Paradox Entertainment

Paradox Entertainment (Nasdaq Nordic: PDXE) owns rights to many intellectual properties, the most famous of which is Conan the Barbarian as created by pulp author Robert E. Howard and expanded upon by many other authors over the years. Other properties include Bran Mak Morn, Kull, Solomon Kane, Mutant, Mutant Chronicles, Warzone, Kult, and Chronopia. Former licences include Heavy Gear.

Paradox Entertainment claims that the company own the rights to all of Robert E. Howard's stories and characters. They arguably would have a trademark on the character names for marketing purposes, but there is no evidence that their claims of owning copyright on the original stories and characters are valid. Howard's stories were published at a time when the copyrights had to be explicitly renewed to continue, and there is no record of this ever happening.[1] The copyright status of all of Howard's works published during his life are thus in question.[2] In the United Kingdom, 70 years after the death of an author his works fall into the public domain and as such the works of Robert E. Howard have now fallen into the public domain there.

Paradox Entertainment is publicly listed in Stockholm, Sweden, but all business is conducted from the main office in Los Angeles, USA.

Paradox Interactive, based in Stockholm, is no longer a part of Paradox Entertainment.

On August 21, 2011 the day the 2011 Conan film opened, SLMI sued (unsuccessfully)[3] Paradox Entertainment, Conan Sales Co., Arthur Lieberman and others over the rights to Conan as they claim Conan was improperly transferred to Conan Sales Co. and sold to Paradox.[4]

Fredrik Malmberg's new company Cabinet Entertainment has (thru Cabinet Holdings) acquired Paradox Entertainment Inc. and all subsidiaries and their properties, including the Robert E. Howard properties Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kane, as well as the original Target/Paradox properties Mutant Chronicles/Warzone, Kult, Chronopia, and Mutant. Purchase price for all shares in PEINC amounts to $7 million in cash.[5][6][7]

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Paul Herman's research on the copyright status of Robert Howard's works
  2. ↑ Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States at Cornell University
  3. ↑ "9th Circ. Nixes Appeal Over 'Conan The Barbarian' Rights". Law360. 22 Oct 2013.
  4. ↑ Eriq, Eriq (2011-08-22). "'Conan the Barbarian' Lawsuit Seeks Character Rights". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  5. ↑ http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/conan-property-of-cabinet-holdings-now/
  6. ↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/23/idUSL5N0XK2M220150423
  7. ↑ http://movieweb.com/legend-conan-barbarian-movie-cinematic-universe/

External links


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