Were AHI Monster figures actually licenced?

[Mego73]

I've seen the AHI monster figs referred to as licensed when the Mego ones were not. When I used to hear and believe that AHI simply put these out unlicensed and depended on the gray area between the movies and public domain versions for wiggle room.

Is there an actual "Copyright Universal" on the card? I know they should (especially Frankenstein) should've been licensed but were they?

[Dr.Terror]

Yes

[raycastile]

What I call "Version C" figures might not have been licensed.  They came on cards that do not have the AHI logo or any copyright info.  They are the ones that picture Dracula on the right side of the card in place of the Creature.  Version C figures are generally believed to have come out later than the other versions. 

AHI Dracula figures were not licensed from Universal.  But Frankenstein, Mummy, Wolf Man and Creature were licensed.

[gracebuster]

Rays right. It make sense since the Lugosi lawsuit over the Don Post Dracula mask in the late 60's scared Universal enough to not include any Bela stuff in thier ownership.

[raycastile]

I group AHIs more by card style than by figure.

Here is what I call "Type A."



You can see the Universal copyright in the lower left corner.


Now here is "Type B."



I group the "jointed wrist" figures together with "Type B" since they come on the same cards. You can't tell from the faded card and cropped photo above, but the card below is identical in style.




The card below is what I call "Type C."  Notice the Creature has been replaced by Dracula.  More important for this discussion, the Universal copyright and AHI logo are gone.

[raycastile]

Here are some toy tour photos from Monster Bash 07 that illustrate the differences in cards.

Here are "Type A" cards.




These are "Type B."




Here are "Type C" cards from my web site.  No copyrights on them.

[Wich2]

"It make sense since the Lugosi lawsuit over the Don Post Dracula mask in the late 60's scared Universal enough to not include any Bela stuff in thier ownership."

Dan-

...which makes it weird, in that AHI shoulda bevared 'a the same Lugosi slapdown...

(Then again, these are the cheesemeisters who gave us "Mr. Rock", eh, Mike?)

Great weekend,
-Craig W.

[ramsey37]

(Then again, these are the cheesemeisters who gave us "Mr. Rock", eh, Mike?)

Great weekend,
-Craig W.

Actually, that was Lincoln
George

[gracebuster]

I'm just guessing, Craig, But by the 70's BELA jr> may have moved onto other things>
oR MAYBE THESE WERE NOT ON HIS RADAR.

Strange, though, when you think about the Aurora models. Same head, but they were never sued.

[Mego73]

This is all interesting stuff and I understand how some could be led to believe that AHI figs were never licenced.

[Wich2]

George-

I happily stand corrected (wasn't highly caffeinated enough when I wrote!) It was indeed Mego's OTHER ripoff competitor that did the quasi-Nimoy.

Dan-o-

I'd guess maybe Jr. just wasn't quite up to speed yet when the same-headed Aurora debuted (he'd have only been in his 20's.)

Best,
-Craig W.