New Line House of Horrors Icon usage!

[HalloweenHaunts]

SO, with this GREAT news that Universal's Halloween Horror Nights will feature the three top Icons in Horror I have a question as a new haunter?
We visited over 35 haunted attractions during the 2006 Halloween season and saw PLENTY of Freddy's, Leatherface's and Jason's.
Has anyone out there ever heard of New Line contacting an Attraction with a cease and desist order?
I would hate to plan a room and use budget on the creation to find out on opening night that you can't use the scene. What a nightmare it would be to have to scramble and come up with something else.
In the industry, is it just a use them inside the attraction just not in your advertising mentality?? "Hopefully we won't get caught??"
I know the best thing to do is create something original but if you listen to your audience they want to see some of the classic horror characters.
Would love to receive some feedback on this issue?

[Speculo]

Ray Productions who did Nightmare and Crypt of Terror Haunted House in Atlanta for years had the official rights to the New Line stuff. They were set up at Transworld and IAAPA two years ago. They said they would go after haunts who used those characters without paying the fees. I don't know if it ever happened but it certainly could.

Pretty much most people are so used to using movie characters they think its ok, or don't think they will be bothered. People often feel the same way about using lisensed music without permission but I have heard of BMI/ASCAP hitting haunts for this. These days though, if you are high profile, or have something to lose, it might be wise to come up with original content. Its more fun coming up with new stuff anyway.

We don't use movie characters and it never hurt us.

Thanks

Ben Armstrong
NETHERWORLD

[drfrightner]

For years I sold haunted houses to amusement parks, and when I found out the Rays tried to sell haunts bases on Freddy, etc, I knew it would never work and clearly it didn't work. Amusement parks don't have that kind of money to pay those fees to use those icons, AP wants cheaper not more expensive.

I guess now New Line made a deal with Universal, and personally I don't think it really helps. Each of those bad guys are old and worn out... who even uses them anymore and do teenagers really know them like they know Saw, or Hostel, or the new breed or horror movies?

I think what Rob Zombie is doing with Halloween will bring that charactor back to the forefront but until Freddy or Jason get a really good make over they're just dead in the water.

People are no longer scared of Jason he became a toy for God sakes.

Rob Zombie was saying no one was scared of Mike Myers anymore because he was turned into talking toys, stuffed animals or whatever.

Very true!

Larry

[Jim Warfield]

If someone is thinking of inventing their own monster I say "Go For It!"
All monsters were invented by someone, now weren't they?
Invented via popular literature (Frankenstein, Dracula) or jacked-up and given monster status like the real Egyptian mummys, Bigfoot, little insects like in the 1950's Sci-Fi movies, monsters are all around us! Ed Gein???????
That kid down the block that just killed his family........
Evil companys that put certian chemicals in their products for a bigger bottom line at the end of their fiscal year (if they don't get caught)
"Monsters" are all around us! Even in the computer keyboard! OUCH! LEt go of my finger! Don't pull my finger! "Pthhuute!" Now you did it! Smell that!
Happy now?

[Nightmaretony]

New Line went after Knotts Haunt and gave them their cease and desist several years ago. Knotts has been developing their own characters ever since or licensing Disney. (they have this superbly hilarious stage show that characters would be used in, but they have ever so much fun with Disney there)