Iron and the Maiden

Maiden wants the company to stop using the I.A.T.M. name to sell its comic books, video games and other merchandise -- and also wants some money for the trouble.
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SOME money LOL
 
I don't like it when Maiden's management tarnish the bands name by doing obviously money-grubbing things like this, or denying Persepolis the use of Wrathchild, or releasing 100 greatest hits albums.

Meh.
 
GuineaPig said:
I don't like it when Maiden's management tarnish the bands name by ... denying Persepolis the use of Wrathchild
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Is that what happened, or did the producers even bother to ask?  I saw Persepolis, and found it odd that they didn't use a real Iron Maiden song. 
 
That's what happened.  They did ask, but you know, small independent film with smallish budget couldn't afford what the management wanted.
 
To be fair, the logo does make the "and the" so tiny you wouldn't notice - people would at first glance think it said "Iron Maiden" and I suspect this is why they are being sued.
I agree it it isn't a big deal really, but you have to remember, if they were lenient with this one case, it heavily weakens their position the next time someone tries to make money off their name in an ever bigger way.
 
Guess I'll have to put my "Motley and the Crue" comic on hold.

Tho, I may get the "Twisted and his Sister" going....
 
GuineaPig said:
That's what happened.  They did ask, but you know, small independent film with smallish budget couldn't afford what the management wanted.
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Sometimes Maiden management really sucks.
 
There is nothing wrong with "and the"...there is something wrong when you make those two words so tiny that they aren't readable unless you specifically knew the title of the comic.
 
Yeah, that's bit unfair. Walking down the street, you take a look at the comic store and what do you see? Iron Maiden. You take a closer look: Iron and the Maiden. But that's enough to take your attention.
 
A key legal issue in trademark infringement cases is whether there is a likelihood of consumer confusion.  Dead Boss' hypothetical suggests that there may be an initial moment of confusion, but that no one would really buy the comic book thinking it was affiliated with the band.  (Presumably a true fan would know better, as the comic book doesn't use the famous font or Eddie.)  It's an interesting issue.  So is the fact that the phrase "iron maiden" also describes a well-known torture device, and thus has another meaning unrelated to the band.   (Though, is the device well known because of the band??)
 
More likely, the torture device is known from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.  Also, that is probably why Iron Maiden is so big now.  :smartarse:

sorry, I should have, but couldn't resist.

Just my 2 cents: seems like a slightly ridiculous thing for Maiden to be chasing after.  Most of these 'start up' comics only last a dozen issues or so.
 
Wasted CLV said:
Just my 2 cents: seems like a slightly ridiculous thing for Maiden to be chasing after.  Most of these 'start up' comics only last a dozen issues or so.
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In a vacuum, yes, but I think someone else made the point that you need to enforce your rights vigorously to protect against the erosion of your intellectual property.  An imperfect analogy:  The Coca-Cola Company sends "spies" to restaurants that serve Pepsi and has the spies or order "a Coke."  If the restaurant serves Pepsi without clarifying that they serve Pepsi, not Coke, then it gets a nasty letter.  The idea is that Coke doesn't want its trademark to lose its meaning and become synonymous with all cola drinks. 

In short, yes, this is a small fish, but I don't fault Iron Maiden for protecting its brand.  More than almost any other recording artist, Iron Maiden derives a significant portion of its income from merchandise.  If Iron Maiden ever wanted to publish a comic book about the band, Eddie, or anything else, it needs to protect its rights in that area.  Iron Maiden may not be in the comic book business yet, but it is in the book business. 

That said, they should have let Persepolis use Wrathchild -- didn't McGoohan let them use the Prisoner dialogue for free (or close to it)? 

As for the Bill & Ted reference, that scene is clearly meant to evoke the band as much as the torture device itself.  That movie is a true pop culture icon.  It really is remarkable that, however many years later, I can still recall both main characters' full names, including Bill's gratuitous "Esquire."  Yet, I couldn't tell you Rick's last name in Casablanca.  Hm. 
 
cornfedhick said:
In a vacuum, yes, but I think someone else made the point that you need to enforce your rights vigorously to protect against the erosion of your intellectual property.  An imperfect analogy:  The Coca-Cola Company sends "spies" to restaurants that serve Pepsi and has the spies or order "a Coke."  If the restaurant serves Pepsi without clarifying that they serve Pepsi, not Coke, then it gets a nasty letter.  The idea is that Coke doesn't want its trademark to lose its meaning and become synonymous with all cola drinks. 

In short, yes, this is a small fish, but I don't fault Iron Maiden for protecting its brand.  More than almost any other recording artist, Iron Maiden derives a significant portion of its income from merchandise.  If Iron Maiden ever wanted to publish a comic book about the band, Eddie, or anything else, it needs to protect its rights in that area.  Iron Maiden may not be in the comic book business yet, but it is in the book business. 

That said, they should have let Persepolis use Wrathchild -- didn't McGoohan let them use the Prisoner dialogue for free (or close to it)? 
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Sure, that does make sense.  I don't disagree at all, but I wonder if this just draws more attention to something that would disappear quickly.  Then again, this probably is close to free advertising for Maiden.

As for the Bill & Ted reference, that scene is clearly meant to evoke the band as much as the torture device itself.  That movie is a true pop culture icon.  It really is remarkable that, however many years later, I can still recall both main characters' full names, including Bill's gratuitous "Esquire."  Yet, I couldn't tell you Rick's last name in Casablanca.  Hm. 
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Bill and Ted are an American icon!!  Actually, when watching the movie, I was so excited to see Maiden come up-- I was a huge fan, and no one else at my school hardly knew who they were. 
 
cornfedhick said:
(Though, is the device well known because of the band??)
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Most Maidenfans (and there are a lot of Maidenfans on the planet) learnt the meaning of this device via Iron Maiden. I am pretty sure about it.

Look, this is a Maidenfans forum. The fact that we talk about Iron and the Maiden shows already the connection with the band Iron Maiden. It can be subconscious even.

The fact that they can't use the name already makes them more known.
 
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It looks like a real quality comic ;)

By the way, here's a response from the creator.
 
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