My thoughts exactly. I wonder how much she was offered?

 

If, as her press release implies, her original agreement was 100%, and her share was changed WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE, and BMI didn't bother to tell her -- then she's 100% in the right. Period.

You can imply that she's doing this to leech off of the recent success of the franchise -- but motives are pretty much irrelevant. Either Sunbow ripped her off, or they didn't. Either BMI LET Sunbow rip her off, or they didn't.

Presuming that the conditions above hold true, then you can't slam her position, and simultaneously claim that you support artists being paid for their work. Yeah, it would suck if said corporations decided that they'd rather pull the G1 theme rather than paying the composer what she's due -- but then, isn't the fact that the theme is so iconic indicate it's (and hence the composer's) value to the franchise? And if it's THAT valuable, then wouldn't that make it even MORE despicable if the artist who composed the damn thing wasn't paid what she's owed?

Of course, if her original agreement WASN'T 100%, and she IS already being paid what she's legally owed under said agreement ... well, sucks for her. (And for many other artists who legally work under shit contracts.) But legalities are still separate from the big moral question: if the music is that iconic, shouldn't the artist be compensated for its great value? That's what contracts and copyrights are SUPPOSED to do -- when in fact they're really a convenient way for corporations to separate artists from their paychecks 99.999999% of the time.

-XCN-

 

I don't care if the theme doesn't appear in the movie but it needs to be on the rereleased G1 sets. Anyone want to contact Sony and find out?

Andrew

 

Not getting paid for the Jem songs? That's outrageous
Truly, truly, truly outrageous.

-Tony!

 

DAMN YOU TWIN TWIST!!!

I dunno how, but I know this is your fault!!!

 

This isn't going to end well.  

 

This does indeed suck. I want her to get what is owed her, but I too, want to be able to hear the old theme again; she composed several songs form the 80’s, which I haven’t seen since, but can still hum to this day—her works are very memorable!

I think this on going suit is the very reason why we couldn’t here Ravage play the original theme in Beast Wars 

Seeing how Hasbro, or whoever, didn’t want to make things right back than, I don’t think they’re going to now. No old theme in this new movie 

Transformed

 

Hasbro isn't named in the lawsuit, I'd imagine they haven't done anything with the theme song in years.

This looks like a situation where a couple of mergers and ownership changes caused her royalties to be shuffled and forgotten. The composer is just asserting her rights under previously held contracts. Pretty common situation, nothing for anyone to get all pissy about and also not scary from the viewpoint of Sony (who is not named in the lawsuit), Hasbro (also not named), or Dreamworks (also not named).

 

What a bitch.

 

YES! Because Floro Dery created the look of all Transformers! Those jokers at Hasbro and Takara went back in time and stole his ideas!

... well that's what I get from what he says about Unicron and other G1 movie stuff  

Perhaps you didn't understand the situation?

 

I did. But thanks.

 

I tend to side with the musicians in situations like this, knowing what a huge chunk of the dough goes to the suits... for music that YOU WROTE.

I played semi-professionally throughout college, and repeatedly found myself at the mercy of people who didn't want to pay - club managers, event organizers, even for people's weddings.

No, not because the music wasn't good, but if you didn't hassle people, they just didn't pay their bills. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to fight for what's yours in the publishing world, which is its own animal entirely.

 

Out of all of this, I just really hope that this kills the 80s toon theme and all those horrible variations they've thrown out in the past couple of years. Let that damned song die.

I feel it is high time for a new theme, one written from scratch. Not some new 'edgy' remix, not adding some rap bullshit to the song, but an entirely new theme song. Let the old horse die a graceful death.

 

I'll be happy to giggle if that hypothetical lawsuit claimed his designs were directly adapted to the live-action film.  

 

With any luck, that old song will be dead forever.

 

Your completely misinterpreting whats going on here. She is not trying to renegotiate, she it not trying to get a bigger piece of the pie because a property she worked on is extremely popular. She is trying to get royalties that SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID TO HER ALREADY. Which it appears, due to poor handling by BMI got completely lost in the shuffle, or were paid to another party.

FOR THE RECORD - Capitalizing on a properties success is EXACTLY what royalties are for in the first place. The more successfull a property, the more royalties they generate for anyone holding a stake in the production.

How do you know that she was not still receiving proper royalties at that time. If we are assuming here, which seems to be the case, the most logical leap is that specifics got jumbled AFTER the G2 stuff, when TF had it's longest absence from broadcast TV. Remember its only AFTER that time that all of the "remixes" and such of the tune have cropped up.

Seriously, now, and I mean no disrespect in the slightest here, but your making half assed assumptions on how royalties are managed. Just because she did not catch an error in monies owed right out of the gate does not mean in ANY way shape or form that she should forgo compensation due her. Doesn't seem to me like she is wanting to sue for damages, or anything of the sort, she just wants what she was supposed to get in the first place. And considering her track record of court wins to date now, it looks like she is on firm ground here.

In my line of work I deal with royalties all the time. And just like Bryant, I am only one of MANY artists that a company deals with. It is not unheard of at all for a company to lose sight of specifics regarding what rights an artist has concerning a property, or what percentage they should be entitled to for the use of it. Not too mention, I don't think I can even begin to calculate what I am owed because there are sales numbers I am not aware of, and may never be aware of. Stuff like this can take a good span of time to come to light.

She is not trying to capitalize on something she no longer has a part in. By using her music thay are making her a participant, period. She has rights to that piece of music that she created. If they use it, they are obligated to pay her royalties to the PENNY for that use.

And to all the folks worried about not hearing the G1 theme again, I don't know what article you read, but it seems clear from what was posted here is that she is only looking to be properly compensated. It even clearly states she wants matters cleared up for future use of the music.

 

Considering how many millions of times I've heard that song in the past 22 years, there is little doubt that she certainly deserves whatever amount is being witheld.

 

either way, i'm cool if they dont use the old theme. its just a song. they can make new cool songs.

just dont do that tribal techno BM crap XD  

 

Wait...here's a question: Why should she soley receive more?

The end credits of the G1 series clearly state: "Ford Kinder & Anne Bryant"

Where's his piece? Or is she really just that greedy?