According to Sega's Twitter, they don't hold the rights to SatAM

[Phos]

http://twitter.com/SEGA/status/3147355565

Somewhat unexpected that Sega wouldn't be the rights holder to a product that included Sonic, though I'd be lying if I wasn't happy to learn that I don't have to worry about the SatAM cast showing up in a game.

[Blazey Firekitty]

Well, technically it just means that they don't hold the rights to the show itself. They still own the characters from the show, given that they still have sway over how said characters are portrayed in the Archie comic.

[LATER BUDDY]

I've never really been that close with any of the TV shows, so I had no idea, ^^". I've just always assumed that Sega was the root to anything Sonic related when it came to rights. Even out of all the Sonic shows, this was probably the one I've seen the least (next to Underground), so I actually hardly know anything about it, XD. Interesting though, <3.

-Blur

[Joseppi]

Aww. I was so hoping to see Antoine in a Sonic game. /obvious sarcasm

I'm pretty sure DiC owns the rights to SatAM. I think they also have the rights to the crappy Looney Toons rippoff we all know as AoStH.

Edited August 6, 2009 by Joseppi

[Jix Hedgehog]

It's like Master Chief from Halo, its a Xbox/Microsoft game, but that doesnt mean it belongs to them.. (best example I could think of)

Well, its understandable, unfortunate too I suppose.. I'd love to see a 2 hour movie or something like they did with Futurama.

[Blue Blood]

SEGA cocked up a few years ago, and now another company hold the rights to some Sonic merchandise in the UK (may be all of Europe, but I'm not sure.) It had something to do with Sonic X and Jetix.

[Miko]

I think it means that they don't have the right to make a continuation of the show. That doesn't mean they don't own the characters.

[Flyboy Fox]

Aww. I was so hoping to see Antoine in a Sonic game. /obvious sarcasm

I'm pretty sure DiC owns the rights to SatAM. I think they also have the rights to the crappy Looney Toons rippoff we all know as AoStH.

I'd love to see Antoine in a game

AoStH is a Looney Toons rip-off?

[Blue Blood]

Space Channel 5 is a Tomb Raider rip-off.

SEGA doesn't own any of the old TV shows. DiC simply had a license to use some of the characters. It's like Nintendo doesn't own Sonic or Snake, but had a license to use them both in Brawl.

[KittyNakajima]

That doesn't surprise me. It's not uncommon with a lot of older series; somewhere down the line the original companies responsible for its production lose the rights and they're bought out or sold to a company that holds the rights for future syndication. That doesn't mean that it'll be syndicated, but it's usually added to a catalog of sorts for possible use. SEGA still obviously holds the rights to the characters, they just don't hold the right to show the series in syndication anymore as far as I can see.

I really don't give a crap about SATam, but I do know that the DVD set was released by Shout! Factory and that the current syndication rights are being held by Cookie Jar (formerly known as Cinar) who acquired all, if not most of DiC Entertainment's cartoon library when they bought them out a year or so ago. As for their history I know that they were responsible for translating some children's shows in the 80s like Adventures of the Little Koala (JP title Koala Bear Kokki) and the Gnome series (i.e. David the Gnome, Wisdom of the Gnomes, etc.) while they currently focus on producing children's shows in house such as Arthur, Wimsy's House, and a few others I can't remember.

A lot of their children's shows tend to be edutainment based as of the last 10-15 years, so I don't know how, or if when they'd shift from that focus and look to exploring SATam and the other shows in DiC's catalog.

[nuckles87]

They still own the characters.

This is...strange, considering SEGA had involvement in the DVD, and even promoted it on their website back when it came out.

Course, I am referring to SEGA America.

[Leon K Fox]

http://twitter.com/SEGA/status/3147355565

Somewhat unexpected that Sega wouldn't be the rights holder to a product that included Sonic, though I'd be lying if I wasn't happy to learn that I don't have to worry about the SatAM cast showing up in a game.

Why? It would make a change to all the generic new characters in my eyes.

[Blue Blood]

This in't the topic to discuss that, Leon. Believe me, it's not. The argument would circle around clashing styles (hair, clothing, gloves and necks mostly).

[Joseppi]

AoStH is a Looney Toons rip-off?

Not technically, but they're both slapstick cartoons. I actually watched it as a kid. I even one of the VHS versions of it. I just tried watching it a couple of months ago and I don't know how I liked it as a kid. I always liked SatAM better though.

[Flyboy Fox]

Not technically, but they're both slapstick cartoons. I actually watched it as a kid. I even one of the VHS versions of it. I just tried watching it a couple of months ago and I don't know how I liked it as a kid. I always liked SatAM better though.

Well, that's quite different from being a rip-off. Just means they're of a similar genre. Although I don't really see them as that similar. AoStH was more surreal than silly a lot of the time. Of course, it was very daft too, but the main characters (Sonic and Tails) weren't silly in quite the way that Looney Toons characters are.

AoStH is my favourite Sonic canon

[Blazey Firekitty]

I'd love to see Antoine in a game

I think Antoine could fit in potentially well. The series has already done sword-fighting with Black Knight, after all, and I don't feel having a modern day fencer running around would be too out of place.

[SuperStingray]

I'd be lying if I wasn't happy to learn that I don't have to worry about the SatAM cast showing up in a game.

Well, even if they don't own SatAM, that doesn't say anything about the games. Archie comics uses them as well and they did make a cameo in Spinball. I'm not asking for it to happen, I'm just throwing it out there.

[Tornado]

^ What he said. While I'm not sure if Sega actually owns the characters regardless, all them not owning the rights to SatAM means is that they don't have the ability to release their own DVDs or anything.

[Aquaslash]

I think it means that they don't have the right to make a continuation of the show. That doesn't mean they don't own the characters.

Right here folks.

Sega definitely owns the characters today, which can be seen by them swinging their weight around the comics

[nuckles87]

The comics are licensed by SEGA. SEGA owns everything in the comics. Every character. Otherwise they couldn't be featured.

You can go ahead and ask the current creators over at Bumbleking.com. That's what they'll tell you.

[Miko]

Ken's also gone on record to say that's why they couldn't make contests for people to submit fancharacters. Because there'd be too much legal tape involved, and if the person didn't like how their character was portrayed they'd have relinquished all creative control and be screwed.

[AAUK]

AHEM.

No SEGA don't own the video rights to SATAM, SATAM isn't part of Sonic canon and the characters won't be featuring in the games any time soon. The best you're likely to get is an in-reference perhaps.

Nice to see you read my tweets tho.

[PSI Wind]

^ Fuck. Yes.

[Blazey Firekitty]

AHEM.

No SEGA don't own the video rights to SATAM, SATAM isn't part of Sonic canon and the characters won't be featuring in the games any time soon. The best you're likely to get is an in-reference perhaps.

Nice to see you read my tweets tho.

Do the SWAT Bots in Chronicles count as characters, an in-reference, or both?

[AAUK]

Do the SWAT Bots in Chronicles count as characters, an in-reference, or both?

An in-reference. See SSMB reactions from a year or so ago when you found out Swatbots were in and you were all LOL WOT MEGAWIN ROFLCOPTER.

There will be influences... no characters tho - and NO Spinball doesn't count.