Rifftrax working with Fathom Events ( A Cinemark/ AMC. Theatre company )
is moving right ahead with a big summer theater promotion of some 700 theaters. Rffing three movies on their summer agenda including the cult classic. “The Giant Spider Invasion”, but having forgotten to do one little thing, like clearing the title to the movie . Now making it a copyright infringement issue.
Would. Rifftrax and Legend films have done their essential due diligence, they would have found out that they are infringing on someones Intellectual property rights and don’t have a clear title to the movie.
As discovered four years after the fact, it turns out that VCI Entertainment not only licensed the picture to Rifftrax but essentially sold Riftrax rights never belonging to VCI. The real problems began. when Rifftrax was informed of existing legal issues, they ignored cease and desist demands and went right ahead in exploiting their promotion on the global internet and raised over one half a million dollars on kickstarter to promote the three movie promotion for this summer showings. The question must be asked what’s a half a million dollars for ? When Rifftrax licenses movies for the low prices of some fifteen hundred dollars to $ 5 ,000 each according to. Rifftrax sources. Must be nice to have over a half a million dollars to play with to create a riffing. ( comedic) wrap around for three old movies. Working for Rifftrax must be a profitable experience on donated dollars.
Bill Rebane
