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US Company Buys Commodore Brand For $33 Million

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the for-the-old-foggeys dept.

inKubus writes "Tulip Computers International BV -- which has held the rights to Commodore since 1997 -- said Thursday it will sell the once-mighty Commodore computer brand to U.S.-based Yeahronimo Media Ventures Inc. for 24 million euros, or $33 million. A company spokesman said they would "take actions" against possible copyright infringements of the Commodore name in the United States as well as release a new MP3 player and rerelease classic games."

16 of 410 comments (clear)

  1. This is one of the reasons... by slakdrgn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...abandonware isn't really abandonware. Now, I'm wondering if they bought the name just so they could make money out of lawsuits. If they do, and it works, I wonder how many other companies will attempt to by rights to long and outdated software just to attempt to raise their bottom line by sueing everyone.

    1. Re:This is one of the reasons... by DeVilla · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Now, I'm wondering if they bought the name just so they could make money out of lawsuits. If they do, and it works, I wonder how many other companies will attempt to by rights to long and outdated software just to attempt to raise their bottom line by sueing everyone.

      Hey! Don't knock it. I mean, look what's it's done for SCO, and they don't even have a case or own the copyrights in question. These guys will at least have the pretense of a broken leg to stand on.

    2. Re:This is one of the reasons... by Schnapple · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Thing is, when people pine for the Commodore 64 they're either nostalgic over the ancient implementations of things like word processors or databases, or nostalgic over games.

      No one is still insisting that Paperclip was better than Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org Write (though I'm sure a few will as soon as I hit "submit"), so apps are out.

      As for games, people still love old C64 games. That Joystick on QVC with the games on it is selling enough to have its own hacking community and people are still psycho about games like M.U.L.E. (my Wife wants me to get one of those joysticks and hack Caveman Ughlympics on it - I'd prefer Fort Apocalypse myself).

      Thing is, Commodore themselves didn't write many games. M.U.L.E. was Electronic Arts of all things, Fort Apocalypse was Synapse Software (long dead of course).

      Just buying out the "Commodore" name won't allow them to sue abandonware sites. There *might* be something they can do to emulator authors, but that's doubtful.

      They bought the "Commodore" name since it's still a powerful brand in people's minds. They'll see Commodore MP3 players and Commodore 64 joysticks in stores and think "wow, Commodore is still around..." Look at the sheer number of people who think Atari is the same company with the same people. Heck, when I was working at Babbage's in 1999 when Hasbro had the new games under the Atari name (Windows CD-ROM's) I had people come up to me and ask if they "needed their old Atari" to play these games.

      --

      Schnapple

    3. Re:This is one of the reasons... by fluffywuffy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Obviously one of the reasons is to own the copyright on C64 games played on today's mobile phones.

    4. Re:This is one of the reasons... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      No one is still insisting that Paperclip was better than Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org Write (though I'm sure a few will as soon as I hit "submit"), so apps are out.

      Don't forget Geowrite, not only the Best word processor for the C64 & C128, but it was almost as good as the best WYSIWYG word processors that was for the PC and Mac. The only things that kept it down were the fact that it was slow "Not bad for a 1/2 MHz machine; of course, an REU would speed it up a bit " and no built in spell checking "But that was due to the fact of limited memory of the computers"

      Other than those drawbacks, GEOS had support for a wide range of printers, also had support for graphics, nothing else on the commodore had anything like that. Amazing what it could do with a 1 MHz Machine, 64K of ram, and Single Density Floppy Drive.

      The thing I don't understand is, why did Apple choose to sue Micro$oft over Windoze, GEOS was much closer in terms of look and feel to the Macintosh than Windoze. Windoze had it lame "MS-DOS Executive" and looked nothing like Mac-Os, GEOS had a wastebasket to delete files, Windoze didn't have a similar feature until 95.

      Just buying out the "Commodore" name won't allow them to sue abandonware sites. There *might* be something they can do to emulator authors, but that's doubtful.

      There is one way they could go after the emulator authors. *cough* DMCA. Yes, I know, no one is bypassing any DRM, but, remember, in the US, if you have Millions of dollars at your disposal, plus with the Tech-ignorant Judges, they can sue someone that is copying from a cassette to CD by using the DMCA as the basis. They could appeal, but, that can only occur if they have enough money to go through the appeal process, but most likely they would just settle out of court or abide by the C&D Letter. I doubt the Vice team would have any money to successfully defend themselves in court with representation let alone go through a lengthy appeal process.

      Although it's true that they can't sue the site for hosting Commodore software, they could turn whatever evidence they have over to the IDSA and the members themselves will sue the sites, including c64.com. Of course all of this will push the Commodore emulation scene underground.

      One other thing to consider, is there's a chance they might go after companies that still support the Commodore Computers like CmdrKey.comwhich is owned by Maurice Randall that not only sells equipment from when he took over Creative Micro Design, but also sells an Upgrade to GEOS 2.0 that he wrote that takes advantage of the hardware, due to the fact it "May confuse the consumers" into believing that the hardware and software will work with the junk that the company may put out. Remember, in the US, you can sue anyone over anything as long as you have a lot of money.

  2. Wow, by Megaweapon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    a 6502-based MP3 player! (Or is that 6210?) Whichever, the "Commodore name" to most people isn't a modern-centric concept. It's a historical relic (an important one, sure, but has no basis in modern computing).

    --
    I'm sure "SlashdotMedia" will improve on all the wonders that Dice Holdings blessed us all with
  3. What? Game news?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    You won't see this on techtv, despite the fact that they are now a gaming channel. Why? They're reruns 23 hours a day now! And the screen savers is now a comedy show with no actual content.

  4. This is good news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I would really like to see a fully licensed Amiga 500/1000 emulator and for all the programs to be released in bundles.

    I can't imagine what the brand would have to do with me wanting to purchase an Mp3 player though. I suppose for some it might give some credibility to a product, but most Mp3 purchasers either look at the specs or are the types that are influenced by media and will not even have any exposure (in the US) to the brand.

  5. Imagine the leet speak by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If people with C64s could play MMOGS, those special characters would be making some wacked out letterings.

    And one of the funniest things to do on a c64 is make it acid trip. You do this: Randomize(some int), get 2 random numbers, poke one number into the other's address, loop it. So its one crazy poke fest. I've seen the screen split into 4 pieces change colors and scroll wildly. Its funny because your computer goes nuts. You can't do it on a PC because it might erase your harddrive or something serious. But C64 were like a sandbox who's OS wasn't succeptible to viruses or permanent damage.

    --
    God spoke to me.
  6. not US based by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Yeahronimo is not "a US based company", it's Dutch company. According to their web site, they are the first company to offer legal music download services in the Netherlands.

    Looks like the only thing they are interested in is making money with other people's creations, and sue the crap out of anyone who uses those creations without paying them money.

  7. Re:Oh cool. by eyeball · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I wonder if this means we'll get C64 games on those little joystick-that-plugs-into-the-tv things that are so popular nowadays.

    So here's what they're going to do -- sue as many of those small-time chinese c64 joystick manufacturers and sellers, online emulators, rom sites, etc.. then make their own just in time for the fad to be well over (I predict next xmas).

    --

    _______
    2B1ASK1
  8. Re:Let Me Get This Straight... by ackthpt · · Score: 2, Interesting
    they had a damn good business strategy,

    I take it you never saw the Superbowl commercial for the Amiga.

    It was traumatic for those of us who were trying to get other to buy into it. I've still got my A2000 right here. Excellent product, but the marketing was horrendously inept.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  9. Great strategy; alienate your clients right away. by Progman3K · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Nothing like the promise of lawsuits to drum up business.

    --
    I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
  10. Re:MP3 Player by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    No, they should rerelease the old red segment LED display Commodore Watches and Pocket Calculators.

    Now *THAT* would be retro!

  11. Re:After all... by cshark · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Something like that.

    It's more like

    1>Notice a little too late in the game that the brand still has some tangible value.

    2>buy commodore name and threaten to sue those companies so you get media coverage.

    3>make games yourself, and use brand to market new hardware and devices of some sort. (still an iffy proposition, because the brand has no credibility other than nostalgia at this point).

    4>profit... if you're smart and reaallly lucky.

    --

    This signature has Super Cow Powers

  12. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion