Blood for the Baron!

This is something I've been thinking about; I have noticed since the mid-90s a few cheap toy lines using the name 'Action Force', both on 3 3/4" and 12" lines (I have even seen some 12" figures and accessory sets on ebay over the last few months). I have thought that maybe Hasbro were either not aware of these lines are were just not concerned with enforcing their copyright to this name. The last official use of the name 'Action Force' on a Hasbro product that I am aware of was on some UK releases of the early-90s GI Joe 12" Hall of Heroes Stalker etc. So we're talking nearly 20 years ago now. Now with the Con sets we have seen the use of the name SAF 'Special Action Force'. So why not just use 'Action Force'? Hasbro have already had to change and alter the names of numerous GI Joe and Transformers characters due to copyright lapsing (GI Joe Mainframe has had to change his Dataframe, for example). Am I the only one who thinks this is the case?

I was told by Mr Tree when he was compling his DVD that they still own the rights and will protect their interests. I thought SAF was because they lost the right to use SAS so combined the names to make SAF as a comprimise?

That's what I thought when I saw the 25th Blades, then when I saw the 2010 Joecon items with 'SAS' on the bags it got me thinking again. If they do still own and want to protect the rights to 'Action Force' then that's great news!

So how come Chris Claremont was able to use the name Action Force in his X-Treme X-Men title in recent years? In his first arc a newly formed team of X-Men were caught by Spanish Authorities and fought their crack team Action Force in their base. When I saw that I thought surely there must be copyright issues.

They might have lost or never had the rights in some areas. Kids tv here has an "Action Force" segment on Sunday mornings involving loads of superheroes.

Maybe Marvel, when it comes to comics, have the copyright for 'Action Force', hence the X-Men title?

Marvel had lost the licence for both GI Joe and Transformers by the time X-Treme X-Men was in print which was 2001.

the collector's club chose the name SAF not Hasbro

I wonder if it's a case of not so much the term 'Action Force' itself but the actual logos, designs & charactors that are still copy righted?

probably. copyright and trademarking is a very complicated business.

Marvel lost the rights to the name 'The Champions' because they spent too long without a Champions comic, and someone else came along and did one and got the right to use the name.

they also have to keep publishing a 'Captain Marvel' comic to prevent DC from being able to use the name. DC lost the rights to the name, and that's why DC's Captain Marvel comic is called 'Shazam!'...