Let me begin by saying this: I hope that EVERY reader of TVShowsOnDVD, especially our regulars, will take the time to read this. Over the years we have seen many people who simply don't understand just how complicated and confusing Ownership and Copyright issues can be for a television show (or, on a similar subject, for music rights). This is an excellent example of just how - nutty - it can get!
Last week we
passed along a report that "infomercial"- and online-based sales of
The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show on DVD from Guthy-Renker Corp. had been halted, due to a lawsuit filed by NBC Universal alleging that they (NBC) are the proper rights-holders for the show, and that Guthy-Renker had purchased DVD rights from an entity that was not entitled to sell that license.
The story about that was first broken by the fan site TheGolddiggers.Wordpress.com, a.k.a. "The Golddiggers Super Site", and from there it was picked up by trade magazine
Video Business and spread around the 'net. Now, the original folks behind the story have provided an interesting update:
an in-depth analysis called "Whose Show Is It Anyway?," about the current ownership of The Dean Martin Show and its DVD rights. In it, you'll get a fascinating glimpse into how older shows like this one can get really confusing when you try to sort out where the rights truly lie.
Also, by reading this story, even die-hard
Trekkies might learn something interesting along the way about the original
Star Trek's copyright that they may not have known! Oh, and yes:
Batman (the Adam West version) is mentioned as a comparison (but don't get me wrong; the piece isn't about
Batman, it's about
The Dean Martin Show).
Our thanks to the folks at Integrity Communications Corp., owners of The Golddiggers Super Site, for their heads-up to us about this wonderful look at the strange world of TV show rights, and how it relates to DVD releases. Be sure to head over there and check it out!
