News

4Kids Plans to Pitch New Yu-Gi-Oh! at Licensing Expo

The North American production company 4Kids Entertainment plans to promote the newest Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, in a Las Vegas event next week to attract potential merchandise producers. 4Kids plans to release Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal this fall along with a 500th-episode special event on Toonzai. Further plans to promote the series will be revealed at the Licensing International Expo.

4Kids is involved in a court battle with the Japanese licensors of Yu-Gi-Oh!, ADK's Nihon Ad Systems (NAS) and TV Tokyo. Both Japanese companies intended to cancel their contract with 4Kids Entertainment due to allegedly fraudulent underpayment. 4Kids then filed for bankruptcy but it continues to operate in the meantime.

ADK and TV Tokyo then planned to pitch Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal themselves at the Licensing International Expo, but 4Kids filed a legal motion against this. Last week, Judge Shelley C. Chapman of 4Kids' bankruptcy case ordered a stay, barring ADK and TV Tokyo from selling the license to another company until the case of fraudulent underpayment is resolved.

4Kids Entertainment will also be showing the CG anime series Meat or Die about dinosaurs, as well as the Asian project Max Adventures.

Thanks to Liam for the news tip.

Source: Licensing.biz