Bandai UK will launch Thundercats from 1/12/2011 in the UK. *Up until this time importing products from the US into the UK will infringe our intellectual property rights. *Action will be taken against companies which do so.
Kind regards
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From: Bandai UK [mailto:data@bandai.co.uk]
Sent: 05 August 2011 20:38
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Name: ********luke tomlinson
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please can you tell me when you will be releasing the thundercats figures in the UK as bandai.com is currently selling them now in the USA.
Many thanks
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Well it’s bad news we will have to wait so long, I know alot of us are really impatient for these figures. But at least we will get them, and look at that, just in time for christmas!
How can it be illegal for someone to sell something they purchased in another country, given that the product is not illegal in the country they are selling it in?
Are they making laws up as they go or is there a substance to what they are saying?
That sounds like the weirdest of laws… so basically every time you sell something you purchased abroad you could get sued?
I suppose they’re waiting for the Christmas season, however a great percentage of adult fans has already ordered/obtained their figures from the US.
As for the rest of them, I don’t think they’ll be patient enough to wait until then and the “illegal” importing will go on.
By the official UK release date, virtually every adult fan will already own the toyline, making the official sales solely dependent on children and less keen adults who probably won’t bother with the whole toyline.
Actually, for Bandai UK, it would make total sense. There is probably a Bandai strategy behind releasing late in Europe. Maybe they don’t have the production capabilities to handle a simultaneous worldwide release, or they want to release the toys when the demand is at its peak (when thundercats airs). They won’t be allowed to fill up toy shelves when the demand is low.
It would also make sense that they are making contracts with their resellers so they are only allowed to buy stock if they sign a contract that they won’t sell them in Europe.
But if an importer were to walk into a toy store in the US and purchase the items at full price they should in my mind own the product as any end consumer would. Then they should be able to sell them at their hideous import prices without Bandai meddling.
Unless the guy at the toy store explicitly tells everyone to sign a contract that a toy is not for resale outside the US, I can’t imagine it would be illegal.
I don’t know much about law, but there’s something that smells fishy about them saying that no one but them are allowed to sell an item in a certain region.
That would mean that everyone selling products worldwide on ebay could be sued by the original manufacturer.
DO NOT be paying those scammers on eBay that are raiding your local toy stores and selling them for twice the price on eBay. I dont understand why the american consumers are rushing on eBay to buy their figures when there will be plenty to go around.
That is the case. What Bandai UK are talking about is US stores selling direct to overseas fans, thus BBTS cancelling overseas orders. They cannot stop a US citizen walking into a K Mart, buying ThunderCats toys and then selling them all on eBay. Once you purchase them from a store, you can do what you want with them.
They are basically talking about it being illegal for a store to buy them at wholesale price and then export them.
Aah thanks Blackicat… That clears it up… Their letter about IP rights sounded applicable to all cases. Then I wont be so uncomfy buying on the net if I can’t get hold of my figures during my US trip.
The only problem is if everyone imports the stuff, sales will be slack here and such as the Classics line would be the first to be cancelled over here Personally I’d sooner support UK sales, which is why I’m waiting for most of the stuff.
How about us here in Japan.
Generator Rex came on Cartoon Network 3 weeks ago. Pretty sure thats an old cartoon for you guys in America.
After calling CN over here about Thundercats, I was told late 2012 at the earliest but its not even something they are looking at right now.
And then having the yanks Bandai, put up the no international shipping tripe. We are left with having to look at paying those Ebay prices.
6" Lion-O $69.99 awesome bro!
Personally I’d sooner support UK sales, which is why I’m waiting for most of the stuff.
awesome bro!