A place for complete-off-topic conversations that have nothing to do with Star Trek. The rules still apply here, stay civil.
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By Boffo97 (Dave Hines)
 - Gamma Quadrant
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Retired Moderator
#535214
https://io9.gizmodo.com/star-wars-legen ... 1845713991

Trekkies will primarily remember Alan Dean Foster as the writer of the Star Trek Log series, which novelized Star Trek TAS. He also has the story credit on Star Trek: The Motion Picture and wrote the novelizations of Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness.

He's also written quite a few novels for Star Wars and the Aliens series. Apparently, after Disney purchased these IPs through their acquisition of Lucasfilm and Fox, they also purchased the rights to Foster's novels. However, they have never paid him royalties on the books despite them being in print.

Apparently, their argument is that they acquired the rights to the novels, but not the obligations that come with those rights, such as royalties.

Which, if that is their argument, is pretty dumb. A publisher could promise a writer anything, then completely renege on their agreement by selling the rights to another company.
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First Edition Rules Master
 - First Edition Rules Master
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Continuing Committee Member - Retired
Community Contributor
#535221
Boffo97 wrote: Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:04 pm Apparently, their argument is that they acquired the rights to the novels, but not the obligations that come with those rights, such as royalties.

Which, if that is their argument, is pretty dumb. A publisher could promise a writer anything, then completely renege on their agreement by selling the rights to another company.
There's word that Disney has pulled this stunt before, under the legal theory of "I have more lawyers than you", but Foster (currently suffering from cancer and caring for his ailing wife) is willing to go to the mat on this and thus we're hearing about it.

Which is probably good in the long run, because there's already lawyers offering to help companies who license from Disney to transfer the rights to another company (and thus pull the same stunt on them).
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By BCSWowbagger (James Heaney)
 - First Edition Rules Master
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Community Contributor
#535303
Disney delenda est.

Almost everything that is terrible, awful garbage about U.S. copyright law is something Disney played a major role in -- and, after fighting so long on the platform of "creator rights," they won't even pay their own creators.

Absolute [cuss words].
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By Boffo97 (Dave Hines)
 - Gamma Quadrant
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Retired Moderator
#535363
Here's what I don't get about what Disney's argument here. The royalty obligation cannot have disappeared into the ether. Someone must still owe Foster royalties.

But there's no other candidates to do so. From what I gathered of the involved mergers, Disney bought all of Lucasfilm so it doesn't exist as a separate entity anymore. And then Fox was split with Fox Broadcasting, Fox News and Fox Sports (along with a few other assets) becoming the Fox Corporation, and everything else being bought by Disney.

So there's definitely not an argument that Lucasfilm owes Foster royalties and there doesn't seem to be an argument that Fox Corporation owes him royalties.

Apparently, Disney is insisting on a non-disclosure agreement before they even speak with Foster about this.
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By nobthehobbit (Daniel Pareja)
 - The Center of the Galaxy
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Moderator
#535366
You don't need a strong argument when you're operating under, as Allen noted, the legal theory of "I have more lawyers than you". You just need more time and money.
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