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Community => Adventure Related Talk & Chat => Topic started by: BunnyShoggoth on Thu 05/10/2017 17:37:12

Title: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: BunnyShoggoth on Thu 05/10/2017 17:37:12
It's several months old, but I guess it would still make sense to sign it.

https://www.change.org/p/disney-please-sell-the-rights-to-monkey-island-back-to-its-creator-ron-gilbert
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: BunnyShoggoth on Sun 11/03/2018 23:25:34
Wow, it is now over 10000 signatures! 8-0
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Stupot on Mon 12/03/2018 00:22:51
Has Gilbert himself mentioned this petition? I know he's said he would like to buy the rights back but that's hypothetical right? Or does he have some idea how much they would ask for it and genuinely think he could buy them back from Disney?

LucasArts should have given him the rights cheaply before they sold up.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: TheFrighter on Mon 12/03/2018 08:38:46
Quote from: BunnyShoggoth on Sun 11/03/2018 23:25:34
Wow, it is now over 10000 signatures! 8-0

???

I see zero.

_
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: CaptainD on Mon 12/03/2018 09:07:05
Quote from: TheFrighther on Mon 12/03/2018 08:38:46
Quote from: BunnyShoggoth on Sun 11/03/2018 23:25:34
Wow, it is now over 10000 signatures! 8-0

???

I see zero.

_

I saw that too... but leave the page open for about 10 seconds and it should show the total signatures (10,140 at this moment).  No idea why it's so slow.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Stupot on Mon 12/03/2018 22:50:17
Clever trick how the number increases making you think loads of people are also currently signing it.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Mandle on Mon 12/03/2018 22:52:44
Quote from: Stupot on Mon 12/03/2018 22:50:17
Clever trick how the number increases making you think loads of people are also currently signing it.

I was wondering about that. I saw like 15 "people" sign in like 20 seconds and was wondering how they only had about 10,000 so far.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Crimson Wizard on Mon 12/03/2018 23:08:50
Quote from: Stupot on Mon 12/03/2018 22:50:17
Clever trick how the number increases making you think loads of people are also currently signing it.

Idk if it's intentional or how the system works, may also be because it loads actual latest signatures and people accounts up. You may refresh the page and see that it gets to exactly same number slowly again.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Stupot on Mon 12/03/2018 23:13:24
Quote from: Mandle on Mon 12/03/2018 22:52:44
Quote from: Stupot on Mon 12/03/2018 22:50:17
Clever trick how the number increases making you think loads of people are also currently signing it.

I was wondering about that. I saw like 15 "people" sign in like 20 seconds and was wondering how they only had about 10,000 so far.
yeah. Yesterday when I looked, it was at 10091 and was going up at a rate of about 1 per second. Well, today it's more like 10254 and there are 86400 seconds in a day. Fishy.

@CrimsonWizard I'm not sure. The way the number goes up slightly irregularly gives the impression that people are clicking live. It might not be a trick but I think it is.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: LimpingFish on Tue 13/03/2018 00:08:02
It really makes no difference if this is real or not, or if it totals 10,000 or 10,000,000 signatures.

The truth of the matter is that companies would rather hang on to dead IPs and make no money, than sell them on and watch other people make money. Disney neither needs the money from a sale of the MI IP, nor does it need to actually make money from the IP itself. In fact, the cost and work involved in engaging in the sale of such a small IP would more or less outweigh the effort/gains.

Just look at Activision and the "No One Lives for Ever" IP; Activision "thinks" they own it (having acquired Seirra back in the day), but they can't actually be bothered to find out, as that would involve sending someone (or a team of someones)to do the legal legwork. So the IP remains in limbo.

Copyright law is the pits.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Retro Wolf on Tue 13/03/2018 19:58:16
Quote from: Stupot on Mon 12/03/2018 23:13:24
...Fishy....

Maybe someone set up a bot?
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: TheFrighter on Wed 14/03/2018 09:54:45
Quote from: LimpingFish on Tue 13/03/2018 00:08:02
It really makes no difference if this is real or not, or if it totals 10,000 or 10,000,000 signatures.

The truth of the matter is that companies would rather hang on to dead IPs and make no money, than sell them on and watch other people make money. Disney neither needs the money from a sale of the MI IP, nor does it need to actually make money from the IP itself. In fact, the cost and work involved in engaging in the sale of such a small IP would more or less outweigh the effort/gains.

Just look at Activision and the "No One Lives for Ever" IP; Activision "thinks" they own it (having acquired Seirra back in the day), but they can't actually be bothered to find out, as that would involve sending someone (or a team of someones)to do the legal legwork. So the IP remains in limbo.

Copyright law is the pits.

Right!

Plus, Disney owns Pirates of the Caribbean, and Guybrush could be an opponent for Sparrow! (laugh)
_
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Mandle on Fri 16/03/2018 15:03:26
Quote from: TheFrighther on Wed 14/03/2018 09:54:45
Plus, Disney owns Pirates of the Caribbean, and Guybrush could be an opponent for Sparrow! (laugh)

I was just thinking about this this morning actually in regards to this issue:

I've read that the "Pirates Of The Carribean" script was rewritten from a draft of a "Monkey Island" script that never got made into a movie.

I mean, we all saw the obvious similarities, right?

So maybe Disney needs to hang onto the MI rights to avoid potential lawsuits from Ron Gilbert to claim IP rights on the MI script being recycled into a multi-million-dollar movie series?
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: selmiak on Fri 16/03/2018 18:48:32
but Ron Gilbert always mentions he had the idea for MI while on a rollercoaster in disneyland called pirates of the carribean... so disney is back as IP owner of PotC and MI is a moon broken out of the POTC planet...
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Privateer Puddin' on Fri 16/03/2018 20:10:32
They ruined the Pirates of the Caribbean ride by making it all Jack Sparrow themed
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Mandle on Fri 16/03/2018 22:20:49
Quote from: selmiak on Fri 16/03/2018 18:48:32
but Ron Gilbert always mentions he had the idea for MI while on a rollercoaster in disneyland called pirates of the carribean... so disney is back as IP owner of PotC and MI is a moon broken out of the POTC planet...

I don't think IP laws cover as far as what inspired you originally to create something as long as you didn't just rip it off. But then again, Disney probably has some pretty tricksy lawyers. They could make the case that the undead crew in MI which POTC ripped off was originally ripped off from the skeleton at the ship's wheel in the ride.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Riaise on Sat 17/03/2018 19:22:09
Not to mention the dog with they keys from MI2, which is ripped directly from the ride. ;)
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Danvzare on Mon 19/03/2018 13:36:59
Quote from: Mandle on Fri 16/03/2018 15:03:26
I was just thinking about this this morning actually in regards to this issue:

I've read that the "Pirates Of The Carribean" script was rewritten from a draft of a "Monkey Island" script that never got made into a movie.

I mean, we all saw the obvious similarities, right?

So maybe Disney needs to hang onto the MI rights to avoid potential lawsuits from Ron Gilbert to claim IP rights on the MI script being recycled into a multi-million-dollar movie series?
I've been thinking about it too... and I'm still surprised Disney has never even so much as referenced Monkey Island in the latest Pirates of the Carribean movie. I mean they own the IP. They're both very similar! Throw in a reference or a cameo or anything!
I don't expect to ever see anything Monkey Island related again, but a bit of acknowledgement would be nice.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Mandle on Mon 19/03/2018 14:47:57
Quote from: Danvzare on Mon 19/03/2018 13:36:59
I'm still surprised Disney has never even so much as referenced Monkey Island in the latest Pirates of the Carribean movie. I mean they own the IP. They're both very similar! Throw in a reference or a cameo or anything!

POTC is a money-making franchise that is eating itself alive like most movie series after the 4th or so.

Each further episode must top the "awesomeness" of the one before.

I think Ron would be ashamed at this point if a MI reference was thrown in.

I remember a great quote from a critic after POTC 2 or 3 perhaps:

"Hey, how about a pirate movie where they just go looking for some buried treasure?"

I'll admit that POTC 2 had some cool moments, but I still remember my absolute boredom sitting through 3 with it's over-the-top set pieces in some CGI fantasy world barely resembling the original movie.

To paraphrase a much better movie: "When everything is awesome, nothing is..."
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: BunnyShoggoth on Sat 26/05/2018 12:18:51
It's now even in the news:

https://thenextweb.com/gaming/2018/05/15/monkey-island-fans-are-begging-disney-to-sell-the-rights-back-to-its-creator/
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Privateer Puddin' on Sat 26/05/2018 12:50:13
It's a non starter. If Ron eased on his stance of having to own to work on it, maybe Disney would work with him, but they're not going to let go of any IP.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Stupot on Sat 26/05/2018 13:23:15
Quote from: Privateer Puddin' on Sat 26/05/2018 12:50:13
It's a non starter. If Ron eased on his stance of having to own to work on it, maybe Disney would work with him, but they're not going to let go of any IP.
Yeah. And if such a big fuss was made about it and there was any hint that it could make any money then Disney probably won't let it go.
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Mandle on Sat 26/05/2018 17:58:32
Quote from: Stupot on Sat 26/05/2018 13:23:15
Quote from: Privateer Puddin' on Sat 26/05/2018 12:50:13
It's a non starter. If Ron eased on his stance of having to own to work on it, maybe Disney would work with him, but they're not going to let go of any IP.
Yeah. And if such a big fuss was made about it and there was any hint that it could make any money then Disney probably won't let it go.

Because there is actually an evil gnome still surviving in Disneyland from the early '90's that lives under the shelter given it from the wishing well roof on rainy nights but just mostly hides out in the darker spaces of the caves on Tom Sawyer's Island during daylight hours but what he mainly does is make sure that Ron Gilbert will never, ever get a single coin back from that wishing well...

That's how evil Disney is!
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Mandle on Sun 27/05/2018 02:06:50
Quote from: Mandle on Sat 26/05/2018 17:58:32
Quote from: Stupot on Sat 26/05/2018 13:23:15
Quote from: Privateer Puddin' on Sat 26/05/2018 12:50:13
It's a non starter. If Ron eased on his stance of having to own to work on it, maybe Disney would work with him, but they're not going to let go of any IP.
Yeah. And if such a big fuss was made about it and there was any hint that it could make any money then Disney probably won't let it go.

Because there is actually an evil gnome still surviving in Disneyland from the early '90's that lives under the shelter given it from the wishing well roof on rainy nights but just mostly hides out in the darker spaces of the caves on Tom Sawyer's Island during daylight hours but what he mainly does is make sure that Ron Gilbert will never, ever get a single coin back from that wishing well...

That's how evil Disney is!

Woah, looks like I got a little tipsy last night...
Title: Re: A petition for Disney to sell the MI rights to Ron Gilbert
Post by: Stupot on Sun 27/05/2018 04:49:31
Haha. Maybe but it still makes perfect sense. (laugh)