Bad News: Takara Transformers no longer official!
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:05 pm
So, we got this notice from the auction site's VeRO (Verified Rights Owner) program notifying us that our Japanese G1 Black Zarack and Music Label Soundwave are not official Transformers, and it is inappropriate to use the Transformers name in our listings for them.
What could this mean for the Transformers community? Did Hasbro sever their decades-long partnership agreement with Takara and subsequently TakaraTomy, and retroactively un-officialize all Japanese-market Transformers dating back to at least 1988? Will we no be able to buy and sell these Japanese knock-offs like Overlord, Grand Maximus, or even Star Saber? Will the upcoming Masterpiece-G Raiden have to be cancelled due to TakaraTomy operating on stolen intellectual property? Or does allowing mega-corporation rightsholders to make their own rules, file numerous spurious claims with no consequences, and provide no timely avenue for legitimate appeals lead to vast, unaccountable overreach by the largest companies in media and products?
[/rant]
What could this mean for the Transformers community? Did Hasbro sever their decades-long partnership agreement with Takara and subsequently TakaraTomy, and retroactively un-officialize all Japanese-market Transformers dating back to at least 1988? Will we no be able to buy and sell these Japanese knock-offs like Overlord, Grand Maximus, or even Star Saber? Will the upcoming Masterpiece-G Raiden have to be cancelled due to TakaraTomy operating on stolen intellectual property? Or does allowing mega-corporation rightsholders to make their own rules, file numerous spurious claims with no consequences, and provide no timely avenue for legitimate appeals lead to vast, unaccountable overreach by the largest companies in media and products?
[/rant]