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Wolfguard wrote:Because fans have only ever bought 100% replicas in the past. Bluestreak anyone?

Considering he was just called Streak in Japan (both G1 and MP)...

At any rate, Exhaust is based on a retool of G1 Wheeljack that only appeared in Diaclone and was never released as a Transformer. Given that the Wheeljack mold is broken, a reissue is unlikely, and that a "e-Hobby" G1 Exhaust is therefore impossible, this MP is the best we're going to get for that particular character.

TFU.info article on Marlboor Wheeljack

Also take into account MP Exhaust is not originally meant for the US market. The problem mainly comes from US-based sellers where that particular US-law applies.

Robogeek1973 wrote:

Stormrider wrote:Takara stepped in some **** with this one. I think Takara felt they could get away with the paint scheme without looping in Marlboro since the paint job is not an exact match. (The red paint color is off and "V" angle is rounded, not pointed). I wouldn't be surprised if Marlboro is looking its rights outside the U.S.

I've got a feeling (and hope) that TakTom made sure they'd be safe putting this guy out before announcing him. This is meant for a Japanese audience, so they really couldn't care less about what the U.S laws think of it.

I'm sure they got all of their ducks in a row licensing wise.

In this particular case, it's not the U.S. Attorney or an anti smoking group that launched this complaint. It's Marlboro themselves that are trying to stop the sale of these. To me - it means that Takara did not get permission from Marlboro.

this is one of the dumbest things ive ever heard

Stormrider wrote:To me - it means that Takara did not get permission from Marlboro.

Takara is producing this toy for the Japanese market, and is not themselves marketing it or trying to sell it in America. If Philip Morris's trade mark on this pattern, and the laws that could get Philip Morris sued for not preventing this pattern for being on a toy, are not applicable in Japan, then Takara has done nothing wrong.

Likewise, Philip Morris has done nothing wrong, either.* Takara has made a product that, if sold in America, could put Philip Morris into a tricky situation, and they are taking the necessary legal steps to save their own butts.

Importers did nothing wrong, as they were likely ignorant of the situation they were putting Philip Morris in. (Only if they continued their plans to sell this toy after receiving notice from Philip Morris would they be at all in the wrong.)

Basically, it is a sucky situation where everyone looses.

* At least, nothing wrong in regards to this situation. We'll exclude, for a moment, debating the ethics of being in the cigarette business in the first place.

Megatron Wolf wrote:this is one of the dumbest things ive ever heard

Welcome to the wonderful world of unintended consequences.

Dead Metal wrote:They aren't doing this to "be evil" or to get money out of Takara, they are doing this to prevent fingers being pointed at them. They hold the trademark rights to those patterns, which are associated with their brand (the very reason they're on the toy in the first place), so if someone buys the toy via US means and sees the pattern, they can actually sue Phillip Morris for plastering it on "children's toys".
All they're trying to do is protect themselves from some idiot suing them for something they have no control over.

You nailed it right here. This isn't a money grab or intentionally aggressive action - it's a defensive one.

is anyone still selling the stickers that doesn't charge ridiculous shipping?

durroth wrote:is anyone still selling the stickers that doesn't charge ridiculous shipping?

TFSource still has the stickers listed.

They also still have Exhaust himself listed, both with and without a collector's coin. (You can save $6.00 if you don't care about the coin.)

Not quite sure yet if this means Philip Moris's lawyers haven't noticed TFSource, and TFSource is hoping to fly under the radar (or may even be potentially unaware there is a radar to fly under), or if TFSource just hasn't gotten around to updating their listings yet. (It is the weekend, after all.) I suppose if the listings still exist by mid-week this upcoming week, we might hazard a guess as to the radar.

MGrotusque wrote:I'm kinda surprised this got on anybodies radar. It's such as obscure product for these guys to be paying attention to. With the fact that you can buy beer and cigarettes at any corner store everywhere in the states. Here in Canada they have to keep cigarettes behind a curtain or in a cabinet so that minors can't see them.

I don't know. I do know that i had some dough set aside at bbts for this guy.

just an FYI.. here in Pennsylvania you can't buy alcohol at any stores other than beer distributors or supermarkets with a special section specifically for beer.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Wolfguard wrote:Because fans have only ever bought 100% replicas in the past. Bluestreak anyone?

Considering he was just called Streak in Japan (both G1 and MP)...

Consider the box art of the American issue vs product inside. Oddly enough, we were all able to deal with Bluestreak being silver. If they want to sell here, and enough people want it, they can find a way.

At any rate, Exhaust is based on a retool of G1 Wheeljack that only appeared in Diaclone and was never released as a Transformer.

I know what it is. I've been well aware of the "Marlboor" character/bot since 1984, as I had Diaclone Prowl and Optimus Prime - both of which came with product catalogs.

Also take into account MP Exhaust is not originally meant for the US market. The problem mainly comes from US-based sellers where that particular US-law applies.

Which is exactly why I suggest some sort of repaint if they want to sell here via Hasbro. But again, it's not like Takara-Tomy has never done repaints or reissues.

Wolfguard wrote:

Also take into account MP Exhaust is not originally meant for the US market. The problem mainly comes from US-based sellers where that particular US-law applies.

Which is exactly why I suggest some sort of repaint if they want to sell here via Hasbro. But again, it's not like Takara-Tomy has never done repaints or reissues.

Hasbro may make changes, yes. TakaraTomy just for the US market? Not unless specifically asked. BBTS gets them directly from TakaraTomy, not via a Hasbro middle-man.

Wolfguard wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Wolfguard wrote:Because fans have only ever bought 100% replicas in the past. Bluestreak anyone?

Considering he was just called Streak in Japan (both G1 and MP)...

Consider the box art of the American issue vs product inside. Oddly enough, we were all able to deal with Bluestreak being silver. If they want to sell here, and enough people want it, they can find a way.

My god, get over Bluestreak not being blue. That was just his name, he was never blue on the show, the comics or the toy. Why do you people keep harping on about it?
Why not complain about Bumblebee not being an actual bumblebee while you're at it, or Jazz having zero to do with music.

At any rate, Exhaust is based on a retool of G1 Wheeljack that only appeared in Diaclone and was never released as a Transformer.

I've been well aware of the "Marlboor" character since 1984, as I had Diaclone Prowl and Optimus Prime which both came with product catalogs.

Also take into account MP Exhaust is not originally meant for the US market. The problem mainly comes from US-based sellers where that particular US-law applies.

Which is exactly why I suggest some sort of repaint if they want to sell here via Hasbro.

This is Takara's figure for the Japanese market, which is why it's sold via imports in the US. Once Hasbro decides that they want to sell their own version, they can change the deco if they like. But that's neither here nor there.
This is a Japanese release for the Japanese market, under Japanese licencing, Takara does not care about US situations while releasing toys for their own market. Takara doesn't have to change a thing with the current deco, because the US law that prevents the deco from exiting on toys does not apply to them.

The difference in US and Japanese releases you point out are due to Hasbro and Takara being two different companies deciding on their own decoes. Hasbro does the US decos and Takara the Japanese ones. So no, those examples do not work here.

Was gonna chime in of Wolfguard's suggestions, but Dead Metal said all things more beautifully than anything I could add.

However,

Dead Metal wrote:or Jazz having zero to do with music.

Um, well, y'see, thing is...

He used those for a music-based attack.

And really loved music, in general.

Sabrblade wrote:However,

Dead Metal wrote:or Jazz having zero to do with music.

Um, well, y'see, thing is...

He used those for a music-based attack.

And really loved music, in general.

I LOVE that jam!
anybody know where to find that song?

Sabrblade wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:or Jazz having zero to do with music.

Um, well, y'see, thing is...

(Screen cap from G1 cartoon showing Jazz in vehicle mode, with deployed speakers.)

He used those for a music-based attack.

And really loved music, in general.

And to that, I would add, that the Reveal the Shield Jazz toy paid homage to that moment beautifully!



(A fine toy, all around! Really should get around to reviewing him one of these days.)

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Wolfguard wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:

Wolfguard wrote:How about... ...change the colors?

Toy isn't going to change the colors in the account of the American market.

How can you type this when repaints, recolors and remolds have happened consistently since Bumblebee was red and Cliffjumper was yellow?

Changing the colors would defeat the purpose of the homage. Fans want the whole package, colors and all.

This. JZGR sez it all. Malboor is Malboor because of the red orange pattern. Doing otherwise turns him into who the f*ck is that character?

durroth wrote:is anyone still selling the stickers that doesn't charge ridiculous shipping?

The seller/vendor I got my set from charges unifom world wide. $14.99 includeds shipping. The set includes te "Exhaust" custom decals hence it's like getting two for the price of one. And since it comes overseeas (HK), well those prices are acceptable. Either get that or get the Reprolabels version for 1 cent (of course you have to order another set too)

Found it!
If you don't remember this sweet jam you better check this out.

This is the song coming out of those speakers



MAN! That bass player is COOKIN'. Dig it!

Oh, wont somebody think of the children?!?!

I don't think I'm in the majority but I get tired of all the anti-smoking propaganda that's out there. I don't smoke...but I get tired of all the rhetoric. Especially when it results in things like this. We've become a nation of babies. Can't even sell a robot car that MIGHT look like a cigarette product.

Because of this, I'm even more concerned with a future MP Rieje/Mirage and Jazz/Meister. Rieje sports a bastardized Gitanes from Citanes (a tobacco product) and Jazz (Martinii Racing) from an alchoholic beverage Martini. So are these legal issues going to plague American collectors?

This isn't much of an issue in SEA but for North America, it kind of ridiculous!

fenrir72 wrote:Because of this, I'm even more concerned with a future MP Rieje/Mirage and Jazz/Meister. Rieje sports a bastardized Gitanes from Citanes (a tobacco product) and Jazz (Martinii Racing) from an alchoholic beverage Martini. So are these legal issues going to plague American collectors?

This isn't much of an issue in SEA but for North America, it kind of ridiculous!

Oh man. That's a good point.
and in this instance "good" means "bad".
Really? Mirage sports tobacco sponsorship?
I don't now if liquor laws are as tight here as tobacco, but it still doesn't bode well.

fenrir72 wrote:Because of this, I'm even more concerned with a future MP Rieje/Mirage and Jazz/Meister. Rieje sports a bastardized Gitanes from Citanes (a tobacco product) and Jazz (Martinii Racing) from an alchoholic beverage Martini. So are these legal issues going to plague American collectors?

This isn't much of an issue in SEA but for North America, it kind of ridiculous!

Well, Gitanes is a foreign tobacco brand that I am pretty sure (although I am no expert) doesn't have a presence in the U.S., so there wouldn't be a domestic company to worry, "Oh, crap, if importers sell this toy, we might get sued!" It might still be an issue if there is a domestic release of a hypothetical Masterpiece Mirage, but I imagine someone might be along with stickers to fix it eventually. (I know Reprolabels doesn't wish to do Marlboro stickers, but they had no problem slapping the bastardized "Citanes" onto Classics Mirage. Perhaps because Gitanes isn't as well known a brand here, so the association isn't as strong. Heck, I didn't know that was what "Citanes" was until just now!)

And as for Jazz and his Martini branding, well, as far as imports go, are there similar laws forbidding alcohol branding on toys? Or is that just a problem for tobacco? If alcohol isn't covered, importers may be fine.

And for a domestic version, the Martini branding is very easy to remove and still have it look like Jazz. It isn't as integral to the character as it is for Exhaust. They'll just sell him as Cookie Crisp Jazz, Reprolabels will make some Martini stickers, and everyone will be happy.

Cobotron wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:Because of this, I'm even more concerned with a future MP Rieje/Mirage and Jazz/Meister. Rieje sports a bastardized Gitanes from Citanes (a tobacco product) and Jazz (Martinii Racing) from an alchoholic beverage Martini. So are these legal issues going to plague American collectors?

This isn't much of an issue in SEA but for North America, it kind of ridiculous!

Oh man. That's a good point.
and in this instance "good" means "bad".
Really? Mirage sports tobacco sponsorship?
I don't now if liquor laws are as tight here as tobacco, but it still doesn't bode well.

Examples on Mirage and the Gitanes product





here's Jazz



and the products being offered by the sponsorship decals

I just searched toysrus.com for "Nascar" and found no results for any cars with alcohol sponsorship. I searched google for " Nascar Budweiser Toy", and every toy I found was labeled Adult Collectible.
There's the loop hole.

Cobotron wrote:I just searched toysrus.com for "Nascar" and found no results for any cars with alcohol sponsorship. I searched google for " Nascar Budweiser Toy", and every toy I found was labeled Adult Collectible.
There's the loop hole.

So they can get around it by using a credit card ten. CC needs an identifiable adult to own one ten.