have to kill him.