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James Bond has fought diabolical villains all over the world, but the super spy may have come up against his greatest challenge yet, the European legal system. A property developer is looking to take control of several James Bond copyrights which he believes have been underused for years. This is just the latest in what has been an ongoing battle behind the scenes of the 007 franchise. It’s been reported that there are some significant problems in regard to getting the next Bond movie off the ground, which have seemingly fed into the copyright lawsuit.
What’s Going On With James Bond At Amazon?
Back in 2021, Amazon bought MGM, the studio that had the rights to the James Bond franchise. That same year, the COVID-delayed No Time to Die, the final film starring Daniel Craig as Bond, would finally be released.
Since then, however, things have been at an apparent standstill. Reports suggest that EON Production head Barbara Broccoli, who still has creative control over the Bond film rights, and Amazon are not getting along. More specifically, the allegedly can’t agree on where the franchise needs to go next. Broccoli has reportedly referred to Amazon execs as “fucking idiots,” as she doesn’t believe they have the right ideas for the future of the IP. As much as fans are focused on who the next Bond could be, it seems there are a lot of questions that need to be answered first.
Why A Businessman Is Suing Over The James Bond Copyright
These supposed internal conflicts are at the heart of a new copyright lawsuit that is attempting to wrestle control of Bond away from those who own the brand. Austrian property developer Josef Kleindienst has filed for control of Bond copyrights due to non-use in Europe and the U.K. Under the law, the protection of a copyright can be challenged if the copyright has not been put to use in the areas it protects for five years. There are multiple copyrights at issue, including the name James Bond as well as the 007 moniker.
Based on comments he shared with The Guardian, Josef Kleindient believes Bond is in “mortal danger” due to the lack of action. He seems to feel that if more isn’t done with Bond the character runs the risk of dying due to lack of interest and he is trying to prevent that. Kleindienst also said…
We and many, many more fans are disappointed to see and understand how James Bond is being treated. Our concern is certainly to ensure that the James Bond as we know him stays alive and that there are further experiences with him. We have decided to invest and support, letting today’s fans and future generations enjoy James Bond.
Overall, it seems Kleindienst feels that James Bond as a character hasn’t been leveraged to the degree that he could be. A trademark cancellation regarding the use of Bond in film and TV is also in play. Yet, considering Eon Productions’ long-standing relationship with Bond, and the fact that the last James Bond movie is less than five years old, it seems unlikely that will be successful.
The end of every 007 movie tells us “James Bond will return.” At this point, while it still seems certain that statement will be true, there’s a big question regarding when it happens, or what the Bond landscape will look like when it does.