124 replies to this topic

[zencat]

To Whom it May Concern,

It has come to my attention that last week MGM contacted some of the most popular James Bond fan websites and told them to remove all their Bond photos, posters, etc. Fans may have noticed that these sites have all been closed down "for maintenance."

I'm truly baffled by this. Why is MGM and Eon so hostile towards Bond fans? It

[rafterman]

I agree completely with you. There are many Star Wars sites out there that are allowed to use many images and they sure do not detract from the money Star Wars makes. I cannot understand MGM's thinking on this at all.

[JimmyBond]

So thats why all the Bond sites were closed down at the same time. Thats pretty ****ty (please forgive my swearing, though I know it will be censored anyways).

[PaulZ108]

I'll sit down and write a lengthy and nasty one once I've calmed down enough to make it mature and devoid of constant swearing. I still can't believe they've done this and I'm convinced that the Bond series is in the hands incompetent idiots who will bring it to a pathetic end within the forseeable future.

[PaulZ108]

Is it likely that MGM will take legal action against more Bond sites? My understanding is that they've ordered the current 3 sites to remove anything copyrighted. Does this mean that ? Is MGM going to target smaller sites?

[zencat]

I wouldn't bring these sites to their attention, Paulz108. (In fact, you might consider editing out the name of that particular site in your above post.) At the moment, MGM is NOT a friend to the Bond fan.

[PaulZ108]

How stupid of me. I've edited it out.


This is just depressing...we Bond fans go and obsess over the Bond legacy for years and end up padding their pockets with all the merchandise we buy in the process and we're all given the finger by them in return.

[zencat]

I for one am going to reconsider how much "official" merchandise I'm going to buy. Just because MGM sticks a 007 logo on it doesn't mean I'm going to lap it up, especially in light of events.

[rafterman]

we are their customers, we eat up their product, create these sites to profess our love for what they give us, make no money off of it and they crush us.....but is it just MGM that are doing this or EON? I'd like to think Mickey and Babs would be more easy going about things....maybe it's time EON broke off from MGM.....they constantly make bad decisions when it comes to the franchise, even though it's their only money maker...

[zencat]

It's a good question. Is this MGM, or EON, or even FOX INTERNATIONAL?

[rafterman]

most likely MGM, they seem to be the ones responsible for this stuff, EON seems more concerned with actually making the movies than complaining about fans using Bond material...

[Tim007]

Full Support to John here.

[Tim007]

I don't think Fox International has to do anything with it, I think it's MGM. It's all so depressing

[Blue Eyes]

MGM probably will take action against other sites at their own peril of course. It comes down to a case of their Intellectual Property. Apparently, sites such as our own would accordingly (if you follow their supposed logic) devalue their property.

We all know that's not the case. When Bond fans create sites such as our own using un-licensed images to a positive effect, it can only have a positive effect on non-Bond fans.

I recall one person who came to these forums saying how **** the Bond series was. That person now posts on this site and from my communications with him, is a Bond fan. They read FRWL by Fleming and have since lapped up most of the films.

But of course, that's just devaluing their property.

[Blue Eyes]

Originally posted by PaulZ108
convinced that the Bond series is in the hands incompetent idiots who will bring it to a pathetic end within the forseeable future.

Not only is it in their hands, but they hold a monopoly over the whole thing sadly.

[rafterman]

I have to make the comparison to the star wars site theforce.net....it's a big site with a much larger forum with something like 8 million posts and there are many, many images housed there, just a ton of pictures in their multimedia section and they are completely left alone by lucas because they generate great interest in the property, even writers of the expanded universe novels post in their forums....the site is great publicity for the series...just like cbn is...mgm's logic is faulty....

[zencat]

theforce.net is a great comparison, rafterman. Lucas encourages the site and it's a massive PR machine for the films. Most studios want fans to create sites for their films. MGM is very old fashioned in their thinking. I guess it's all about greed. They feel if we have a website to go to then we won't buy their "official" merchandise, which is nonsence. CBN ADVERTISES their offical merchandise for crying out loud!

[ChromeFinger]

shoot themselves - this attitude sucks from them - first the James Bond party gets hit then the three best JB sites - who next? it appears that unless you have a fat wad of cash to hand them for the rights to use their (supposed) property that they will hit you hard.

If I was not such a massive Bond fan I would be considering whether or not to go and see Die Another Day - but we all know that we all will

MGM Get it sorted - no-one disrespected your intellectual property - they built on it and provided a far better service than JamesBond.com could very hope to do

Yours Angrily

ChromeFinger

[Bryce (003)]

Good to see things back up. Bad to hear why they were down....

Zencat, as usual, I'm with you on this. Good letter. Maybe we should go with a petition of some sort.

I really can't understand MGM's thinking. Granted, they are probably more concerned with paying their electric bills these days, but Bond is the reason the lights are still on in the first place.

Obviously their PR and marketing dept. need an overhaul. It's sad because Eon is as much of a victim here as we fans are. I plan to do a little digging today and find out who is "in charge" of their North American marketing. Because, clearly, whoever it is appears to be in charge of two things Jack and .....well you know the rest....and Jack left town a while ago....

Good letter Zencat. Sorry you had to write it though.

[Simon]

I figured this to be the reason all three sites were down with such unerring lack of timing and forethought for the readers. I truly pity all the people who have put such efforts into producing quality sites, both in terms of their output, editorial and design. It is indeed a sad week.

More so when we are faced with **** design, **** marketing and **** creation on the aprt of the people who believe they are in competition with these sites, and an official web site that is littered with mistakes and distinctly average output.

Someone said above that their intial rection was to boycott going to see the film. But it is just MGM and not necessarily the makers - I believe I am right in saying this.

These sites have so much more to offer than an official site but what is one to do? If you try to ally yourself to Eon and MGM, you end up with a site that has dried up to all intents and purposes along the lines of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. There is so much more creativity in fan creations than a "paid by the hour" graduate whose interests lie elsewhere.

So in summary, I agree with all who've gone before me in this thread.

[zencat]

In regards to a boycott, of course we're not going to boycott the film, impossible, but I've decided I'm not going to be as loose with my cash in regards to "official" 40th Anniversary merchandise. The only reason I can see for MGM to do this is some misguided fear that if we have pics of Bond online then we won't buy their "official" Bond books, magazines, etc. You know, the ones with all the same stale pics we've seen a million times and no mention of NSNA or anything contrary or interesting about the films whatsoever? So, in protest, I'm going to pass up merchandise that I would have otherwise bought and encourge some other collector friends to do the same. Just because it has a 007 logo on it doesn't mean we have to snap it up. It's probably about time I thinned out the collection anyway. It's getting a little crowded in here.

[Simon]

I'v never been one to pick up a fluffy ashtray just because it has the 007 logo stamped to its ***. To be honest, I have always been more interested in the marketing side to the films, the posters, lobbies, presskits, so this is an area that has never profited from my involvement.

There won't be any boycotting from my side, just pity towards all the aforementioned beginner marketing boys at MGM whose foresight nearly, but not quite, reaches the ends of their appendages and whose interests lie, in an associative manner, solely in their right hands.

[boeserzwilling]

They are even dumber than I thought!
Don't they have any professionals in their team. As posted elsewhere: This is FREE advertising.
Those sites are the only place where DAD is kinda hyped, since MGM constantly ****s it up with a lame official site and lame posters. They should learn their jobs before they hit on those who did.
A horrible situation, they drove everybody into. Even if they wanted to; How could they swim back without looking like idiots.
I just want to know what's EONs part in this.

[Simon]

Is it worth amalgamating this thread with Zencat's Letter thread?

My limited understanding of these matters would be that it was lead by MGM and not Fox, and that it was done outside of Eon's influence but with their co-operation. Yes, Eon should ditch MGM but I'm not sure of the length of contract term they have with them.

When you consider the number of Bond sites out there and the amount of time it will take a number of people to go through all this redundant and harmful work, you really wonder whether time would be better spent in their creative department.

[zencat]

Originally posted by Simon
Is it worth amalgamating this thread with Zencat's Letter thread?

I think that's a good idea. Is that okay with you, PaulZ?

['S']

The comparrison to the Star Wars forums is close - however, from what I can see TheForce.Net says very little bad about anything that Lucas does. I wonder whether MGM didn't like the (justly) negative reaction to the second teaser poster, and so decided to take their ball back.
(Not that I would ever want CBn to be like MI6 and presume anythng that comes from Eon or MGM must be heaven sent.)

Another thought is that the release of the script at the same time also anoyed them - but surely they know that all the spoilers in the world are not going to stop anybody who visits these sites from going to see the film (time and again).

What a stupid thing for them to do - it does not effect my enjoyment of the films, but makes me feel somewhat de-valued by their makers.

What did the communication from MGM say when you were told to clean up the site?

[Max Zorin007]

Amen...........Amen to all of you!!! I hope MgM has fun with the croc hunter...........im sure thatll bring in a load of cash.

[zencat]

Originally posted by 'S'
Another thought is that the release of the script at the same time also anoyed them - but surely they know that all the spoilers in the world are not going to stop anybody who visits these sites from going to see the film (time and again).

You know, this is very possible. In the past anything script related has tended to set off the alarm bells at Eon. I think this is an area we need to respect and avoid, let the other sites have those "scoops" (and suffer the consequences).

I don't want to read the script anyway. I want some surprises left come November.

[Roebuck]

Not sure about that one Zencat.
This may be an overreaction to the leaking of the script pages but it seems petty.

Like I pointed out at the time, most of that stuff was already in the public domain.

Still, stupid is as stupid does (in MGM's case anyhow).

[boeserzwilling]

Script??? What script?
Do you mean those four pages or the whole one? That later would be completely new to me. Have I been in a different time dimension last week?