Anybody give a crap about the movie line right now?

[Shockwave]

I wouldn't. A Jazz by any other name is still a Jazz. In fact, I still call Bluestreak Bluestreak and can't even get his modern name past my lips.

[Dominic]

Or, it could be The Fallen, who just happens to look like Jazz, not unlike "Energon" Downshift looking like G1 Wheeljack.

"Silverstreak" is a legitimate copyright dodge. We have to give that one to Hasbro.

Dom

[Shockwave]

"Silverstreak" is a legitimate copyright dodge. We have to give that one to Hasbro.

Dom

The hell I do. He's Bluestreak and I'll never call him by any other name. Regardless of the owner's intent

[BWprowl]

By your logic Prowl, "Cybertron" Armourhide is retro-actively G1 Pipes.

Not quite. He's just a Blue Truck Guy, there's not a bunch of Pipes-specific details. I'm all for leeway (Cybertron Downshift is fine being downshift, while Energon Downshift is so blatantly Wheeljack it's not even funny), but when it gets especially obvious like with Jazz, there's just no reason to let yourself waffle in the first place.

[Shockwave]

Exactly. Bluestreak is Bluestreak regardless of what lawyermongering name hasbro was forced to put on it by fucking lawyers. Have I mentioned how much I fucking hate lawyers?

[138 Scourge]

Or like, does anyone use the name "Darkmount" for the character? No. Nobody does.

[Dominic]

By your logic Prowl, "Cybertron" Armourhide is retro-actively G1 Pipes.

Not quite. He's just a Blue Truck Guy, there's not a bunch of Pipes-specific details. I'm all for leeway (Cybertron Downshift is fine being downshift, while Energon Downshift is so blatantly Wheeljack it's not even funny), but when it gets especially obvious like with Jazz, there's just no reason to let yourself waffle in the first place.

Fair point about Jazz. But, "Energon" Downshift is Downshift, not Wheeljack. They just happen to look similar.


Shockwave, it is really not fair to blame the lawyers. They are doing their job by helping Hasbro avoid getting sued. You are the one who says he would rather have bad comics than no comics, right? Well, if Hasbro screws up enough and gets sued enough, then we never have TFs again. So, wouldn't you rather have a renamed TF that still represents more or less the same character than no TF figures are all?


Dom
-gets lazy and calls Darkmount "Straxus" unless looking right at the name on the package.

[Onslaught Six]

It's not lawyer's fault. It's Hasbro's. They didn't keep Bluestreak. That's all. Bluestreak got one toy--one. 1984. And never again until damn near 20 years later. Are you really surprised? Someone else trademarked the word "Bluestreak." It happens.

[Shockwave]

Yes, but it's because of lawyers that that even has to happen to begin with. Somewhere a long time ago, some asshole said "Hey, that guy's product has the same as mine even though it's completely different." And in came a lawyer that said "Just sue them. Here's my card." then caused shit like this. I mean, is anyone ever REALLY going to confuse Bluestreak the TRANSFORMER with Bluestreak the toy car that some obscure toy company no one's ever heard of that the company doesn't even make any more? No. No one in the right mind would. But because some asshole sued some other asshole a bajillion years ago, suddenly Hasbro can't use the name Bluestreak. It's bullshit and I fucking hate it.
/rant.

Shockwave
-Most lawyers actually enjoy causing shit like this.

[Dominic]

On the other hand, many other lawyers are just trying to keep their clients out of trouble. I used to work for guys who did not have to cause this kind of trouble, as their job was to react to it. In some cases, they would have been happy with less work.

Dom