Rumer: Lionsgate Entertainment's license expires 2010?!

Big Momma · Post by **Big Momma** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:54 pm

Super 17 wrote:
Captain Awesome wrote:
Super 17 wrote:I don't get it, why can Funimation just get their own license by going to Toei Animation in Japan. Is it more expensive then waiting for Lionsgate license to finish or what?
They did license the show from Toei, then they went and sub licensed the rights for distribution to Lions gate.
Why? I don't get any of this rights. How does it work. Can you explain it to me in a detailed form please.

If I'm not mistaken, Lions Gate owns the rights to distribute the first 13 episodes, so that means that even if Funimation were to dub them, they can't sell them anywhere.

Raki · Post by **Raki** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:22 am

Big Momma wrote:
Super 17 wrote:
Captain Awesome wrote: They did license the show from Toei, then they went and sub licensed the rights for distribution to Lions gate.
Why? I don't get any of this rights. How does it work. Can you explain it to me in a detailed form please.
If I'm not mistaken, Lions Gate owns the rights to distribute the first 13 episodes, so that means that even if Funimation were to dub them, they can't sell them anywhere.

In Region 1 of course.

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:44 am

Raki wrote:In Region 1 of course.

Right, which means the only places that FUNi has been able to distribute them has been places like Australia. Actually, I'm not sure if anywhere BUT Australia has gotten them.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:08 am

Old news. Current rumor, according to the topic title, is that the license expires in a couple years.

TheGreatness25 · Post by **TheGreatness25** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 9:01 am

I have the Saga of Goku from the Mad Man release. And I love it. I'd feel absolutely cheated if I had all of Dragon Ball and then that crappy Saga of Goku (which I've had on VHS for like... God knows how many years). I mean I do have the Saga of Goku on DVD, but that was just to have every possible release of Dragon Ball in English. I WAS going to get all of Ultimate Uncut next, but...good luck there.

dragonballzgtfighter · Post by **dragonballzgtfighter** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:22 pm

Is there a Lionsgate Entertainment employee who happens to be a member of the forum?

Or someone from the forum who knows a Lionsgate Entertainment employee?

Super 17 · Post by **Super 17** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 1:58 am

dragonballzgtfighter wrote:Is there a Lionsgate Entertainment employee who happens to be a member of the forum?

Or someone from the forum who knows a Lionsgate Entertainment employee?

I think that's very doubtful or otherwise the person would of said something some time ago.

Forgotten Hero · Post by **Forgotten Hero** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 4:21 am

dragonballzgtfighter wrote:Is there a Lionsgate Entertainment employee who happens to be a member of the forum?

Or someone from the forum who knows a Lionsgate Entertainment employee?

I doubt it, to give you some background, fans always ask Funimation representatives at Cons and such about this conundrum (Myself this past summer). They know just about as much as the fans do concerning this issues. It would be nice to hear an answer from the horse's mouth: Gen Fukanowa or someone from Lion's Gate.

On a side note, I remember Mike mentioning on a podcast that Lion's Gate own the distribution rights to the first 13 episodes "indiffidently." Just something I think we should all keep in mind.

Captain Awesome · Post by **Captain Awesome** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 6:43 am

Forgotten Hero wrote: On a side note, I remember Mike mentioning on a podcast that Lion's Gate own the distribution rights to the first 13 episodes "indefinitely." Just something I think we should all keep in mind.

Sorry, but I had to do it.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 6:34 pm

Forgotten Hero wrote:On a side note, I remember Mike mentioning on a podcast that Lion's Gate own the distribution rights to the first 13 episodes "indiffidently." Just something I think we should all keep in mind.

That's not a side note. The whole reason behind this thread is that there's a rumor of the distribution rights having a definite end. Its the entire reason anybody even cares about this thread.

dragonballzgtfighter · Post by **dragonballzgtfighter** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:46 pm

Forgotten Hero wrote:
dragonballzgtfighter wrote: On a side note, I remember Mike mentioning on a podcast that Lion's Gate own the distribution rights to the first 13 episodes "indiffidently." Just something I think we should all keep in mind.

It does not matter as there is normally an end date to a contract or they can be bought out.

Super 17 · Post by **Super 17** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:12 am

Can Toei take the distribution rights from Lionsgate if they wished too.

Raki · Post by **Raki** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:21 am

Super 17 wrote:Can Toei take the distribution rights from Lionsgate if they wished too.

Being as they own the copyrights...I think so. They could also choose not to renew the sub license.

Forgotten Hero · Post by **Forgotten Hero** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:49 am

Captain Awesome wrote:
Forgotten Hero wrote: On a side note, I remember Mike mentioning on a podcast that Lion's Gate own the distribution rights to the first 13 episodes "indefinitely." Just something I think we should all keep in mind.
Sorry, but I had to do it.

Did I say something wrong?

Captain Awesome · Post by **Captain Awesome** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:05 am

Forgotten Hero wrote: Did I say something wrong?

Not at all, I was just being my nitpicky self and was correcting your spelling.

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:53 am

Speaking of being nitpicky and correcting spelling, can someone please change "Rumer" into "Rumor" in the thread's title? It's really starting to bother me...

Forgotten Hero · Post by **Forgotten Hero** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:28 pm

Captain Awesome wrote:
Forgotten Hero wrote: Did I say something wrong?
Not at all, I was just being my nitpicky self and was correcting your spelling.

Oh thanks!

FireFox spell check wasn't being very helpful.

G1Ravage · Post by **G1Ravage** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 4:20 am

Everything FUNimation has told us over the years regarding the first 13 episodes of Dragon Ball and Movie 1, is that Lionsgate, for whatever reason FUNi had in 1995, was given the distribution rights forever.

What FUNi reps have told us over the past few months is that they're still trying everything they can to get the rights back.

DragoonClawNZ · Post by **DragoonClawNZ** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 4:53 am

SSj Kaboom wrote:
Raki wrote:In Region 1 of course.
Right, which means the only places that FUNi has been able to distribute them has been places like Australia. Actually, I'm not sure if anywhere BUT Australia has gotten them.

Australia is not the only place in the world that recieved the uncut version of Saga of Goku, in New Zealand we also got it as we get Madmans products here.