So, who exactly owns the other Trollans?

[ZootyCutie]

This was something I had brought up on Reddit during the forum hiatus, but I never got a clear answer, so I decided to bring it here, pasting it directly from Reddit.

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This is something that's been poking at my brain for a while, and it feels like I can never get a clear answer. We know Orko's owned by the He-Man side of rights for media, since he gets to show up in the modern shows no problem: but what's the case for the other Trollans?

I know Orko was a mess when he was created: his copyright for his toy was for Filmation, since he was an original character for the show. And the Classics figures for Dree Elle and Montork show they're "through Classic Media", the company that bought the Filmation library (through tons of confusing cases, thus why DreamWorks has the She-Ra rights).

But I noticed they're never used anymore. It's only Orko and the Unnamed One (created after the split-off, since the CGI show had the usage of him planned). And they play coy with how the other Trollans are conveniently gone, as shown in CGI and Revelation. But Dree-Elle also recently got a French-based figurine too.

So, to the gist of it, are the Trollans that aren't Orko owned by the side that could put them in He-Man cartoons without any legal tape to cut through, and they simply just aren't using them, or are they owned by DreamWorks, putting them in the same messy category as the She-Ra original characters?

[Adam_Prince of Eternia]

The Trollans were created by Filmation, and now belong to NBCUniversal.

[Lord_Of_Destruction]

But Dree-Elle also recently got a French-based figurine too.

Recently got a what and where do I get one?!?

[ZootyCutie]

Recently got a what and where do I get one?!?

I've seen this popped on eBay here and there, but yeah, it seems there's a line of France-meant figures on stands, and Dree-Elle (listed as Stella, her French name) has one. I have no info about these figures, and I can't judge the copyright of these, which was another reason I was muddied up with the copyright of the non-Orko Trollans.

[Jukka]

I've seen this popped on eBay here and there, but yeah, it seems there's a line of France-meant figures on stands, and Dree-Elle (listed as Stella, her French name) has one. I have no info about these figures, and I can't judge the copyright of these, which was another reason I was muddied up with the copyright of the non-Orko Trollans.

The company Altaya producing the figurines have license with NBCUniversal most likely. They have released a Filmation Clawful and Trap Jaw for example too in the mix.

[ZootyCutie]

So this I think I could tie into this thread as well, this one question: How'd Orko come into Mattel's ownership? I never read about any trades or licenses for him to get him into Mattel's ownership, but I noticed all his modern figures license him to Mattel nowadays on the boxes, so I wasn't sure if they fully bought him from NBCUniversal's rights or there's some combo deal going on for him specifically, since it's established all the other Trollans are separate from him.

[Jukka]

So this I think I could tie into this thread as well, this one question: How'd Orko come into Mattel's ownership? I never read about any trades or licenses for him to get him into Mattel's ownership, but I noticed all his modern figures license him to Mattel nowadays on the boxes, so I wasn't sure if they fully bought him from NBCUniversal's rights or there's some combo deal going on for him specifically, since it's established all the other Trollans are separate from him.

Mattel made an Orko toy in the vintage line. It has at the bottom copyright for Filmation, but a toy of Orko by Mattel exists.
Seemingly that is a factoring issue that they can make an Orko figure now for Origins as one example.

Since Mattel didn't make any other Trollans as figures back in the 80s, that's why Orko stands separate from them.

[ZootyCutie]

That's interesting! The fact that just a single figure was able to affect all this.

[Jukka]

That's interesting! The fact that just a single figure was able to affect all this.

The legal things can be a big hassle. And there are differences how something copyrighted works, versus a trademarked thing.
And on top of that, how something can be used or not in media (such as printed comic versus an action figure).

But since Mattel made an Orko toy in the 80s. That sets precedence.
And in the past years we have heard many times about "loopholes" and things on what characters can or can't be used.
(to be fair, nobody outside the inner doors at Mattel or Netflix know for a fact how things are. But folk online will still speculate )

[Lord_Of_Destruction]

I've seen this popped on eBay here and there, but yeah, it seems there's a line of France-meant figures on stands, and Dree-Elle (listed as Stella, her French name) has one. I have no info about these figures, and I can't judge the copyright of these, which was another reason I was muddied up with the copyright of the non-Orko Trollans.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I absolutely love Dree Elle so I went to e-bay, found, and bought one. She just arrived today. A bit smaller than I was expecting. I was hoping to use her as my Origins Dree Elle but she's too small. Well actually she's the right size but Origins' Orko is oversized so it doesn't work. Next to say He-Man and Teela she looks the right size, but next to Orko she looks like his daughter instead of his girlfriend. Oh well, as I said, I love Dree Elle and am still happy to have more official merchandise of her.

Now the bottom of her base says:

"MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and under license from, Mattel. (C) 2002 Mattel"

So yeah it lists Dree Elle as copyright and trademark of Mattel. No mention of NBC Universal or anything else.

[Jukka]

Now the bottom of her base says:

"MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and under license from, Mattel. (C) 2002 Mattel"

So yeah it lists Dree Elle as copyright and trademark of Mattel. No mention of NBC Universal or anything else.

Every base says that same thing.

Even if its toy Zodac or Sy-Klone or Filmation Randor

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE™ and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and under license from, Mattel © 2021 Mattel.