How to lose friends and alienate people.
Once more, the Tintin people are on the warpath. After hitting fan sites and blogs over the head with seize and desist letters for offering information that was not to their liking, Moulinsart, the right-honourable heir to the Hergé legacy, has turned its eyes to the fanclubs.
The Belgian dailies De Morgen and La Dernière Heure report that the Belgian-Dutch Hergé Genootschap is supposed to have been presented with a bill of no less than 35.000 EUR (or about 600 EUR per member), while the Francophone Les Amis de Hergé was asked for 12.000 EUR. In both cases the money is supposed to be owed for unlawful use of copyrighted material, more particularly Hergé’s artwork.
Moulinsart is reportedly involved in negotiations with about twenty European Tintin fan clubs about new licencing fees for the use of imagery, and in some cases, they have already made agreements. Stéphane Steeman, the founder of Les Amis De Hergé, recently left the organisation he was still presiding over, after Moulinsart made a deal with members of Les Amis behind his back (see here). Earlier on, Steeman had refused to agree with these new fees, and left the organisation after 24 years.
In an interview with La Derniere Heure Steeman points out that this is not about him, but about Moulinsart seemingly doing everything to make Hergé and Tintin unpopular: “They have done everything to make our lives miserable. I’ve had to deal with so much vileness, so many blows below the belt, and so many scandalous pressure. I had enough of that – I have too many good memories of Hergé.” He also announced a book about the whole affair.
The tricky part is of course that in 1997 Moulinsart and Steeman came to an agreement, in which Moulinsart bought Steeman’s enormous Hergé collection, on the condition that it would be used as a permanent collection in a museum. And that museum is slated to open its doors next month…
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:20 am
Moulinsart. What can I say about these b@stards? This organisation is nothing but greedy, pathetic, controlling and whinging. I absolutely love Tintin so much so that I have a few bits and pieces of gear associated with him. I cannot afford alot of it as Moulinsart have charged ridiculous prices on alot of their gear. You just need to check out the shops that sell it. They claim that it is for quality. Joke. Considering nearly everything is made in China and out of plastic moulds I am still waiting for a legitimate reason.
Our Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, looks a bit like Tintin. A cartoon was published in the paper of him with the ex-prime minister. Moulinsart threatened the paper with copyright breaches. It was a simple satirist cartoon! I am worried that they will cash in big time with the movie coming out and only the rich can afford their products. My wish is that others will flood the market with dodgy imports and Moulinsart wake up to the fact that they are greedy. I feel sorry for these Tintin clubs. They (and I) am proud to have a love for a brilliant piece of work by a brilliant man. Money doesn’t even come into the joy of reading.
Herge will be rolling in his grave to know that greedy b@stards are cashing in on his creation. Love you Tintin and Herge – hate you Moulinsart.