RED ALERT!!! SEGA RIPS OFF AKIRA!!!

[J-Dude]

Okay, this made me so pissed I can't see straight...and I personally think that hard, fast retribution is needed!

My little brother has enjoyed watching this show called "Sonic X" based off of the Sega game character "Sonic The Hedgehog". It occured to me today that Sega has breached MAJOR copywrite laws with Akira Toriyama, from something my little brother told me this morning before I went to work.

He told me that I should watch the show with him, that I'd probably like it since I liked DBZ. I asked him why, because the show was about...talking animals...something I don't condone for television anyway.

Well, his response to me was that the character in the show could do something that was almost exactly like Super Saiyan, except it was called "Super Sonic".

My curiosity gave way and I decided to do some sleuthing on the Internet. A quick check on wikipedia showed me something which makes my blood boil with rage. I feel like becoming a Super Saiyan myself right about now! Check this out, and make sure you're sitting or else are standing on carpet.

This alone made me terribly suspicious. Both the name "Super" and the basic aspects of the infamous DBZ transformation are obviously included, with the one difference being that the eyes are not green/turquoise.

Reading on, I now see the true abomination for what it is...

It is widely speculated that the visual appearance of Super Sonic, and the means used to assume the form, are homages to the manga/anime series Dragon Ball Z, in which the heroes assume "Super Saiyan" forms with spiky, glowing yellow hair, and quest for the seven mystical Dragon Balls, comparable to the seven Chaos Emeralds. (If this is true, it is likely that the number of Chaos Emeralds was increased from six to seven for the first game with Super Sonic to match the seven Dragon Balls.)

Apparently, these "Chaos Emeralds" somehow trigger the transformation. Widely speculated my ass. I'm glad someone figured this out, but apparently the word remains unspread.

Akira Toriyama NEEDS to know about this copywriting nightmare and shut it down! At the very least, Sega needs to cough up some major royalties, because it can't be any plainer that Sega has completely stolen Dragonball series concepts and patched it on in a downright immoral attempt to keep their video game character interesting!

Something must be done!!!

:no: Down with Sega!!! Down with Sega!!!:no:

 

[Synth]

It's been known for awhile, sadly.

I wouldn't get too worked over it, no one really cares that much.

 

[DPredator]

This happens all the time, for example "Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo" parodies tons of animes and mangas, School Rumble has got a scene where one of the characters goes "Super Saiya-jin" aswell. This is nothing to get heated about, so get over it.

 

[VivaLaPineapple]

did you like just come out of the 90's?

hes been able to do that since sonic 3. in any case i give you a 2/10 for trolling

 

[J-Dude]

Dude, I've never been a fan of anything Sega. Never played any Sega games, never cared to. I've always been really picky about the cartoons I watch and the video games I play. Personally, I think they should have at least gotten permission from Akira before trying this. If there's proof of that, then I'm a bit vexed, but okay with it. I just know there's a little thing called copywrite infirngement, and it looks to me like Sega broke it all to Hell...I just want to see to it that Akira Toriyama gets his due for all he's done.

BTW, wtf is "trolling"? I know it's a fishing term, but...how does it apply to forums?

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

Actually he's been able to do it since Sonic 2.

I never knew it was a rip off till I saw DBZ many, many years later.

 

[imported_KelesK]

I think 'Super Sonic' has been around for a while longer than 'Super Sayians' anyway, which would technically mean the reverse of said breach of copyrights.

 

[DPredator]

Internet troll: In Internet terminology, a troll is often someone who comes into an established community such as an online discussion forum, and posts inflammatory, rude, repetitive or offensive messages designed intentionally to annoy or antagonize the existing members or disrupt the flow of discussion, including the personal attack of calling others trolls.

[07:48] <DragonDude> I just know there's a little thing called copywrite infirngement, and it looks to me like Sega broke it all to Hell...
[07:49] <DragonDude> please tell me he purposely spelled it that way in order to avoid copyright infringement

"I think 'Super Sonic' has been around for a while longer than 'Super Sayians' anyway, which would technically mean the reverse of said breach of copyrights."

Nope, Super Sonic has definately been inspired by Dragonball, since Sonic the Hedgehog 2 got released in 1992, and Dragonball was first serialized in 1984.

 

[MC]

There's also a Hyper Sonic form which is much more powerful than the Super Sonic form. Then there's a Dark Super Sonic form in the show Sonic X.

Here's what Wikipedia had to say:

It is widely speculated that the visual appearance of Super Sonic, and the means used to assume the form, are homages to the manga/anime series Dragon Ball Z, in which the heroes assume "Super Saiyan" forms with spiky, glowing yellow hair, and quest for the seven mystical Dragon Balls, comparable to the seven Chaos Emeralds. (If this is true, it is likely that the number of Chaos Emeralds was increased from six to seven for the first game with Super Sonic to match the seven Dragon Balls.) He sometimes resembles Shadow, only without the red streaks and gold colored. Some fans speculate that, inside the game, this resemblance to Shadow is not only coincidence, as Shadow's creator Gerald Robotnik is rumoured to have studied the ancient echidna people, probably seeing the stone tablet (seen in Sonic & Knuckles) that shows Super Sonic fighting Eggman; this is rumored to have inspired Shadow's physical appearance.

The keyword is homage, even though the main idea of that sentence was about speculation.

And then:

In the Sonic the Hedgehog series, there are arguably a few references to Dragon Ball. Both the Chaos Emeralds and Super Sonic are nods to Toriyama's work. According to the Japanese strategy guide for Sonic Jam, the special stages in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles were inspired by Kaio-sama's planet. The Jewel Radar, which bears a strong visual and functional resemblance to the Dragon Radar, is mentioned in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Japanese manual and appears in Sonic Riders.

I think 'Super Sonic' has been around for a while longer than 'Super Sayians' anyway, which would technically mean the reverse of said breach of copyrights.

The Dragon Ball manga has been around longer than Super Sonic, even the show was around before Super Sonic.

 

[Kama]

My little brother has enjoyed watching this show called "Sonic X" based off of the Sega game character "Sonic The Hedgehog". It occured to me today that Sega has breached MAJOR copywrite laws with Akira Toriyama, from something my little brother told me this morning before I went to work.

That's my favourite part of your post. Especially when you put sonic the hedgehog in quotations. :smile:

It feels like you're writing an essay or something to your teachers. We all know who Sonic is. All you have to do is say Sonic and we'll know who you mean. We know very well what brand he is. Sonic is just as famous as Mario.

Oh.. that's "Mario" from "The Super Mario Brothers". Game characters from a company called "Nintendo". Just incase you needed that.

Honestly.. you're on a forum with people who take gaming so seriously they find modifications of games made by amatuers to play. Did you really think we'd have never heard of Sonic?

And to the point of the post, are you serious? You really care? Akira Toriyama is going to sue them for free advertising? And just for the record.. Toriyama was far from the first person to think up people transforming after a big charge up. Whoop-de-freaking-doo.

"Sonic the Hedgehog" hahahaha!

 

[Hash]

Uhhhhh...............................

Sorry, but your an idiot.

 

[J-Dude]

Uhhhhh...............................

Sorry, but your an idiot.

I think that's a bit uncalled for ;/ Forgive me for coming to the defense of the greatest anime series of all time...

 

[Jariroth]

Personally, I think they should have at least gotten permission from Akira before trying this. If there's proof of that, then I'm a bit vexed, but okay with it. I just know there's a little thing called copywrite infirngement, and it looks to me like Sega broke it all to Hell...I just want to see to it that Akira Toriyama gets his due for all he's done.

Well it isnt against copyright unless they call it Super Saiyajin. If every new anime couldnt have anything similar to what other anime have, then there would be awfully few animes.
Something like, if Sailor moon wouldnt allow any other magical girl animes, then there wouldn't be other magical girl animes?

If they use the same names, characters or settings. then it can be considered against copyrights. But if it only has something similar, nah. You can just ignore it.

 

[Pieter Paul Rubens]

Well, if you knew anything about copyrights, you would've known that Toriyama can't do a damn thing in this case (IF he makes it a case first, which he didn't do and most likely will never do).. Copyrights only apply to exact visual forms of ideas that someone has, but the idea itself can't be copyrighted.
Thus, Toriyama may have copyrights over all the visual forms of Goku, Vegeta, etc.. But he doesn't hold copyrights of a yellow hedgehog with spikey hair called Super Sonic. You see, Super Sonic doesn't have the exact hair that Goku has, Sonic doesn't have Vegeta's face, there's no saiyan armor on Sonic, etcetc..

The basic idea of a being becoming "roarkill", turning yellow and getting a fancy haircut might be originally from Toriyama, but he only applied the copyrights to the exact characters used in the DB franchise, as long as someone designs his own character that can go "roarkill", turn yellow and visit the barber while at it, but it doesn't look anything like any of the work of Toriyama, then he (Toriyama) can't do a thing.

And before you're coming up with: what the hell happens to people that have an idea but can't really thurn that idea into a visual object -> you can have some sort of copyright-system that allows you to store the written ideas for, I think, 6 years. After those 6 years, you have to have a visual, copyrightable object of that idea. If not, your idea is free for anyone to use.


So ye, rage all you want, there's nothing you can do against this little tribute of Sega.

 

[MF29]

You can't just jump to conclusions about Super Sonic copying DBZ, Emeralds were in Sonic 1, Super Sonic was made in Sonic 2, Even if they did copy DBZ, Im still going to buying Sonic games, and Im still going to be buying DBZ games, who really cares, they are both making money. If Sonic ripped off DBZ, Sega would have gotten sued years ago, but Sega hasn't so Akira probrobly doesn't know or doesn't care.

 

[Pieter Paul Rubens]

Even if they cared they still couldn't do a thing, read my post..

 

[Jariroth]

Well, if you knew anything about copyrights, you would've known that Toriyama can't do a damn thing in this case (IF he makes it a case first, which he didn't do and most likely will never do).. Copyrights only apply to exact visual forms of ideas that someone has, but the idea itself can't be copyrighted.
Thus, Toriyama may have copyrights over all the visual forms of Goku, Vegeta, etc.. But he doesn't hold copyrights of a yellow hedgehog with spikey hair called Super Sonic. You see, Super Sonic doesn't have the exact hair that Goku has, Sonic doesn't have Vegeta's face, there's no saiyan armor on Sonic, etcetc..

The basic idea of a being becoming "roarkill", turning yellow and getting a fancy haircut might be originally from Toriyama, but he only applied the copyrights to the exact characters used in the DB franchise, as long as someone designs his own character that can go "roarkill", turn yellow and visit the barber while at it, but it doesn't look anything like any of the work of Toriyama, then he (Toriyama) can't do a thing.

And before you're coming up with: what the hell happens to people that have an idea but can't really thurn that idea into a visual object -> you can have some sort of copyright-system that allows you to store the written ideas for, I think, 6 years. After those 6 years, you have to have a visual, copyrightable object of that idea. If not, your idea is free for anyone to use.


So ye, rage all you want, there's nothing you can do against this little tribute of Sega.

Exactly what i was trying to say... As if big companies like Sega doesn't know about copyrights...

 

[Arthos]

As it's probably been mentioned before... This has been around a long time. It started with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 back in the early 90s. It was obviously a blatant ripoff and direct parody. Akira Toriyama, as far as I know, didn't do anything then. He's not going to do anything now.

 

[Tassadar]

I can't believe this is the first time you've heard of this. Were you that sheltered that you never played a Sonic game when you were younger?

Super Sonic is a main part in Sonic's storyline. Anime's are constantly ripping DBZ off and trying to reproduce it's success. We see it in Naruto (yeah Sasuke went ****ing super saiyan before the fillers started) and a ton of new anime series.

Protip: get over it.

 

[Adaptus]

If Akira Toriyama really did give a ****, (but he doesn't, since it technically isn't copyright infringement, as there are only similarities in transformation. They don't call it a Super Saiyan or whatever.), he would have gotten on SEGA's ass long, long, long, LOOONG ago.