As we all know, merchandising from the 1960's BATMAN tv series is a complicated matter - paricularly where BATMOBILE reproductions and DVD's of the tv series are concerned. Well, this little news item doesn't make the future seem much brighter:

Woman Sues Over 1960s 'Batman' Series

By Associated Press

document.write(getElapsed("20060818T111840Z"));3 hours agoUPDATED 2 HOURS 19 MINUTES AGO

LOS ANGELES - A New Mexico woman is suing 20th Century Fox Film Corporation alleging she was defrauded out of $4.4 million she was entitled to receive for the popular 1960s "Batman" television series.

Deborah Dozier Potter, whose father William Dozier was one of the producers of the show, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Superior Court that alleges fraud, concealment and breach of contract.

She is an heir to her father's estate and holds a portion of the assets of Greenway Productions Inc. which produced the series four decades ago that Fox distributed, according to the lawsuit.

Both companies, Greenway and Fox, signed a contract in the 1960s, the lawsuit said. Another contract was also signed between Fox and ABC, the station which televised the show. In March 2005, Potter came across the agreement between Fox and ABC and discovered she was entitled to 26 percent of the net profits from that agreement as well.

"I wish it could have been avoided," Potter said from her home in Santa Fe. "Nobody likes litigation."

Fox does not comment on pending litigation, said Chris Alexander, vice president of 20th Century Fox Television.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.
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I'm not making any judgements or drawing any conclusions from this... I'm just sharing the information.

- GJS

Well, if she wants more money, she'd better help get the original series to DVD! :thumbsup:

Moderator: Could you please consolidate this topic into a SINGLE thread on ONE BB? Life is confusing enough as it is!

Yeah... and since Scott has two eyes, remove one of them so he doesn't see double!

- GJS

Do I detect a note of sarcasm?

Well, I hope this doesn't screw up the forthcoming Batmobile toys.

Well, I hope this doesn't screw up the forthcoming Batmobile toys.

Precisely.

Granted she is probably legitimately entitled to a percentage, as she claims, but why in the world couldn't she wait until the fans had the merchandise in their hands and 20th Century Fox and Mattel had already made a tidy profit before bringing suit against them???!!!

Now this will possibly be tied up in litigation to the point where the participating parties will simply drop the project!

- GJS

Unfortunately, I guess there is no statute of limitations on such matters. That seems a bit odd as there is a statute of limitations on almost every crime imaginable short of murder.

So this contract is forty years old and she "came across the agreement" about one year ago?

Terrific.

Wouldn't life be wonderful if we could all get paid for the work out fathers did during the Johnson administration?

I'm not an attorney, nor do I play one on television, but I believe that statutes of limitations apply to crimes, not civil matters. Unless otherwise stated in the document itself, the terms of an agreement or contact are binding and enforceable as long as all parties to the contract are still living.

Can someone with legal expertise offer any additional info? IS THERE A LAWYER IN THE HOUSE??

Err...I'm gonna be straddling a fine line here...being a law student I can't offer anything that might be construed as legal advice. However, as a general comment on the general shape of the law, Scott is essentially correct. A contract dispute is a civil matter, and there is usually no limitation on such matters. If there was a contract to divide profits with no end date stated, then as long as profits are being made the contract is in effect.

Disclaimer: that wasn't advice! :freak: :tongue:

When did Dozier die, and why didn't he say or do anything about this?

More power to her. I'm glad she got something from her father's estate. Too many times some floozy step-mother the same age as the daughter gets everything. I wish I could do the same for my children some day.

This may be a good thing. She will certainly want to gain something from the estate and the only way to do that is to make sure the products associated with the property are released. She is in an unique situation being one of the very few who will profit only from the '66 Batman series.

And I hope you are right, Perfesser!

- GJS