VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER! - Dec. 28, 2007

dino · Post by **dino** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:58 pm

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=141085

The trademark intellectual property fight between Valiant Entertainment and Valiant Intellectual Properties that has continued for two years in the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and in Federal Court is now over with Valiant Entertainment owning all Valiant-related trademarks, including Valiant Intellectual Properties-filed trademark applications.

The conflict began soon after Valiant Entertainment acquired all rights to the Valiant Comics library of characters from videogame publisher Acclaim Entertainment’s estate in June 2005. It was discovered that during the sale to Valiant Entertainment a newly formed company called Valiant Intellectual Properties LLC (VIP) had filed intent-to-use trademark applications for certain Valiant-related trademarks that were owned but not correctly renewed by Acclaim’s estate. These Valiant-related intent-to-use trademark applications included Valiant, Harbinger, Eternal Warrior, Rai and the Future Force, Quantum & Woody, Outcast, Dr. Mirage, The Visitor, Ninjak, Deathmate, Bloodshot, Punx, and Secret Weapons.

Valiant Entertainment filed oppositions to these VIP-filed trademark applications in the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. However, the process can take years to reach fruition and prevented the distribution by Diamond Comics Distributors of Valiant Entertainment’s highly-anticipated Harbinger: The Beginning hardcover collection featuring a new story by Jim Shooter. The hardcover collection was subsequently distributed by Valiant Entertainment directly to retailers.

During this time, VIP released an ashcan at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con containing recognizable Valiant trademarks, such as Harbinger and Eternal Warrior, alongside completely unrecognizable character sketches. Despite trying to circumvent Valiant Entertainment’s copyrights, VIP’s attempted use of Valiant-related trademarks in an effort to strengthen their applications enabled Valiant Entertainment to file a lawsuit on August 29 against VIP in the Southern District of New York Federal Court for trademark infringement, unfair competition, false designation of origin, false description, and false representation. Last month, a settlement agreement was reached between the parties.

“The lawsuit Valiant Entertainment filed to protects its intellectual property against VIP LLC has been resolved to Valiant Entertainment’s satisfaction. Valiant Entertainment owns all copyrights and trademarks to the Valiant and Acclaim characters, including all right, title, interest, and associated goodwill to the VIP-filed trademark applications,” said Jason Kothari, CEO of Valiant Entertainment.

He added, “I would like to thank the loyal Valiant fans for their continued support and Blank Rome LLP for their outstanding work.”

Valiant Entertainment’s HARBINGER: THE BEGINNING hardcover collection featuring a new “Origin of Harada” story by comics’ legend Jim Shooter is being resolicited in the February 2008 issue of Diamond’s Previews.

Valiant Entertainment’s X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH hardcover collection featuring a new “The Rise of Lydia” story by Valiant co-architect Bob Layton and a new cover by Sean Chen is being solicited in the February 2008 issue of Diamond’s Previews and will be in stores in April 2008.

About Valiant Entertainment

Valiant Entertainment is a character-based entertainment company that owns and manages some of the most popular comic characters ever created across all media, including feature films, television, video games, new media, publishing, and consumer products. Since their creation in 1990, Valiant characters have sold 80 million comic books, 8 million video games, and Valiant became one of the three leading comic character-based companies globally. In addition, the “Valiant characters are often called the most important characters created since the Marvel revolution of the 1960s” (Sequart, 2006). VALIANT™ characters include X-O MANOWAR®, BLOODSHOT®, HARBINGER™, ETERNAL WARRIOR™, DOCTOR MIRAGE™, NINJAK™, SHADOWMAN®, RAI™, and QUANTUM & WOODY™, among many others. Visit ValiantEntertainment.com for more information.

magnusr · Post by **magnusr** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:59 pm

dino wrote:http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=141085

/Magnus

magnusr · Post by **magnusr** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:01 pm

X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH hardcover collection featuring a new “The Rise of Lydia” story

/Magnus

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:16 pm

Thank god it's over.

TKWill · Post by **TKWill** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:17 pm

Congratulations to VEI for getting this thing settled. It is nice to see that everything is under one roof again. I hope that this is a good sign of things to come.

I liked this line.

I would like to thank the loyal Valiant fans for their continued support.....

Can't wait for the X-O HC!!

Lightning Strike · Post by **Lightning Strike** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:18 pm

Valiant Entertainment’s X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH hardcover collection featuring a new “The Rise of Lydia” story by Valiant co-architect Bob Layton and a new cover by Sean Chen is being solicited in the February 2008 issue of Diamond’s Previews and will be in stores in April 2008.

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:30 pm

April? I have to wait 'till April?!

If "Someone" didn't spend so much time in the "Counting from 1 to 1000 using pictures . . ." thread we'd have it now...

Phantom · Post by **Phantom** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:30 pm

Wow

Glad I read the thread.

NB ~ What 2007 san diasgo comic ashcan was published by VIP?
A link anyone?

Maybe I missed this one the boards

TKWill · Post by **TKWill** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:33 pm

jedimarley wrote:April? I have to wait 'till April?!

If "Someone" didn't spend so much time in the "Counting from 1 to 1000 using pictures . . ." thread we'd have it now...

Damn, that one got me laughing out loud.

gavster · Post by **gavster** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:34 pm

Let the good times roll.

Phantom · Post by **Phantom** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:35 pm

Sorry ~ apoligies in adavance.

Hey
how you doing
sorry you can't get through
leave your name and your number
I'll get back to you

dial 2 2 2 2 222 I got an answering machinr that will talk to you.

this is my 222 post!
Took over a year?

2 2 2 2222 got an answering machine that will talk to you.

AND I DO.
My wife signs this with a sexy french accent, on our answering machine

TKWill · Post by **TKWill** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:35 pm

Phantom wrote:Wow

Glad I read the thread.

NB ~ What 2007 san diasgo comic ashcan was published by VIP?
A link anyone?

Maybe I missed this one the boards

Here you go...

viewtopic.php?t=16192&highlight=trashcan

Oh, yeah. Here is the biggie.

viewtopic.php?t=16143&highlight=ashcan

MoonChild · Post by **MoonChild** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:38 pm

MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT!!

This is so great, now the wait for books to hit the shelves begins, I hope its 2008, I hope its 2008, I hope..

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:42 pm

Wahoo!!

greg · Post by **greg** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:46 pm

Amen.

BloodOfHeroes · Post by **BloodOfHeroes** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:47 pm

That sound you hear is the price plummeting on the "Sneak Peak" ashcans...

Props to VEI. And buh-bye to the pretenders to the throne.

Bring on the Bloodshot!

BoH

Elveen · Post by **Elveen** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:50 pm

What a great after Christmas present.

This is truly great news.

I was talking to a LCS owner yesterday that had not heard about the Harby HC.

Hopefully, everyone will now know.

Congrats to Dino, Walter, and everyone else at Valiant.

I can't wait to see what happens.

Lightning Strike · Post by **Lightning Strike** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:52 pm

jedimarley wrote:April? I have to wait 'till April?!

If "Someone" didn't spend so much time in the "Counting from 1 to 1000 using pictures . . ." thread we'd have it now...

Lightning Strike · Post by **Lightning Strike** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:53 pm

BloodOfHeroes wrote:That sound you hear is the price plummeting on the "Sneak Peak" ashcans...

schi0249 · Post by **schi0249** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:57 pm

About time. So thankful that VEI was able to hang in long enough to win. Maybe now, we can find out who vip is/was.

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:58 pm

magnusr wrote:X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH hardcover collection featuring a new “The Rise of Lydia” story

/Magnus

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH.

I wonder if she tasted like chicken.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:03 pm

schi0249 wrote:Maybe now, we can find out who vip is/was.

That would be cool, but if they managed to keep it under wraps this whole time I doubt if we'll ever really know for sure.

ManofTheAtom · Post by **ManofTheAtom** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:05 pm

schi0249 wrote:About time. So thankful that VEI was able to hang in long enough to win. Maybe now, we can find out who vip is/was.

Kevin Spacey... no, wait, he was Keyser Souze.

I know, it's Kirk Douglas... no, wait, he was Spartacus

Paul McCartney?... no, he was the walrus.

depluto · Post by **depluto** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:07 pm

magnusr wrote:
dino wrote:http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=141085

/Magnus

The Unknown Spider · Post by **The Unknown Spider** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:09 pm

whoever VIP was/is I don't think they'll ever want their identities revealed, I mean with such a blantant attempt at stealing fans of loved characters would anyone ever want to support anything they did in the future?

ValiantFans.com Board - Since 2004

VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER! - Dec. 28, 2007

VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER! - Dec. 28, 2007

Re: VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER!

Re: VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER!

Re: VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER!

Re: VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER!

Re: VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER!