Popeye is now public domain

[Shawn Hopkins]

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/01/12/publicdomain2.html?ref=rss

Huh. Interesting. At this point, technically, anyone could do a Popeye animated series, just like anyone could do a Jungle Book or Little Mermaid series. It will be interesting to see what happens with this. Other characters from around the Popeye era could go public domain eventually, too, although the current copyright holders are doing their best to keep that from happening.

[AlgeaX]

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/01/12/publicdomain2.html?ref=rss

Huh. Interesting. At this point, technically, anyone could do a Popeye animated series, just like anyone could do a Jungle Book or Little Mermaid series. It will be interesting to see what happens with this. Other characters from around the Popeye era could go public domain eventually, too, although the current copyright holders are doing their best to keep that from happening.

Cool, does that mean he's now eligible for LoEG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Extraordinary_Gentleman) membership?

[Tobias]

Huh. And here I thought Paramount or WB held the copyright to Popeye.

[Super Leviathan]

This doesn't make any sense. King Features still holds trademarks on Popeye that are wholly independent of any copyrights, and will still protect the character.

[Martianinvader]

Huh. And here I thought Paramount or WB held the copyright to Popeye.
They hold the copyright to THEIR Popeye CARTOONS (well, except those prints that have been public domain for decades already). According to the article if something is made FOR A COMPANY and that company is still in existence it can renew their rights for as long as they want.

[Dr. Dave]

The copyrights have expired only in the European Union, not in the United States.

[Shawn Hopkins]

The copyrights have expired only in the European Union, not in the United States.

Yeah, that's what this article seems to say.

http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09%2F01%2F04%2F1931214&from=rss

Still, some guy in London could make a T-shirt featuring an image of Popeye and King Features would have no legal recourse. That's interesting.

[Taco Wiz]

Things are gonna get juicy!

Lawsuits? Popeye on Disney Channel? The Complete Popeye Series: Bootleg Edition in the 1 dollar bin?

[Mickialla]

If Popeye belongs in a new series anywhere, I don't want to see him anywhere other than Cartoon Network.

Hopefully if anyone decides to create a Popeye series, it won't be a babyfication. I'd HATE a "Baby Popeye" show.

[Pomegranate]

Too bad it's just the European Union. America's the suck!:shrug:

[judyindisguise]

Alas, poor Popeye. He is now without copyright protection. The Sea Hag only knows what various ill-conceived cinematic hatchet jobs await the old salt now. Although it's hard to imagine anyone doing the poor old fellow any more harm than did Robert Altman and Jules Feiffer in that awful movie starring Robin Williams. Gahh! Even while under copyright, the squint-eyed sailor man didn't get no "respeck" when it came to the big screen. Too bad. I think he'd rock as the star of a Broadway musical.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Cool, does that mean he's now eligible for LoEG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Extraordinary_Gentleman) membership?
Hmm. It would be interesting seeing Popeye going alongside Quatermain and Mina.

But this is interesting. I wonder when we're going to see a ton of cheap Popeye stuff appear in Europe.

[soundmonkey44]

Awsome Dood! Now I can Finally make my own Popeye Shirt!

I am all i am im popeye the sailor dood!...I mean man! tootoot!

[hobbyfan]

Alas, poor Popeye. He is now without copyright protection. The Sea Hag only knows what various ill-conceived cinematic hatchet jobs await the old salt now. Although it's hard to imagine anyone doing the poor old fellow any more harm than did Robert Altman and Jules Feiffer in that awful movie starring Robin Williams. Gahh! Even while under copyright, the squint-eyed sailor man didn't get no "respeck" when it came to the big screen. Too bad. I think he'd rock as the star of a Broadway musical.

Avast! I saw Popeye in the theatre. Could've stood to have a better script, and Robin Williams was a little restrained in his film debut. What if Popeye could've gone all out, and opened up a phat can of whoop-ass on Bluto when necessary, and not at the end of the movie?! It wasn't that bad, overall.

[Bakasama]

Cool, does that mean he's now eligible for LoEG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Extraordinary_Gentleman) membership?

I would think yes. Popeye and some Oz or Alice in Wonderland characters would very interesting see.

[Pomegranate]

Avast! I saw Popeye in the theatre. Could've stood to have a better script, and Robin Williams was a little restrained in his film debut. What if Popeye could've gone all out, and opened up a phat can of whoop-ass on Bluto when necessary, and not at the end of the movie?! It wasn't that bad, overall.

I think most business entities generally ignore public domain properties, since they're not as profitable as they used to be when they were intellectual properties.

[Dr.Pepper]

So you mean that anyone can do their own version of Popeye now?

[Tobias]

So you mean that anyone can do their own version of Popeye now?

Theoretically, as long as it has nothing to with any previously produced Popeye work, like the Fleischer/Paramount/Hanna Barbera shorts or the LA or CGI movies. Basically an all new continuity with all new stories that no lawyer could claim infringed on another company's work.

[mkalv]

That sounds cool!

[Billebaars]

Many Popeye cartoons have been in the public domain for quite a while now. This has been because of confusion about ownership rights between parties involved.

See some of the public domain ones on http://classictoonz.blogspot.com