MooMooMooMoo

Interesting, i wonder if this means that Warner now owns the copyrights to Monograms (I'll guarantee their greedy attorneys will say they do), or if they're really releasing them as PD's?

http://shop.warnerarchive.com/search.do?query=monogram

http://shop.warnerarchive.com/produc...n=EWACNR140722

http://shop.warnerarchive.com/produc...n=EWACNR140722

http://shop.warnerarchive.com/produc...n=EWACNR140722

BobO'Link

They sure *price* them as if they own the copyrights... Typical archive price gouging...

rw2516

WB has owned Monogram for years. In the 1950s Monogram changed it's name to Allied Artists. WB Archive have released several Monogram titles in the past including Monogram Westerns box sets, and Bowery Boys sets.

Jory

My wallet needs a rape whistle.

Ridiculous pricing.

Gobear

WAC prices are ridiculous, but if you keep your eyes peeled, you can pick up the sets you want during their sales. I got the Crime Does Not Pay box set and the first two Medical Center seasons for around $22 apiece a year or so ago during their Black Friday deal. From Thanksgiving to New Years' they usually have rolling sales on their products, so you can get box sets from 20 to 30 percent cheaper, and they have $5 for 50 sales on their individual MOD discs as well, and there have been 5 for $45 in January.

MooMooMooMoo

How do the PD co's (Alpha comes to mind but they are far from the only one) get away with releasing Monogram titles then?

Regulus

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep my eyes peeled for whatever they have on sale during Black Friday (or as I call it - The National Day of Insanity!.

rw2516

Because a lot of the Monogram films fell into public domain. PD companies have to use whatever print they find, while the original elements reside with WB. Example: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. A Monogram/Allied Artists title in PD with numerous PD releases from various prints, and the official WB release from original film elements.
A huge chunk of AIP catalog fell into PD. MGM/UA now owns it and have released titles that are in PD from original elements.

MooMooMooMoo

Can the major studios file lawsuits if an individual sells these PD films (on ebay, Ioffer, etc)? My understanding is the greedy !@#$%$ major studios take the pov that if they've released it on dvd (or burned dvdr), they own the copyright, even if they don't.

rw2516

I doubt they could win. There may be a way the studio could recopyright a title after it's been in PD for several years, don't know.
In the past there have been companies selling bootlegs of copyrighted titles that have never seen an official home video release of any kind, claiming some loophole in the law. If the copyright holder ever officially releases it, the bootleg sales have to stop. Don't know if loophole is legit or not.

MooMooMooMoo

The other concern is the majors have million dollar lawyers on retainer. Just feels really unfair.

kd5

Everytime I see this thread I think it reads WAC IS Now Releasing Mamograms!

thetao

I suspect most PD companies do their homework before releasing a title, so the major studios shouldn't have a leg to stand on. Any lawsuit would be dismissed fairly quickly. And I don't think the studios are going to make a fuss over low budget films that nobody remembers and which sell in such small quantities.

On the other hand, I've often wondered if VCI backed away from re-releasing an indie sci-fi film, "Target Earth" (1954), because Wade Williams (responsible for the prints behind many of Image's 50's-60's sci-fi and horror DVD's) decided to lay claim to its copyright...but then never actually released a DVD of his own.