NEWS WB not renewing any B5 product licenses

[Sigma13]

this was on the b5lr forums:

I dont know what JMS has to say about this BUT i was over at Precedences home page www.Eternity.com (http://www.Eternity.com) who made the Babylon 5 Card Game. When they went to renew there contract recently the got a response of "Warner Brothers has responded that they are not renewing ANY Babylon 5 licenses at this time". The full thing is on precedences site

[Greven]

is this good or bad or both???

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ModFactory (http://www.modfactory.net)
<*>

[samuelk]

Probalby neither.

With a new movie and possibly a new series in the future, WB is most likely just waiting to see what happens.

All kinds of things may change if LotR does well.

[samuelk]

Who called it? WHO CALLED IT? That's right, it was me:

There's a difference between not renewing a license and dropping a license. My
suspicion is that they will want to clean the slate in preparation for
Rangers...up until now, everybody's been operating off the license agreements
made during and right after B5...and deals made after B5 were a bit more
generous to the retailers than those made during B5. But with the new project
going ahead, I suspect they'll want to let the current deals expire in
preparation for the new ones under the new title so they can make better deals
(read better as more beneficial to WB).

jms


[This message has been edited by samuelk (edited 06-05-2001).]

[Arik]

Very impressive (and I'm assuming that's a quote from JMS?)

[Biggles]

I would say that that is the most likely reason. Some of the liscenses out there would be getting quite old now.

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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

"Nonono...Is not Great Machine. Is...Not-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras

[samuelk]

Yes, that was a quote from jms...I forgot to past his name at the bottom. Thanks for catching that.

[Death-Star]

Hopefully the new movie will do some good to the B5 world...(and help us get ITF back)

[This message has been edited by Death-Star (edited 06-05-2001).]

[BrotherTheo]

The problem here is that they didn't renew the license for Precedence Games (which is something that has to be done regularly) WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE THAT THIS WOULD BE THE CASE, and then issued a cease and desist order - now Precedence (or presumably any other manufacturer of B5 products hit by this non-renewal) cannot sell, cannot distribute, and cannot complete products already on the shelves, and already in development.

This is corporate stupidity of the highest order, and only serves to alienate the publishers of B5-related products. These companies have other lines of merchandise, and they have little cause other than overriding profit to return to producing B5-related merchandise.

A Vorlon Planet-killer on them.

[BrotherTheo]

I'm posting the source for my comments above:

Extract from the CCG group ...

First, a personal message from Kevin Tewart, Lead Designer for B5 CCG.
Official information follows...

"As some of you may know, our contract to do Babylon 5 CCG is not
indefinite; it gets renewed from time to time. In response to our latest
request for a contract renewal, Warner Brothers has responded that they
are not renewing ANY Babylon 5 licenses at this time.

...

Official Information:

Precedence has just been informed by Warner Brothers that they will not
be renewing existing Babylon 5 licenses for any company until further
notice, possibly indefinitely. We have also been given a cease, desist
and disposal order. This means that Precedence is, effective
immediately, not legally able to sell, design, produce or ship any
Babylon 5 CCG product. We must also dispose of all inventory in our
warehouse and at our print house (this does include the entirety of the
about to release Collector's Set).

[whitestar90]

Weel least it is not set in concrete, they are most probably waiting like the rest of us to see how it turns out..

[Rick]

...um...ewwww...sticky legal stuff...

Probably shut down AoG as well(?)

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"...In the end it would hold because what is built endures. And what is loved endures.
And Babylon 5...Babylon 5 endures." -- Delenn in the Babylon 5 episode Rising Star

[Mr_Bungle]

Official Information:

Precedence has just been informed by Warner Brothers that they will not
be renewing existing Babylon 5 licenses for any company until further
notice, possibly indefinitely. We have also been given a cease, desist
and disposal order. This means that Precedence is, effective
immediately, not legally able to sell, design, produce or ship any
Babylon 5 CCG product. We must also dispose of all inventory in our
warehouse and at our print house (this does include the entirety of the
about to release Collector's Set).

Ow. Very harsh, and I can see any comments on WB alienating themselves from such distributors as being easily legitimate - they're running the risk of not getting all of these groups back...

[Falcon1]

It may allow for a fresh bunch of companies to come into the fray though, in the future. I think WB will be drawing up a fresh batch once LOTR is released...

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'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen

Visit my B5 site at: http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110

[Biggles]

Who cares about a fresh bunch of companies when the old ones who were, in my opinion, doing a wonderful job are now unable to sell their products, and must in fact destroy what they have already produced, loosing lots of money?

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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

"Nonono...Is not Great Machine. Is...Not-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras

[Falcon1]

That of course is the downside... it will be a terrible waste. Why not just dump it on Ebay, I'd buy some of it.

And it is a kick in the teeth for the companies who've been involved in B5 merchandise. I wasn't having a go at the good companies. But the crowd that made the dolls can go to hell, they were crap, rushed job really.

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'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen

Visit my B5 site at: http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110

[Melkor]

Guys, this means BOOKS too!

[Rick]

I doubt that the books are in danger at all....they are rarely subject to short-term contracts, unlike most licenses that affect memorabilia, games, trading cards, tie-ins, and other merchandise. Even if it was, the contract would not likely expire until after the final book in the Techno-Mage trilogy went to print.

-R.

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"...In the end it would hold because what is built endures. And what is loved endures.
And Babylon 5...Babylon 5 endures." -- Delenn in the Babylon 5 episode Rising Star

[David of Mac]

Originally posted by Rick:
...um...ewwww...sticky legal stuff...

Probably shut down AoG as well(?)



NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anla'Shok Douglas Nicol]

Most importantly, how does this affect the game itself?

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-------------------------
Pilot Officer Anla'Shok D. Nicol
Wingman
1st Squadron RSF
the NEW BRITISH EMPIRE
Second to None.
"If you value your lives, be somewhere else" - Delenn

[JackN]

Anla'Shok:

We remain as always...

waiting...

we have always been here...

http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif

[Ranger Brian]

Originally posted by Rick:
Probably shut down AoG as well(?)



And lo and behold AoG's site is down, coincidence?

Oh well so much for Gropos

<strike><font color="#C0C0C0">-------------------</font></strike><font color="#00FFFF">
Flight Lieutenant, Ranger Brian
Executive Officer, 2nd Squadron <font color="#ff0000">R<font color="#ffffff">S<font color="#0080ff">F<font color="#00FFFF">
<a href="http://pub5.ezboard.com/bnewbritishempire" style="text-decoration: none"><font color="#00FFff"><strong>New British Empire</strong></font></a>
<font color="#ffffff"><em>Only the insane have strength enough to prosper,</em>
<em>Only those that prosper truly judge what is sane.</em><font color="#0080FF"></font></p>

[This message has been edited by Ranger Brian (edited 06-06-2001).]

[Biggles]

I would say when it comes time to actually get the liscense to do the game from WB, they will be able to.

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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

"Nonono...Is not Great Machine. Is...Not-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras

[carathas]

>Probably shut down AoG as well(?)
>And lo and behold AoG's site is down, coincidence?
>Oh well so much for Gropos

Good news for B5Wars players.
AOG's license is not up for renewal until 2002. And AOG's site is down because of a slight problem - It seems someone forgot to pay a bill and hence, it was removed from DNS.

[Messiah]

Jeez, all this stuff happening when I'm away, makes me paranoid...

I wonder what they will think of next? http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif

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http://www.dd.chalmers.se/~gu00mama/

Vir - Are you saying you don't trust me anymore? I made your favourite, Spoo.

Londo - I'll order in.

[Falcon1]

B5 toilet covers?

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'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen

Visit my B5 site at: http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110

[Rick]

Originally posted by Falcon1:
B5 toilet covers?



Don't get me started... http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif

- http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/vsml.gif

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"...In the end it would hold because what is built endures. And what is loved endures.
And Babylon 5...Babylon 5 endures." -- Delenn in the Babylon 5 episode Rising Star

[Biggles]

They're planning on including a free one with each copy of the game because they are cheaper than posters.

------------------
Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

"Nonono...Is not Great Machine. Is...Not-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras