Case Studies in Intellectual Property: Dick Tracy

[Undrave]

I feel that most everything will see the light of day again, provided there are no major rights hurdles. Streaming Muppet Babies will likely never be profitable enough to deal with licensing all the expensive clips it included; Mystery Science Theater 3000 would be cheaper, but more headache (lots of tiny little studios and rights holders) and likely lower value to a streaming service; I never knew how Comedy Central could play old Saturday Night Live's as daytime filler (does SNL own the performances of all the songs?). Certainly anything where who owns the rights to _____ are unclear will have problems. Everything else, I expect it to get put up on streaming eventually. There just seems to be an unending need for more content from more and more services which thing they'll be the next Netflix. It's kind of amazing.

I don't think it's all of it but : ShoutFactoryTV : Mystery Science Theater 3000

 

[Ryujin]

I feel that most everything will see the light of day again, provided there are no major rights hurdles. Streaming Muppet Babies will likely never be profitable enough to deal with licensing all the expensive clips it included; Mystery Science Theater 3000 would be cheaper, but more headache (lots of tiny little studios and rights holders) and likely lower value to a streaming service; I never knew how Comedy Central could play old Saturday Night Live's as daytime filler (does SNL own the performances of all the songs?). Certainly anything where who owns the rights to _____ are unclear will have problems. Everything else, I expect it to get put up on streaming eventually. There just seems to be an unending need for more content from more and more services which thing they'll be the next Netflix. It's kind of amazing.

I always wondered why the nun slapped his wrist and said they had filthy mouths after Jake said she was 'up a creek.'

Music rights can seriously torpedo distribution. From what I remember early DVD releases of the TV series "Due South" didn't include any of the iconic music used in the show, because they didn't have the rights to it.

 

[Willie the Duck]

I don't think it's all of it but : ShoutFactoryTV : Mystery Science Theater 3000

Oh, they've definitely made various attempts. At one time I think I could get ~90% of them all with two services (but not the original season one from KTMA, which I'd love to watch just to see what has been hit with the nostalgia-glasses). Still, there was a reason why they used to say to keep the tapes circulating.

 

[Undrave]

Music rights can seriously torpedo distribution. From what I remember early DVD releases of the TV series "Due South" didn't include any of the iconic music used in the show, because they didn't have the rights to it.

Can't find Kidd Video anywhere anymore...

 

[Undrave]

Oh, they've definitely made various attempts. At one time I think I could get ~90% of them all with two services (but not the original season one from KTMA, which I'd love to watch just to see what has been hit with the nostalgia-glasses). Still, there was a reason why they used to say to keep the tapes circulating.

I bet a bunch of those old movie rights are just lost in the mist of time. They should just release them and wait to see who comes out of the woodwork to sue them abandonment of trademark is a thing after all

 

[Cadence]

Same.

This came around to bite me a couple times.

Visiting my in-laws with my wife and my young son we saw a Blues Brothers DVD on their counter. My wife wondered if it would be inappropriate for our son and I said "I don't think so, they say crap a few times when the nun hits them with a ruler for rude language, but that's about as bad as it gets." A half-hour in I realized I had only ever seen the broadcast version. Later similar experiences for Trading Places, Animal House, and Caddyshack.

I would love to be able to find the old TV cuts of some... like Caddyshack... to share with the 13yo.

 

[Mannahnin]

Music rights can seriously torpedo distribution. From what I remember early DVD releases of the TV series "Due South" didn't include any of the iconic music used in the show, because they didn't have the rights to it.

The saga to get Beavis & Butthead episodes back (relatively) intact is another long tale.

 

[Undrave]

The saga to get Beavis & Butthead episodes back (relatively) intact is another long tale.

In Canada I can only find season 1 of the Drew Carey Show available, every other 211 episodes seems unavailable. Apparently it's all due to music rights... season 2 might be available in the US but I'm not sure.

 

[Baron Opal II]

I just don't see an audience that would consume Dick Tracy content to the point that it would be profitable.

Not these days, no. Most of the villains were named after some sort of distinctive physical feature; Mumbles, Flat Top, The Brow, Little Face, &c. Probably why they all got greased by Big Boy in the first five minutes of the film. One of the distinctive pieces of super-tech that Tracy had is commonplace now.

My dad and I watched it when it came out. He was big into all the heroes, vigilantes, and adventurers of that time period. He loved it.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Not these days, no. Most of the villains were named after some sort of distinctive physical feature; Mumbles, Flat Top, The Brow, Little Face, &c. Probably why they all got greased by Big Boy in the first five minutes of the film. One of the distinctive pieces of super-tech that Tracy had is commonplace now.

My dad and I watched it when it came out. He was big into all the heroes, vigilantes, and adventurers of that time period. He loved it.

I watch the movie when it came out. To be honest, all I remember is he wore a big yellow coat. In any case, does he still get royalties? Would he lose the royalties if he didn't keep putting on these in-character interviews? I just can't see the point of holding on to IP that isn't paying off.

 

[Baron Opal II]

I watch the movie when it came out. To be honest, all I remember is he wore a big yellow coat. In any case, does he still get royalties? Would he lose the royalties if he didn't keep putting on these in-character interviews? I just can't see the point of holding on to IP that isn't paying off.

Well... presumably WB receives royalties but that's based on showing. It's natural that the royalties any actor receives declines over time for a specific property. With sequels you have a new property within a franchise which will inherently generate interest in previous properties. So he will get a spike in royalties from the first movie when another one comes out.

And "pay off" is relative. As long as income exceeds costs, and it is something that he really enjoys, then he's good.

 

[Vael]

For a quick comedy bit on Intellectual Property, after a harrowing look at solitary confinement, check out this week's Last Week Tonight. Apparently, the early Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse is entering public domain. And John Oliver does with that what you'd kinda expect him to.

 

[MGibster]

Visiting my in-laws with my wife and my young son we saw a Blues Brothers DVD on their counter. My wife wondered if it would be inappropriate for our son and I said "I don't think so, they say crap a few times when the nun hits them with a ruler for rude language, but that's about as bad as it gets." A half-hour in I realized I had only ever seen the broadcast version. Later similar experiences for Trading Places, Animal House, and Caddyshack.

A few years back I watched The Monsters Squad for the first time since I saw it in the theaters way back in 1987. I was not prepared for the homophobic rant a couple of the characters had in regards to one of their teachers. I also noted how unlikely it was to show a child today using a shotgun to dispatch a monster. A lot of stuff that was acceptable even for children can be shocking to us today. They put warnings on Netflix shows if anyone is going to be smoking. Ha! None of that in 1986.

And, Jesus, don't check on Wikipedia to read about old movies from your childhood unless you want to be depressed. The actor who played Horace in Monster Squad died at the age of 22. Amanda Peterson, who played love interest Lori in The Explorers, just died a few years ago and she was only in her forties.

 

[MGibster]

The saga to get Beavis & Butthead episodes back (relatively) intact is another long tale.

Daria falls in the same boat. It's not as if I remember all the music, but last time I watched it I was suddenly struck that it didn't contain any music from the 90s that would have been in rotation on MTV at the time.

 

[Undrave]

I watch the movie when it came out. To be honest, all I remember is he wore a big yellow coat. In any case, does he still get royalties? Would he lose the royalties if he didn't keep putting on these in-character interviews? I just can't see the point of holding on to IP that isn't paying off.

I think he's just a big fan of the property and gets a kick out of being the IP holder.

Daria falls in the same boat. It's not as if I remember all the music, but last time I watched it I was suddenly struck that it didn't contain any music from the 90s that would have been in rotation on MTV at the time.

Kidd Video in the 80s had tons of licensed music. There’s a pretty neat sequence in a haunted city to the tune of Ghostbusters for exemple… and that show is basically lost media now because of how the rights buried it.

Disney has their new Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur show that uses modern music and I keep telling people: watch it, pirate it, save it, because in a few years Disney is gonna pull it out of Disney+. People keep telling ‘it’s Disney!’ and you know Disney’s not gonna want to keep paying residual to artists for a non-current show.

 

[MGibster]

Disney has their new Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur show that uses modern music and I keep telling people: watch it, pirate it, save it, because in a few years Disney is gonna pull it out of Disney+. People keep telling ‘it’s Disney!’ and you know Disney’s not gonna want to keep paying residual to artists for a non-current show.

I think the problem with older media is they didn't think to negotiate for things like DVDs and certainly not for streaming services. I would expect Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur to have all suchs rights already negotiated.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Daria falls in the same boat. It's not as if I remember all the music, but last time I watched it I was suddenly struck that it didn't contain any music from the 90s that would have been in rotation on MTV at the time.

Me, reading 95% of the internet:

 

[Undrave]

I think the problem with older media is they didn't think to negotiate for things like DVDs and certainly not for streaming services. I would expect Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur to have all suchs rights already negotiated.

WB keeps taking off shows they own from their streaming service just to avoid paying residuals. It's not so much that I don't think Disney didn't negotiate the rights, just that at some point some suit is gonna be like 'an old cartoon? Why are we paying for this?" and just take it off the service because they don't care and they're penny pinching.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

I think he's just a big fan of the property and gets a kick out of being the IP holder.

Possibly, but i'd think someone who is a fan of the IP would want to see it developed. He doesn't need to give up the IP to have someone else develop it. He can just license it out, I assume.

I don't know, but to me it just seems like he wants to hoard it and not let anyone else do anything with it. Not that I think there are a lot of people who would want to. As I said before, I just don't think it's something that would make much money. As I mentioned before, I don't see it being something people would want to see.

I mean, how would you bring Dick tracy into the modern era? What would be the plot? What would you do with all the characters? They were very cartoonish, but how would that look for a modern movie/series/etc.?

 

[Bacon Bits]

Me, reading 95% of the internet:

The Internet is nothing if not the world's largest quantity-over-quality device. After Walmart.