The Energon Pub

Dead Metal wrote:The reason is that Hasbro lost the trademark to the name, which is the reason why Octane is now called "Tankor".

That would hold weight with me, except for the fact that Hasbro has found ways to get around that sort of thing for YEARS. Ratchet, Jazz and Scrapper were used in both Animated and the live action movies despite not being legally allowed, and the comics have gotten away with using those names for a long time. (Doesn't SL: Blaster refer to the so-called "Silversreak" and "Bluestreak", not to mention the fact that the MTMTE books used pretty much every unavailable name?)

Again, it becomes obvious that this isn't so much down to whatever legalese Hasbro and IDW try to pull so much as it is Mike Costa's complete unfamiliarity with the product.

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:Takara, true they called them Binaltech but it's still blue and called Bluestreak.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Bluestreak#Alternators

And yet not part of the "Alternators" like I said.

And as far as I know the name "Bluestreak" appares no where on the toys instructions or package.

The licence plate reads "Impreza"....and as far as I know the plates of all the Binatech line contain the characters name.

The comic still calls him Tankor due to Universe Tankor coming out just prior to the series.

Still irrelevant.

It seems they "chose" to go with Tankor....not that they were forced to do so.

Just look at the use of the Insecticons names, Hot-Rod.

The thing is Octane isn't just called Tankor, but he looks like the toy. The explanation for which can be found here:
http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopi ... &start=225
scroll down to the bottom. Guido Guidi is the artist that did AHM.

Darth Bombshell wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:The reason is that Hasbro lost the trademark to the name, which is the reason why Octane is now called "Tankor".

That would hold weight with me, except for the fact that Hasbro has found ways to get around that sort of thing for YEARS. Ratchet, Jazz and Scrapper were used in both Animated and the live action movies despite not being legally allowed, and the comics have gotten away with using those names for a long time. (Doesn't SL: Blaster refer to the so-called "Silversreak" and "Bluestreak", not to mention the fact that the MTMTE books used pretty much every unavailable name?)

Again, it becomes obvious that this isn't so much down to whatever legalese Hasbro and IDW try to pull so much as it is Mike Costa's complete unfamiliarity with the product.

They got around the Trademark as they put "Autobot" or "Decepticon" in front of the name making the official character name Autobot Jazz, Autobot Ratchet, just look at the toys.

Dead Metal wrote:The thing is Octane isn't just called Tankor, but he looks like the toy. The explanation for which can be found here:
http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopi ... &start=225
scroll down to the bottom.

So basically it comes down to creative license.

Well, in that case...so what? What real difference does that make with regards to the name you use?

Dead Metal wrote:They got around the Trademark as they put "Autobot" or "Decepticon" in front of the name making the official character name Autobot Jazz, Autobot Ratchet, just look at the toys.

Yeah. On the toys. But not in the printed/visual media. So how do you explain how they get away with using names there that they obviously can't? (And, as an aside, I'm of the understanding that the "Mixmaster" name is unavailable to be used unless it's "Mix Master". But there it is on the ROTF Voyager and Devastator toys, as if it weren't a problem.)

Dead Metal wrote:

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:Takara, true they called them Binaltech but it's still blue and called Bluestreak.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Bluestreak#Alternators

And yet not part of the "Alternators" like I said.

And as far as I know the name "Bluestreak" appares no where on the toys instructions or package.

The licence plate reads "Impreza"....and as far as I know the plates of all the Binatech line contain the characters name.

bluestreakbt1.jpg

Thank you for that correction.

The thing is Octane isn't just called Tankor, but he looks like the toy. The explanation for which can be found here:
http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopi ... &start=225
scroll down to the bottom. Guido Guidi is the artist that did AHM.

Still irrelevant.

Dead Metal wrote:They got around the Trademark as they put "Autobot" or "Decepticon" in front of the name making the official character name Autobot Jazz, Autobot Ratchet, just look at the toys.

Which still wouldnt cover all the times the "comics" were able to use names Hasbro could not.

It would seen that the trade mark name issues dont extend to the comics, and IDW has chosen to use certin names not that they were forced to.

Darth Bombshell wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:The thing is Octane isn't just called Tankor, but he looks like the toy. The explanation for which can be found here:
http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopi ... &start=225
scroll down to the bottom.

So basically it comes down to creative license.

Well, in that case...so what? What real difference does that make with regards to the name you use?

Dead Metal wrote:They got around the Trademark as they put "Autobot" or "Decepticon" in front of the name making the official character name Autobot Jazz, Autobot Ratchet, just look at the toys.

Yeah. On the toys. But not in the printed/visual media. So how do you explain how they get away with using names there that they obviously can't? (And, as an aside, I'm of the understanding that the "Mixmaster" name is unavailable to be used unless it's "Mix Master". But there it is on the ROTF Voyager and Devastator toys, as if it weren't a problem.)

As it's fiction, the characters don't look anything like the other product with the same name and the show is called "Transformers" not Jazz Mixmaster or Ratchet. As for Mixmaster's toy name, I have no idea why that suddenly works, maybe the Trademark became available again prior to the movie, like Onslought who's Trademark became available again before his Universe toy was made.

The thing with Trademarks is when registering them you have to register them for a specific product kind, for instance I could go and Trademark Mixmaster as the title of a comic series or cartoon show or vehicle depending the Trademakr isn't taken yet for that specific purpose. It is therefore completely possible that there is a kitchenware called Mixmaster, I can still call my cartoon/comic/toy character that way if I own the TM for those sectors.

Edit:
These are all the Trademarks for Mixmaster some are dead and some are active.
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f= ... bmit+Query