Adult Wednesday Addams” Pulled From YouTube Over Copyright
“Adult Wednesday Addams” Pulled From YouTube Over Copyright
Apparently there’s such a thing as a parody web series being too good. The hit series “Adult Wednesday Addams” created by Melissa Hunter has disappeared from YouTube after the original creators of “The Addams Family” flagged it.
The web series shot to fame recently when an episode about Wednesday Addams getting her revenge on catcallers went viral and earned her international press coverage — enough to catch the attention of the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation, who hold the copyright for the work of American cartoonist Charles Addams.
The decision may be connected to an upcoming reboot of “The Addams Family” as an animated film from MGM, announced last Halloween.
Melissa addressed the show’s disappearance on Facebook. “Thank you for the outpouring of support and concern about the disappearance of Adult Wednesday Addams from the internet. As many of you have seen, the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation flagged the show and, for now, it is off of YouTube. I am working actively on coming to a resolution and will not let Wednesday be caged in internet purgatory. I appreciate your patience and support while I sort this issue out!”
Judging by the flood of dismayed comments, “Adult Wednesday Addams” fans are not going to accept this decision easily.
I don't understand why this isn't covered as parody?
nope if it's parody. The problem is that this isn't a parody of the universe or character, but a direct, logical progression in the form of a fan made
but a direct, logical progression in the form of a fan made sequel. It's why Scary Movie can copy all the movies they did, so this is the issue "Wednesday Addams" is (c) by MGM
This the response I received:
Dear Michael Goodwin,
Thank you for your comments concerning the suspension of Melissa Hunter's The Adult Wednesday Addams©. Unfortunately for all involved, it is not as simple as you are thinking it might be: The Establishment versus the artist - on the contrary.
We have a contract with MGM to produce a full-length animated feature film of The Addams Family® to look exactly as Charles Addams originally painted them. That contract prohibits anyone from portraying those characters in any media during the life of the contract.
Regardless of her talent or the breadth of her audience or the entertainment it gave you, the online series is a violation of that contract, something for which both Ms Hunter and this Foundation could have been sued heavily. You can thank Melissa Hunter for not having understood the need to contact us so as to obtain a license to protect her show. Now it is too late and she will have to wait to resume her career as the Adult Wednesday Addams© until a year after the film has been released.
Hopefully, she realizes that she already has an audience and merely needs to change the title of her show and her appearance.
With best regards, Tee and charles addams foundation P.O. Box 424 • SAGAPONACK, NEW YORK 11962 (T) 631-537-4554 www.addamsfoundation.org www.charlesaddams.com
