Legends publication rights canceled in some countries

[taupin121]

Hello guys,

At least three european countries had received restriction on the publication of  Legends materials.

Here's an article which summarize the situation in France. I urge you to have a look at it, if you care a little about the former universe (the particular restriction on the comics may even interest the fans of Disney's futur movies and projects) :
http://www.theexpandeduniverse.com/single-post/2018/02/02/Mort-des-L%C3%A9gendes-Part-III

Is that an insight that they will do the same in the US too ? Look like as there is no economic reason behind this, only that Disney want to erase the former universe and make it disapear, in the shops and in our minds. Is that because most of their books/comics are inferior to the former ones or that because they want to re-use in mass the content (particulary characters) in "new" stories ?

Disney is not assuming the legacy of the licence they bought, it's lame...

Thanks for reading

[Lord Xizer]

Hello guys,

At least three european countries had received restriction on the publication of  Legends materials.

Here's an article which summarize the situation in France. I urge you to have a look at it, if you care a little about the former universe (the particular restriction on the comics may even interest the fans of Disney's futur movies and projects) :
http://www.theexpandeduniverse.com/single-post/2018/02/02/Mort-des-L%C3%A9gendes-Part-III

Is that an insight that they will do the same in the US too ? Look like as there is no economic reason behind this, only that Disney want to erase the former universe and make it disapear, in the shops and in our minds. Is that because most of their books/comics are inferior to the former ones or that because they want to re-use in mass the content (particulary characters) in "new" stories ?

Disney is not assuming the legacy of the licence they bought, it's lame...

Thanks for reading

Two reasons they would do this,
Firstly yes it removes any media competing with their 'new' direction so that only that direction becomes more associated with SW and thus advertising and also gets rid of the aspect of having to share publishing rights with many of the old authors(as even though Lucasarts owns and Disney also owns SW, books published in the prior era still have profits split among both the old publisher companies and authors.

[Mr.Puerto]

Yeah this article is extremely biased so I wouldn't trust it. It literally says long live legends at the bottom of it.

What probably happened is that the license expired, and either A they are going to go to a different publisher or B they weren't selling well enough to justify a renewed license. Keep in mind that Disney doesn't own Star Wars per say, and its Lucasflim who still maintains control of the copyright. So it would be their decision to renew, not Disney. And if they were really going to cease the printing of legends material there would be some sort of announcement or whatever. So in conclusion the article is just playing up the issue rather than actually telling us what's happening.

[taupin121]

gets rid of the aspect of having to share publishing rights with many of the old authors(as even though Lucasarts owns and Disney also owns SW, books published in the prior era still have profits split among both the old publisher companies and authors.

I didn't know the old author still gets fees from the books.

Yeah this article is extremely biased so I wouldn't trust it. It literally says long live legends at the bottom of it.

Ok then everything comming from a fan of Legends is wrong ? I'm glad you expressed that, I know to what kind of person I am answering. Then this article is maybe biased, I wrote it. But everything is true.

What probably happened is that the license expired, and either A they are going to go to a different publisher or B they weren't selling well enough to justify a renewed license.

No. Absolutely not. Pocket want to have the licence. Legends sold well in France. The new reprints particulary as they were rare and probably because the new movies disapointed people.

Keep in mind that Disney doesn't own Star Wars per say, and its Lucasflim who still maintains control of the copyright. So it would be their decision to renew, not Disney.

Pocket and Delcourt discuss this matter directly with Disney which is the right holder and it's Disney, not Lucasfilm, who told them what the can and what they can't print. It's no conspiration it's a reality in France.

And if they were really going to cease the printing of legends material there would be some sort of announcement or whatever. So in conclusion the article is just playing up the issue rather than actually telling us what's happening.

We got that announcement in France, what I can tell you more except beware for your market ? If it's just playing for you, ask and I will answer. I tought I made this clear but look like you don't (want to ?) understand.

I expected people may say they didn't care, but telling that it's lies is very and even more harmful.

[Mr.Puerto]

I didn't know the old author still gets fees from the books.

Ok then everything comming from a fan of Legends is wrong ? I'm glad you expressed that, I know to what kind of person I am answering. Then this article is maybe biased, I wrote it. But everything is true.

No. Absolutely not. Pocket want to have the licence. Legends sold well in France. The new reprints particulary as they were rare and probably because the new movies disapointed people.

Pocket and Delcourt discuss this matter directly with Disney which is the right holder and it's Disney, not Lucasfilm, who told them what the can and what they can't print. It's no conspiration it's a reality in France.

We got that announcement in France, what I can tell you more except beware for your market ? If it's just playing for you, ask and I will answer. I tought I made this clear but look like you don't (want to ?) understand.

I expected people may say they didn't care, but telling that it's lies is very and even more harmful.

No, you might have misunderstood me. But when reporting on these things you have to eliminate personal bias from your article, if I want to know that legends books are not going to be available in France. I want to just know that and that's it, I don't want to see that the article has someone's personal opinion on to it because then I'm going to be more skeptical. I would say the exact same thing if it was the other way around.

And again Disney doesn't hold the rights to star wars, they might negotiate for Lucasflim since they bought the company. But they didn't buy the rights to it. Also, people can want to publish the licence, but at the end of the day that's not up to them thats up to whoever controls the property.


Also you don't know the situation either, as your source article states "Originating in an imprecise Google translation of Pocket's Facebook page, an alarming message has sent speculative shockwaves throughout the Star Wars community. Has Lucasfilm cut off French markets from Legends? Are they simply granting their license to republish Legends content to another publisher? What does this mean for access to Legends content throughout the European Union - and the world at large? All we can do is guess at this point. " literally no one knows what is happening.


http://www.theexpandeduniverse.com/single-post/2018/01/31/Mort-des-L%C3%A9gendes-French-publisher-loses-rights-to-republish-Legends

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/30/disney-star-wars-lucasfilm/1669739/

[Slornie]

Nothing stays in print forever.  However I agree it is slightly surprising that Lucasfilm/Disney are saying no to a third party who wants to essentially continue giving them free money, although it could just be another publisher has already signed a new contract for Legends material.

[Mr.Puerto]

Nothing stays in print forever.  However I agree it is slightly surprising that Lucasfilm/Disney are saying no to a third party who wants to essentially continue giving them free money, although it could just be another publisher has already signed a new contract for Legends material.

Yeah I would be very surprised if they decided to stop printing legends so soon. Especially considering what type of outrage that would make. I would imagine they would have some sort of plan with it, maybe put all of it in one book if they can get all the authors to agree?

[taupin121]

No, you might have misunderstood me. But when reporting on these things you have to eliminate personal bias from your article, if I want to know that legends books are not going to be available in France.

That website asked opinions and the facts on the subject, I gave them exactly that.

I want to just know that and that's it, I don't want to see that the article has someone's personal opinion on to it because then I'm going to be more skeptical. I would say the exact same thing if it was the other way around.

I am really sorry that people should be allowed to have access to these book is an opinion that make you skeptical.

And again Disney doesn't hold the rights to star wars, they might negotiate for Lucasflim since they bought the company. But they didn't buy the rights to it. Also, people can want to publish the licence, but at the end of the day that's not up to them thats up to whoever controls the property.

What I told you is that both the publisher of comics and novels discuss that matter with Disney. They gave the orders that's all. Are they rightly to do so ? I don't know.
 

Also you don't know the situation either, as your source article states "Originating in an imprecise Google translation of Pocket's Facebook page, an alarming message has sent speculative shockwaves throughout the Star Wars community. Has Lucasfilm cut off French markets from Legends? Are they simply granting their license to republish Legends content to another publisher? What does this mean for access to Legends content throughout the European Union - and the world at large? All we can do is guess at this point. " literally no one knows what is happening.

That article was made by an american (she know nothing of this but saw that French fans were alarmed by this post and tried to understand) and she asked what was going. I, among others, answered. You want the sources, here are they :





Don't search for this post on Facebook he had been now deleted.

[Mr.Puerto]

That website asked opinions and the facts on the subject, I gave them exactly that.

I am really sorry that people should be allowed to have access to these book is an opinion that make you skeptical.

What I told you is that both the publisher of comics and novels discuss that matter with Disney. They gave the orders that's all. Are they rightly to do so ? I don't know.
 
That article was made by an american (she know nothing of this but saw that French fans were alarmed by this post and tried to understand) and she asked what was going. I, among others, answered. You want the sources, here are they :





Don't search for this post on Facebook he had been now deleted.

Again you seem to be misunderstanding what I am saying.

Also if the post has been deleted that can mean anything, so it could've a simple mistake that they wrote that.

[taupin121]

Nothing stays in print forever.

Yes of course, but look like they don't want to wait, at least in France (and in Czech Republic and Italy as I've heard).

However I agree it is slightly surprising that Lucasfilm/Disney are saying no to a third party who wants to essentially continue giving them free money, although it could just be another publisher has already signed a new contract for Legends material.

There's still novels and comics not yet translated, some are poor and won't sale but some are very good (Mercy Kill for example which I read in English). Even the reprint, in sort of omnibus made excellent sales are they were long time out of print in France (Pocket is not Del Rey...). It is very unlikely they split the right from novels based on date of publication, particulary when Pocket want them.

Yeah I would be very surprised if they decided to stop printing legends so soon. Especially considering what type of outrage that would make.

We were surprised. We are outraged. I hope it will not happens in the US too but there's a possibility. One US fan say it couldn't happen before 2021. I don't know if it's true or on what he based such comment. And also Del Rey printed a good number of novels, you're not lacking them soon. But as I say it's a possibility. Already a reality here in France. I hope to spread the information that may change things... but sadly I have few hopes.

Also if the post has been deleted that can mean anything, so it could've a simple mistake that they wrote that.

It could be that, but it's more likely that the post went viral and get lots of comment. Of course I will tell you if there's a clarification.

[Mr.Puerto]

Yes of course, but look like they don't want to wait, at least in France (and in Czech Republic and Italy as I've heard).

There's still novels and comics not yet translated, some are poor and won't sale but some are very good (Mercy Kill for example which I read in English). Even the reprint, in sort of omnibus made excellent sales are they were long time out of print in France (Pocket is not Del Rey...). It is very unlikely they split the right from novels based on date of publication, particulary when Pocket want them.

We were surprised. We are outraged. I hope it will not happens in the US too but there's a possibility. One US fan say it couldn't happen before 2021. I don't know if it's true or on what he based such comment. And also Del Rey printed a good number of novels, you're not lacking them soon. But as I say it's a possibility. Already a reality here in France. I hope to spread the information that may change things... but sadly I have few hopes.

It could be that, but it's more likely that the post went viral and get lots of comment. Of course I will tell you if there's a clarification.

Also I just wanted to clear the air. I'm not personally attacking you or anything like that. I'm just stating what I thought of the article. While I did have some harsh criticism for it, it was very well done. And yes I would agree with you that it'd be absolute Bullshit if they started going away with legends material in that matter.

[taupin121]

So we have now confirmation that more comics are forbidden. Look like they target comics in the Old Republic era (Knight Errant, Tales of the Jedi and Dawn of the Jedi) and the ones between RotS and ANH (Dark Times and TFU). Probably because new projects are to appear in these time period in the Story Group Canon (movies, live series or animated series ?).

[kucsidave]

A shame

[Pali]

Assuming the email is accurate, which I've been unable to confirm, "forbidden" is still a stronger word than appropriate here IMO - it commands the stopping of reprints and re-edits, not the recall of copies in warehouses or on the shelves.  The vast majority of books, comic or otherwise, face this fate eventually, and quite honestly I suspect that a number of these comics wouldn't have lasted even this long were they unable to put Star Wars on the label.

[taupin121]

Assuming the email is accurate, which I've been unable to confirm, "forbidden" is still a stronger word than appropriate here IMO - it commands the stopping of reprints and re-edits, not the recall of copies in warehouses or on the shelves. The vast majority of books, comic or otherwise, face this fate eventually, and quite honestly I suspect that a number of these comics wouldn't have lasted even this long were they unable to put Star Wars on the label.

That's true but what is also true is that these comics are selling (because of the label). Delcourt intended to sell Tales of the Jedi in two omnibus, this will not be possible and I repeat they are out of print and second hand copies goes at high prices. Also out of print and forbidden to be reprinted or re-edited, are the comics Shadows of the Empire.