James Bond has battled many villains, but his longest running
fifty-year saga that has dogged 007 with legal battles and rogue projects
is finally
over.
Almost exactly 50 years on from the November 26th 1963 out-of-court
settlement that saw Ian Fleming end
lengthy litigation with Kevin
McClory over the copyright
and film rights to 'Thunderball', Danjaq and
MGM today announced they have acquired rights and interests owned by the McClory
estate, bringing all remaining
Bond intellectual property under one roof.
Above: Cubby Broccoli and Kevin McClory at 'Thunderball'
world premiere in Tokyo, Japan.
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A proud and stubborn man up until his death in 2006, McClory
often tried to launch rival Bond projects to fly in the face of the official series
based on the 'Thunderball' case. McClory sold some of his rights to Sony in
1997, who then tried to launch a rival 007 series, but settled with MGM in
a reported
'swap' for claims on Spider-Man. MGM then acquired 'Never
Say Never Again'.
Ironically,
a few years later Sony lead a buy-out of MGM and have
bankrolled the Daniel Craig era with MGM in a partnership that will continue
to at least
Bond
25.
So with no studio willing to take on the legal ramifications of a another
rogue Bond production, a 2001 court ruling against McClory, and the
man himself dead, it was only a matter of time until the heirs to his estate
would
sell
out and
cash in on his rights.
MGM, Danjaq and the McClory estate issued a statement today
saying that they have brought to an “amicable conclusion the legal and
business disputes that have arisen periodically for over 50 years.”
Details of the settlement were not disclosed, but it's a fair
assumption that the estate received more than a delicatessen
in stainless steel.
The McClory estate was represented by William K. Kane and Adam Skilken of
BakerHostetler LLP in Chicago. “We were pleased to represent the estate
of Kevin McClory in bringing to resolution this lengthy and contentious copyright
dispute over the James Bond franchise,” Kane said in a statement. “The
50-year intellectual property row involving James Bond was settled because
of a great deal of hard work by the attorneys for the estate of Kevin McClory,
MGM, and Danjaq and will benefit James Bond film fans throughout the world.”
Further Reading
The Making of Thunderball
Never Say Never Again
Warhead Script
The Battle For Bond - Extract
Kevin McClory Obituary
