Universal's license for Marvel characters does not have an expiration date.Does anyone know when universals agreement with marvel ends for their section in IOA. When that happens who thinks marvel gets an expansion into Disney parks??
Horace Horsecollar said:Universal's license for Marvel characters does not have an expiration date.
Universal has exclusive theme park rights "East of The Mississippi" for the Marvel characters it is now using and other characters associated with them. As long as Universal's Marvel Super Hero Island at IOA is "operated and maintained in a first class manner consistent with the highest standards of the theme park industry" and Universal continues to pay the licensing fee, Universal has the these rights forever.
Disney could expand Marvel into Disneyland immediately if the company wished to.
And Disney could expand Marvel into Walt Disney World immediately, if the company only used characters that are not being being used by Universal and are not heroes or villains associated with those characters.
Universal is doing an excellent job operating Marvel Super Hero Island at IOA. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is now even more amazing with digital 3-D projection.
PALionKingfan said:Disney does not copy anything other parks do so having Marvel themed characters or attractions in a Disney park is extremely unlikely.
Universal owns the theme park rights to Ironman and Thor "East of the Mississippi" even though there's not an Ironman or Thor attraction. The agreement applies to characters who part of a "family" that Universal is already using ("e.g., any member of THE FANTASTIC FOUR, THE AVENGERS or villains associated with a hero being used").Just thinking Disney should take advantage of marvels fan base.... Maybe an iron man ride or Thor.
Horace Horsecollar said:Universal owns the theme park rights to Ironman and Thor "East of the Mississippi" even though there's not an Ironman or Thor attraction. The agreement applies to characters who part of a "family" that Universal is already using ("e.g., any member of THE FANTASTIC FOUR, THE AVENGERS or villains associated with a hero being used").
Also, Universal features many Marvel characters as artwork on and in the buildings of Marvel Super Hero Island at IOA.
Walt Disney World cannot make theme park use of the top Marvel characters. Walt Disney World could make theme park use of unrelated Marvel characters or new Marvel characters.
For the time being, Disney can simply collect licensing fees from Universal and make money from Marvel merchandise sales at Universal -- without having to invest money in Marvel content at its own theme parks. And the box office numbers for Marvel movies from Disney can benefit from the publicity that Universal provides for those characters. Not bad for Disney, if you think about it.
Universal owns the theme park rights to Ironman and Thor "East of the Mississippi" even though there's not an Ironman or Thor attraction. The agreement applies to characters who part of a "family" that Universal is already using ("e.g., any member of THE FANTASTIC FOUR, THE AVENGERS or villains associated with a hero being used").
Also, Universal features many Marvel characters as artwork on and in the buildings of Marvel Super Hero Island at IOA.
Walt Disney World cannot make theme park use of the top Marvel characters. Walt Disney World could make theme park use of unrelated Marvel characters or new Marvel characters.
For the time being, Disney can simply collect licensing fees from Universal and make money from Marvel merchandise sales at Universal -- without having to invest money in Marvel content at its own theme parks. And the box office numbers for Marvel movies from Disney can benefit from the publicity that Universal provides for those characters. Not bad for Disney, if you think about it.
Correct if Im wrong but Disney must approve any changes or new attractions to Marvel land at IOA. And they wont allow any so at some point in the distant future Universal will give them up
The annual fee is fixed in the agreement, but the dollar amount is confidential and has been removed from the document filed with the SEC. The agreement also commits Universal to sell Marvel merchandise and to pay at least the guaranteed royalties. The percentage and the dollar amount are again confidential.Couldn't Disney raise the licensing fees to the point that Universal gives up on the Marvel association. Or maybe they could require Universal to put the Disney name in the copyright area of each licensed Marvel attraction.
According to the agreement, "This Marvel-themed complex would be designed in coordination with Marvel, and all major elements and themes would be subject to Marvel's reasonable approval." Marvel also needs to approve marketing artwork.
The agreement is still in effect. All that has changed is who owns Marvel and who owns Universal.
I'm not a lawyer, but my understanding is that Marvel has to act in good faith. Marvel cannot veto everything just to hurt Universal.
The other side of the issue is whether Universal would still want to invest in major enhancements to Marvel Super Hero Island at IOA, beyond keeping up with technology. Universal is investing heavily in their parks -- enhancements based on Harry Potter, The Simpson's, Transformers, and Despicable Me -- but the Marvel Super Hero Island enhancement has been limited to replacing Spider-Man's 3-D film projection with 3-D digital projection.
Does anyone know when universals agreement with marvel ends for their section in IOA. When that happens who thinks marvel gets an expansion into Disney parks??
Completely agree. Was just at universal and the new Spider-Man quality is great. Just thinking Disney should take advantage of marvels fan base.... Maybe an iron man ride or Thor.
I'm not a lawyer, but my understanding is that Marvel has to act in good faith. Marvel cannot veto everything just to hurt Universal.
pilferk said:Actually,they can. I mean..they likely can't come out and SAY it's because they want to thumb their nose at Universal...but they don't really have to.
Reasonable approval refers to the process of seeking approval, not in the decision making, itself.
In other words: Marvel can't require Universal to pay them a million dollars in ones, while spinning around in circles, and simultaneously spinning 16 plates in the air just to seek approval for a project. They have to provide a process that is reasonable, and does not require undue effort (see above) or circumstances (ie: only submitted on the 3rd Tuesday of June in a leap year) to complete .
But once Universal starts the reasonable submission process (fills out the necessary forms and submits them with a detailed project plan)...Marvel can approve or reject more or less at their whim. They own the IPs, so they can be as fickle or permissive as they wish.
Yes! I guess what I'm getting at is say, hypothetically, Disney group goes to marvel and says if that agreement gets cancelled we will be a land/park whatever(just spitballing here) that is entirely dedicated to marvel characters. Marvel can realistically do whatever they want can't they? Could marvel end the agreement with universal if it means putting the company in a better place?
True I didn't even think about that. Disney is basically getting free publicity at universal. It's genius(insert evil laugh here)