Red Sonja License

I just found this on the Conan site and thought that there may be some interest here since Red has been a popular topic on these boards:

Clarification regarding the character Red Sonya

To All Conan and Robert E. Howard Fans and Licensees:

It has come to our attention that there may be some Conan and Robert E. Howard fans or licensees who could be confused about the origins and ownership of Red Sonya (with a “y”) and Red Sonja (with a “j”) and their relationship to Hyboria. We don’t believe that there should be any such confusion and would like to do all that we can to clear up any that might exist.

The Red Sonya (with a “y”) character was created in 1934 by Robert E. Howard. Howard’s Red Sonya of Rogatino first appeared in the Howard story The Shadow of the Vulture. She was a 16th century Russian woman fighter who participated in the battle against the Turks in Vienna. She had absolutely nothing to do with Conan, or the Conan world of Hyboria.

The Red Sonja (with a “j”) character was created by Roy Thomas in 1974 and was set in Conan’s Hyborian Age. This Red Sonja was the heroine of the 1985 Film entitled Red Sonja and is featured in the current Dynamite Comic books.

Ownership of all Robert E. Howard characters, including Conan®, Kull®, Bran Mak Morn™, and Red Sonya™ (with a “y”) was acquired by either Paradox Entertainment, Inc. or by its affiliated company, Conan Properties International LLC, from the various entities which held the rights to the Howard characters and the derivative characters created over the years by such licensees as Marvel.

Red Sonja® (with a “j”) is owned by Red Sonja LLC which is not affiliated with either Paradox Entertainment, Inc., or Conan Properties International LLC.

Conan Properties International and Paradox Entertainment, Inc. own the copyrights and trademarks to the Robert E. Howard world of Hyboria™. Red Sonja LLC is a licensee of Paradox Entertainment, Inc. and Conan Properties International LLC and has been granted the non-exclusive right to use the Hyboria world and setting as the home for its Red Sonja character, but only in that context, as long as there is no use of the Conan character in connection with any use by Red Sonja LLC of its Red Sonja character.

At the moment neither Paradox Entertainment, Inc., nor Conan Properties International, LLC has any intention of using the Red Sonya (with a “y”) character in any stories set in Hyboria, or otherwise, nor has it granted any of its licensees permission to use the Red Sonya character. Anyone desiring to use the character Red Sonja® should observe the trademark of Red Sonja LLC in this respect and contact them.

If there is any remaining confusion about this issue, please bring it to our attention so that we may clear it up.

Hope to still see Mongoose get their hands on this license but it does not seem likely...

HLD
 
Apparently there's a Red Sonja movie on the way....

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060502i.php
 
I hate the situation with that character, I'm buying the Conan Chronicles, that are supposed to collect the complete Marvel run of Conan. But that collection skips the issues that involve Red Sonja due to the licences.

Didn't knew about that new moviem thanks for the link.
 
Vincent791 said:
... I'm buying the Conan Chronicles, that are supposed to collect the complete Marvel run of Conan. But that collection skips the issues that involve Red Sonja due to the licences. ...
So why then do I have on my bookshelf The Chronicles of Conan - Volume Four: The Song of Red Sonja and Other Stories which features "The Shadow of the Vulture" and "The Song of Red Sonja" ... ?

Cheers,
Ant
 
Ant said:
Vincent791 said:
... I'm buying the Conan Chronicles, that are supposed to collect the complete Marvel run of Conan. But that collection skips the issues that involve Red Sonja due to the licences. ...
So why then do I have on my bookshelf The Chronicles of Conan - Volume Four: The Song of Red Sonja and Other Stories which features "The Shadow of the Vulture" and "The Song of Red Sonja" ... ?

Cheers,
Ant

Can't remember for sure but possibly at the time that volume was published Dynamite hadn't picked up the license for the new Sonja series.

Terry
 
Or is that the only Sonja story written by REH (even though she was still Sonya when he wrote it)?

Cheers,
Ant
 
Ant said:
Or is that the only Sonja story written by REH (even though she was still Sonya when he wrote it)?

Cheers,
Ant

As far as I know, it is the only one. But even this story gives more weight to the male character IIRC (it's been a time I read it).
 
Entry for the 2008 version is now on-line:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0800175/
Not much to see yet.
 
René said:
Ant said:
Or is that the only Sonja story written by REH (even though she was still Sonya when he wrote it)?

Cheers,
Ant

As far as I know, it is the only one. But even this story gives more weight to the male character IIRC (it's been a time I read it).

I disagree about your last comment, René. The male character has really a great weight, but only before Sonya appear in the tale.
 
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