WOW!! Lucasfilm sues Gen Con for breach of contract!

http://www.gamerchicksrule.com/content/node/287

There's some big news that just came onto the radar: Lucasfilm is suing Gen Con over issues with Celebration IV! While the case is stamped January 10th, this is the first I've heard anything about it. You can read the full complaint but here are the allegations.

Gen Con failed to uphold its legal obligations in terms of financial reporting, accounting and payments to Lucasfilm ($500,000 in damages)
Gen Con did not give auction proceeds to Make-A-Wish as they had agreed to do ($150,000 in damages)
Gen Con did not give Lucasfilm their share of the auction proceeds ($150,000 in damages)
Gen Con did this all unjustly ($150,000 in damages)
The suit will take place in federal court in the Northern District of California. Beyond Gen Con, LLC (the company) with its employees and officers, Peter Adkinson is also mentioned in the complaint although without any personal accusations. This is pretty serious stuff, so we'll have to see what happens.

Wow....I knew Gen Con was bad, but this...stealing from charity. I hope some heads will roll and some idiots wind up in jail.

How will this affect future Celebrations? Is C 5 in doubt? Will C2 Ventures fill the void?

Stay tuned!

 

Man, I can't see how this wouldn't severly complicate C5

... and I do not believe that OfficialPix is prepared to run a convention by themselves so it will be a very interesting time indeed!

 

all I can say is WOW.

I hated my time at c3
I thought at C4 they really got the game together.

Guess not.

Still after the C3 debacle I can't say I'm suprised.

Just a delayed blunder.

I wonder how this will effect C5.

I hope they find someone to do it.

 

Gen Con breached the contract, which was for them to run three Star Wars Celebrations, 4,5, and 6.

 

after the complaints with C3 I'm suprised lucasfilm let them anywhere near Celebration 4

but this does complicate C5.

Maybe Official Pix and Mr. Wise will give it a go.

I think with the proper planning and time they could do a fantastic job of it

 

You might be right about OP, but there are a LOT of meeting planning companies out there. Why Lucasfilm didn't pick one of those in the first place is beyond me. Life will go on, it just involves another company. Or, I wouldn't be surprised if GenCon doesn't roll their widdle eyes and say "I'm sawwwwryyyyyy" . If LFL is feeling lazy, that is.

 

GenCon was started by TSR, which was then bought by Wizards of the Coast, which was bought by Hasbro. Therefore Gencon == Hasbro and Lucas is on the Board of Directors for Hasbro.

That is why GenCon got the C3 and C4 contracts.

So if you read that news story that Lucas is suing a division of Hasbro it adds a lot more interest.

It will also explain why C5 news is so sparse lately...

 

Well, it was a nasty shock to see I have to admit that, but by the same token, not completely surprising.

C-4 was pretty flat - nice to see everyone, but as far as conventions go, there was more (OK, extreme) focus on just blatant money grabbing - when there was more focus on the 'store' than anything else, it kinda felt like a cattle auction.

Official Pix was also about making money, but at least it was well organized and fun, and volunteers were actually treated like people, and much as I have issues with how PW has acted in the past with TF.N, all in all you have to give him and the mini Empire he's created credit. TF.N has always outstripped TOS in terms of keeping the fandom active, and if C-5 were to have to have a major shift (especially in the form of corporate organization) then I would have many fewer reservations than seeing Gencon at the helm again...

 

Not since 2002.

In May 2002, Gen Con was purchased from Hasbro by Peter Adkison, the founder of Wizards of the Coast. Adkison formed Gen Con LLC to run the convention.

*Taken from Wookieepedia.com*

- Justin

 

If that's true, then that is VERY interesting. But wasn't there a story a few months ago that Hasbro bought back it's stock from Lucas and that he is no longer on the board?

Either way, I'm actually glad this is happening. I wanted C5 to be in 2010 and not 2009 anyway. Maybe this will help that along.

 

I can't see it affecting the dates. Like I said, there are a lot of meeting planning companies out there. Meeting Planning is really quite simple -- there are "formulas" to follow for every type of gathering, it's just a question of punching in the numbers -- which is why I could never see how GenCon could mess up so much of it. Forcing LFL to get someone else to run it would be okey day by me, that's for sure.

 

Well, when Steve Sansweet came thru Dallas for Fan Days at the end of October 2007 he said they were looking at locations still, and then two weeks later LFL sent the letter to GenCon terminating the contract, so I'm pretty sure they already had another company lined up to run CV.

 

This could complicate things quite a bit. Dunno if we'll be on track for a April/May/June CV, but then news for CIV was sparse and almost non-existant until April or May of '06, so we still have some time if they want to do something for '09.

Personally, I'd be more in favor of soing something for '10 to conincide with the 30th anniversary of ESB, but at this point, I'd just be happy to see another one come up before too long.

 

We just gotta have faith in Steve Sansweet, Mary Franklin, Dustin & company that there will be a C5 (and more Celebrations after that).

They have done an excellent job in the past with their hard work and diligence.

My bet says this all blows over rather quickly and without any real problems, and we all get together again at C5 in 2009.

- Justin

 

I hope it does work out for 2009.

I'll be travelling backto Canada from here in OZ and I am hoping I'll be able to hit a Celebration along the way.

Be it GenCon or another company if it's going to happen I don't expect much news before april/may if it will be in 2009.

Still you have to give GenCon credit for C4. At C3 with the ruddy lines, both at the Celebration Store and every other event C3 was mostly a test to see how long people could stand in line.

At C4 they fixed a lot of that. The store being the most obvious improvement, but other events didn't have the waiting time I remember from C3.

As for the store the C4 store merch was somewhat lacking. The figure and the art print were very nice but a lot of the items there were kinda twee if you ask me.

either way I think GenCon shot themselves in the foot if they didn't give the money to Make-A-Wish that they were suppose to. That will anger fans more then lucasfilm not getting it's cut.

 

Check out the TFN mainpage, GenCon has filed for Chapter 11. Not good.

 

Chapter 11 is not the end of the world. It just means that a third party will take over management, reorganize everything, handle the funds and pay off what creditors they can. Since GenCon's management is probably what got them into trouble in the first place, this may help.

 

I agree with Azreal.

At C4, Gen-Con FINALLY got thier act together.

How ironic that when they finally get it figured out they lose the contract. (I'm assuming it's gone because of the lawsuit.)

And I also agree about the store merchandise, it was my biggest disappointment. The new company really needs to come thru with some cool stuff for C5.

 

cool stuff for C5 would be nice but it's not essential.

I'd like it to go without the lines C3 had.
But I'd also like one of the events C3 had back.
The Celebration @ Celebration was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. I met a whole lot of people there.

C4 just seemed to be a better managed Con. Nothing aganist the 501 guys and gals but having non costumed people doing the crowd control and line management at C4 helped a lot I think. It's hard to do that kind of job as it is add onto that people wanting photos and not being able to see and move as easily as normal it only makes it harder.

 

I attributed the better line management that I saw at C4 to them having volunteers who had experience at ComiCon rather than anything GenCon did. GenCon did correct some things, but they didn't seem to do any more advance planning than I saw for CIII. The LA convention center was nice, but the hotel situation wasn't.

And then there was the Friday night bomb scare at CIV, but I can't blame that on GenCon.

The CIV store was surreal. It looked like a modern art gallery. The store fiasco at CIII must have really terrified them.

 

I know Chapter 11 isn't curtains for any company that files for it, but it is definitely not a good sign. If their internal controls weren't good enough to fulfill their end of the deal with LFL, who knows what other kinds of issues they may be facing and have to deal with after the restructuring.

 

lets just hope someone steps up for CV soon.

 

WOW...

I am away from the boards for a few days and WOWSA...this news.

Between John Alvin and now this, what the heck...

I dont think this debunkle with GenCon is going to stop C5 from coming. I think there will be new management and that things will proceed on schedule. Now I know I am an optimist, but lets think about this...with all the new items/shows coming out that are Star Wars related...they need to "whoop" them up, and where else to do that, then at a Con.

So, for me, I amnot the least bit concerned...I will just keep saving money for the day when an announcement is made.



BTW...Nice to see ya on the boards again Breezy...Missed ya around these neck of the woods.

Val, hope all is good with you!!!

Justin, hope things are good for you as well...did ya get that Yoda ornament yet?



Hugs to all,

Connie

 

Hey Connie -- no dice yet on the Jawa fabriche ornament. Still scouring eBay for one at a good price.

I'll let ya know as soon as I nab one!

- Justin

 

So, I was wondering.....with the lawsuit filed, when does it show up in court? On the posting of the lawsuit, it says at the very end that, "PLaintiff demands trial by jury on all claims so triable." Will GenCon demand that no one on the jury have seen Star Wars so they won't be biased toward Lucasfilm? Or will it go that far?

And with the 'unjust enrichment' part of the lawsuit, has GenCon done anything that someone will be prosecuted for by the state as well?