Should FTC have accepted Mego Marvel license even under the $80 sets restrictions?

[nobody]

Then it's not comparable.

What's the cost of 2 re-Mego bodies, $15-20?

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It is comparable if you do a lil math and solve for x sir.

[madmarva]

Marvel Select figures started in 2002 when Toy Biz had Marvel. Hasbro Marvel started in 2007. How long does DST Marvel Select license last? Those figures are $25 each specialty/online so why would Hasbro be worried with 8" Mego Marvel being the same?

Licenses do have time limits, but it's what is agreed upon by the parties. Along with the agreed upon time, there is usually a clause or a rider allowing for the renewal of the license if both parties agree. If Hasbro enjoys doing business with Diamond Select, Diamond Select could just keep renewing the license, essentially locking it up. Hasbro could and no doubt has raised the price at some point or at several points since 2002, but as long as Diamond Select is willing to pay, Hasbro would have no reason to shop it out.

As a sub-licensee, Diamond would have a say and a definite interest in protecting their own part of the license. When a company gains license or a sub-license, it has rights written into that license that allow it to protect it's position in the marketplace. EMCE's sub-license could actually be a piece of Diamond's sub-license from Hasbro, if Hasbro gave Diamond the right to license portions of that sub-license. It's all the way the license or sub-license is written. It could be written into the license to not disclose the ins and outs of that license.

Now, I'm only guessing at most of this based on some knowledge of licensing and inferring from the bits of information known. Every license is different, just like contracts and agreements vary. We would have to actually have the license in hand and read it to answer for sure the questions you are asking. It's not necessarily in the best interest of FTC or EMCE or Diamond Select and Hasbro to tell anyone just what their agreements are or aren't.

[Timothy2251]

That certainly used to be the case but not so much anymore...I was just thinking about this the other day. Do you realize Hot Toys, Sideshow, Funko, Eaglemoss, Hot Wheels, and Lego ALL currently share the Marvel and DC licenses and produce the exact same products for both?

Yeah, I see your point, but I was more focusing on run-of-the-mill action figures. Hot Toys and Sideshow are geared more towards collectors with $$$ to burn, Funko's figures pretty much run the gamut of pop culture, and the last three aren't really action figures (though, I admit, a case can be made for Lego!).

I'd sure like to see the amount of DC figures coming out, in the Marvel line. I'd get Aunt May and Uncle Ben! The three variations of one character still only has given us nine figures, soon to be twelve(hopefully) when Thor comes out. How many figures does FTC release in the same amount of time?

Aunt May and Uncle Ben would be a lock, as would an MJ and Gwen Stacy two-pack! I have no problem with FTC going deep into the DC Universe to give us civilian characters, as we're also getting characters like Green lantern, Flash and Hawkman.

[thunderbolt]

Right now FTC is selling 3 packs for 99.00. That's comparable to DST Marvel without 2 bodies.

actually, 4 packs are 99 bucks there

http://www.classictvtoys.com/supermanretroactionfiguresseriesonefourpack.aspx

[scott metzger]

...and/or they want to separate product by BOTH "price point" and "product packaging/presentation" to make it blatantly obvious that these "adult collectibles" aren't the competition for Selects/Legends. Smells like that to me, anyway.

Indeed, that is probably a big part of the reason for the the strict rules by which the figures can be made. Now, I doubt Hasbro is concerned with Marvel Select (that's Diamond's license, not theirs), but the restrictions here are likely to differentiate the product from Hasbro's wares or potential products. MS is a good example of license restrictions like that; Diamond produces the figures in a different scale than Legends, in distinct packaging, and there is apparently a restriction on how many points of articulation the figures are allowed to have. THe latter point especially is likely there at Hasbro's request (so they can preserve Legends as the ultra-articulated Marvel line); there may be some legal permissions there (much like DC Direct had to finagle permissions/rights from Hasbro when the latter had the DC action figure license so DCD could make the big guns, Supes and Bats, who were absent for quite a while from any DCD figure line-up). Licensing based on scale and presentation is probably more complicated than ever before these days; We've got 18" sculpted figures of DC movie figures from NECA, 20" and up giant figures of DC characters from Jakks, 18" clothed DC figures from FTC, etc. And now we have DC Direct/ now Collectibles announcing a 6" super posable DC line that is basically their version of Mattel's DC Classics line, which really blurs the lines; apparently, DCC was able to do them because Mattel officially ended the classics line last year. I don't even want to think of the legal gymnastics likely involved in that so Mattel and DCC are both happy (and not litigious...).

[ovenmitt]

DST EMCE Thor set went up for pre-order today $69.99 at bbts due in November and aroung $68 at EE due in December! Prices are lower but 5-6 MONTHS WAIT?

And only 1 new Marvel set is to be shown at SDCC for 2016 obxiously! NNot frequent enough to compete with FTC FLOOD of DC Megos due in 2015 along with Batman 66, Hanna Barbara, etc!

The DST EMCE Mego Marvel license is so UNworth it it's laughable now! C'mon FTC get after Marvel, too!