A statement on The Titfield Thunderbolt.

[ikks]

Does anyone know what is really happening here...........I'm dreadfully confused, but then again I am 75!!!

Ooops   Mike

[Harlequin]

3 minutes ago, ikks said:

Does anyone know what is really happening here...........I'm dreadfully confused, but then again I am 75!!!

Ooops   Mike

 

Not really. Some people know more than others but this topic is basically extrapolating an entire universe from a small piece of fairy cake.

 

I think we'll only know anything more concrete when StudioCanal do whatever they are going to do and someone puts out a new press release.

 

[RichardT]

10 minutes ago, ikks said:

Does anyone know what is really happening here...........I'm dreadfully confused, but then again I am 75!!!

Ooops   Mike

Basically - no. Welcome to the gang!

 

Slightly more seriously: IP disputes are often messy and balance on probabilities, beliefs and intent.  I doubt anyone but the parties directly involved will ever get the full story. 

 

Richard

Edited January 12, 2022 by RichardT
English

[friscopete]

I suspect that Canal will like  Hornby on board  as they are far  better known  worldwide  and a blue chip name brand despite what is said on here ,than Rapido ,who to many was a smutty program on Channel 4 years ago  .A deal is no doubt being done already .As to Rapido being all fair and innocent  they seemed happy to take on a name already in use via Arnold Rapido .I suspect the deal is already done  but its much better to keep people, talking /moaning /pontificating ,on forums spreading the word .Thats my take any way .I am sure these deals will buy a coffee machine or two for the HQ's foyer after solitors fees are deducted.They better hurry though as many who loved this film when it came out may soon be croaking as the reaper casts his axe .The trouble with nostalgia it changes every year just a little bit  .

[Johann Marsbar]

4 minutes ago, friscopete said:

I suspect that Canal will like  Hornby on board  as they are far  better known  worldwide  and a blue chip name brand despite what is said on here ,than Rapido ,who to many was a smutty program on Channel 4 years ago  .A deal is no doubt being done already .As to Rapido being all fair and innocent  they seemed happy to take on a name already in use via Arnold Rapido .I suspect the deal is already done  but its much better to keep people, talking /moaning /pontificating ,on forums spreading the word .Thats my take any way .I am sure these deals will buy a coffee machine or two for the HQ's foyer after solitors fees are deducted.They better hurry though as many who loved this film when it came out may soon be croaking as the reaper casts his axe .The trouble with nostalgia it changes every year just a little bit  .

 

I always took it that the "Rapido" name came from the Canadian National Express trains.....   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapido_(train)

[friscopete]

3 minutes ago, Johann Marsbar said:

 

I always took it that the "Rapido" name came from the Canadian National Express trains.....   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapido_(train)

your choice .Thank goodness it wasnt the Peco Express.

[mdvle]

10 minutes ago, friscopete said:

I suspect that Canal will like  Hornby on board  as they are far  better known  worldwide 

 

I think you will find that Hornby is essentially unknown outside the UK.

 

10 minutes ago, friscopete said:

and a blue chip name brand despite what is said on here

 

Blue chip?  not likely - all the media attention for the last X years has been about their financial troubles.

 

10 minutes ago, friscopete said:

As to Rapido being all fair and innocent  they seemed happy to take on a name already in use via Arnold Rapido .

 

Jason Shron, founder of Rapido Trains, is an extreme VIA Rail Canada fan - in addition to his layout of VIA's operations in November/December 1980 on CN's Kingston Sub he has built a replica of a CN/VIA Rail passenger car in his basement (easy to find online, many media operations have featured it).

 

One of the passenger operations operated by VIA (and CN before VIA I believe) was called the Rapido, and so Jason felt that would be a good name for his company that was initially created to make accurate Canadian train models, particularly VIA stuff (at the time the big US companies would at best paint Canadian liveries onto US models).  He found that the Arnold Rapido trademark had lapsed, and so he used it.

 

(and worth noting Rapido isn't the only use of VIA terms - his initially line of passenger car models was marketed under the brand "Super Continental", which was the name of CN's transcontinental passenger train).

 

[note that the above is based on memories of following Rapido over the years and all the public statements Jason and Rapido have made over that time

 

And for those not familiar, Jason spent 2 years living in the UK in the 2000's pursing a PHD before changing career directions and starting a model train business, hence his interest in entering the UK market to make UK model trains and buses]

 

[Ryde-on-time]

15 minutes ago, friscopete said:

I suspect that Canal will like  Hornby on board  as they are far  better known  worldwide  and a blue chip name brand despite what is said on here ,than Rapido ,who to many was a smutty program on Channel 4 years ago  .A deal is no doubt being done already .As to Rapido being all fair and innocent  they seemed happy to take on a name already in use via Arnold Rapido .I suspect the deal is already done  but its much better to keep people, talking /moaning /pontificating ,on forums spreading the word .Thats my take any way .I am sure these deals will buy a coffee machine or two for the HQ's foyer after solitors fees are deducted.They better hurry though as many who loved this film when it came out may soon be croaking as the reaper casts his axe .The trouble with nostalgia it changes every year just a little bit  .

The trouble with that is that Rapido allege they already have an exclusive agreement to make the Titfield models

 

If Canal were seen to renege on that, it would affect their reputation and their negotiating position during any other future discussions - to licence any products, not just trains. Likewise, if they allow Hornby to get away with their seemingly fanciful idea that you can just slap 'Inspired by' on the box and do anything. Merchandise is big money earner for Canal and others like them

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.... you know the rest.

 

NB Though not to be confused with "Duck" in Thomas the Tank Engine.

[Din]

37 minutes ago, friscopete said:

I suspect that Canal will like  Hornby on board  as they are far  better known  worldwide  and a blue chip name brand despite what is said on here ,than Rapido ,who to many was a smutty program on Channel 4 years ago  .A deal is no doubt being done already .As to Rapido being all fair and innocent  they seemed happy to take on a name already in use via Arnold Rapido .I suspect the deal is already done  but its much better to keep people, talking /moaning /pontificating ,on forums spreading the word .Thats my take any way .I am sure these deals will buy a coffee machine or two for the HQ's foyer after solitors fees are deducted.They better hurry though as many who loved this film when it came out may soon be croaking as the reaper casts his axe .The trouble with nostalgia it changes every year just a little bit  .

 

Never heard of "Rapido the smutty program on channel 4 years ago".

 

Definitely heard of "The Titfield Thunderbolt", in fact I have it recorded from home VHS many, many years ago when it was on channel 4 and now own the 60th aniversary edition.

 

All my railway friends have also either heard of the film, or have watched it. As have a few of my non-railway friends.

 

All of us are under 40.

 

But yeah, you're right, a big company just blatantly ripping off product after agreements had been sought by said company is totally fine!

 

It's why I'm launching an "inspired by" toy range called "Euston Bear".  

 

Give me a break from these fools thinking Hornby isn't badly in the wrong here, or because they're the bigger or older company they should "naturally" have first crack at something someone else agreed to and signed a contract over!

 

End of the day, especially in English Law, A Contract is a Contract is a Contract*.

 

*Inspired by Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #17.

 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Though to be fair, there are always at least two points of view about most things.

Someone's open-air working lunch might, for example, be construed by others as a party.

Edited January 12, 2022 by Peter Kazmierczak

[The Stationmaster]

32 minutes ago, Ryde-on-time said:

The trouble with that is that Rapido allege they already have an exclusive agreement to make the Titfield models

 

As a matter of semantics (real semantics not just using the word at a press conference) Rapido have not 'alleged' that they have an exclusive agreement.  They have clearly stated, on several occasions including the video at the head of this thread, that they have an exclusive agreement with Studio Canal in respect of The Titifield Thunderbolt.  

 

So it it is something that legally exists, not something which the use of the word 'alleged' only suggests as possibly existing.

[RichardT]

2 hours ago, colin smith said:

 

is a very odd response. No one is accusing Hornby of promoting the film: the problem is they are using the film to promote their product.

Yep. Almost like he was just waffling the first words that came into his head because he had nothing on which to prepare an answer for the (obvious) question.

 

Richard

Edited January 12, 2022 by RichardT
Spelling

[Harlequin]

7 minutes ago, RichardT said:

Yep. Almost like he was just waffling the first words that came into his head because he had nothing on which to prepare an answer for the (obvious) question.

 

Richard

Deja Vu, then...

 

Watch Mr Kohler trying to find the words here:

 

[Chris116]

SK is floundering big time! Never heard him so unsure of himself.

[LimboBrit]

I tried watching the interview with Howard Smith on YouTube. Painful! I didn't manage to watch for more than four minutes.

[The Stationmaster]

That was even funnier than this

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy2JHmyMbnk

 

[Neil]

13 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

SK is floundering big time! Never heard him so unsure of himself.

 

'forgive me ...... errm ..... forgive me .............err .......... forgive me ............ errr  ......., anyone been to Pepper Pig world?'

[Kris]

4 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

But that could have been advice he has been using for a good few years, not necessarily sought for this very product?

Possibly, but I suspect that Hornby knew this would stir up a hornets nest and I would be amazed if they had not taken advice. I would also have been very surprised if they had not considered that they may be a question about it at the press launch and had prepared for it. (Which could have been a case of looking up previous advice they had been given some years ago if they had not taken some more recently. 

 

I doubt that we will ever know the full story about this from either side and I would be very suspicious if either side claimed to give the full story for it would certainly be biased to put them in the best light. 

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, friscopete said:

I suspect that Canal will like  Hornby on board  as they are far  better known  worldwide  and a blue chip name brand despite what is said on here   .

Blue Chip?  It was bought out by an asset management company only a couple of years ago because it was in such dire trouble.  Hornby were actually very lucky with the pandemic actually turning around Hornby’s fortunes last year as stay at home people needed things to do they went from a £3.5mill loss to a £345,000 profit, that’s not a company anyone should call “Blue Chip”.

[Not Jeremy]

 

Quote

"Rapido the smutty program on channel 4 years ago"

 

Now you're talking!

 

Antoine de Caunes, featuring Jean Paul Gaultier and, er, "Lola".

 

Rapido - why, it almost made the licence fee worth paying!

 

Marvellous stuff.

 

Apologies for lowering the tone of the thread, enjoy this spiffing Titfield image in recompense, (tee hee):

 

Picture copyright of Studio Canal, purchasable from their most excellent excellent website. 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Not Jeremy
Punctuation and placing the picture sensibly

[jwealleans]

5 minutes ago, Not Jeremy said:

Antoine de Caunes, featuring Jean Paul Gaultier and, er, "Lola".

 

 

Wasn't that more Eurotrash?   I may have missed JPG on Rapido, but I'm sure Lolo (Ferrari, for those interested) would have lodged in my memory.

 

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by jwealleans

[boxbrownie]

2 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

 

Wasn't that more Eurotrash?   I may have missed JPG on Rapido, but I'm sure Lolo (Ferrari, for those interested) would have lodged in my memory.

 

 

I am sure she would have, she lodged in most door frames…..

 

[Not Jeremy]

Oops, quite right, oh well....

[Stuart A]

I saw this on that Twitter thing