The UFC is trying to acquire the K-1 library?

[fartsmeller]

www.mmafighting.com/2015/1/3/7486795/fight-pass-to-add-libraries-from-eight-different-mma-companies

According to Dave Meltzer:

Sources from Japan have noted negotiations have taken place over the past months involving trying to acquire the tape library of K-1, which would include the highest profile kickboxing events of the last two decades, as well as MMA shows that aired on network television in Japan under the banner of Dream and Hero's.

Did the lawsuits regarding who owns which part of the library ever come about/get resolved? Was that just bluster from Kim and Boon? It definitely sounds more like they're negotiating with the TV stations (ie Fuji and TBS) because the new K-1 doesn't own anything related to Dream or Hero's as far as I'm aware.

The kickboxing landscape is going to look very, very odd if the UFC own the classic content, but it would make it more accessible and be in safer hands. The sport is in a very strange position right now.

[Kenshin (Banned)]

Wouldn't mind it. What do we have to lose?

[K1power]

Maybe Dave knows more about this.

[themagi]

The DREAM archive is interesting as their current rightful ownership may be up for debate. In their dying days FEG were giving permission to a couple of the leading Youtube MMA H/L video makers at the time to use their DREAM footage for free. I think but am not sure that they were a seperate entity footage wise, to K-1, under the banner of Real Entertainment. TBS may have rights to the shows they aired but they didn't broadcast all of DREAM's events in their last couple of years.

[dvewlsh]

Jan 4, 2015 19:34:23 GMT 1 themagi said:

The DREAM archive is interesting as their current rightful ownership may be up for debate. In their dying days FEG were giving permission to a couple of the leading Youtube MMA H/L video makers at the time to use their DREAM footage for free. I think but am not sure that they were a seperate entity footage wise, to K-1, under the banner of Real Entertainment. TBS may have rights to the shows they aired but they didn't broadcast all of DREAM's events in their last couple of years.

The libraries are split among a bunch of different parties, for sure. Like, for example, Fujii TV selling the usage rights of K-1 footage to GLORY a while back and GLORY thought they owned the footage outright. 

From what I understand K-1 reached out to UFC about this, but I'm not sure if UFC is dealing with K-1 Global or is working with a television network. 

[themagi]

Jan 5, 2015 23:05:58 GMT 1 dvewlsh said:

Jan 4, 2015 19:34:23 GMT 1 themagi said:

The DREAM archive is interesting as their current rightful ownership may be up for debate. In their dying days FEG were giving permission to a couple of the leading Youtube MMA H/L video makers at the time to use their DREAM footage for free. I think but am not sure that they were a seperate entity footage wise, to K-1, under the banner of Real Entertainment. TBS may have rights to the shows they aired but they didn't broadcast all of DREAM's events in their last couple of years.

The libraries are split among a bunch of different parties, for sure. Like, for example, Fujii TV selling the usage rights of K-1 footage to GLORY a while back and GLORY thought they owned the footage outright. 

From what I understand K-1 reached out to UFC about this, but I'm not sure if UFC is dealing with K-1 Global or is working with a television network. 

It may be a bit too messy for Zuffa to be bothered with. I recall when Doug Kaplan took his position at K-1, their was some movement on K-1's Youtube channel in terms of uploading some of their archives but within a month some fights (really random ones like Musashi-Greco and Skelton-Aerts) were removed due to a copyright infringement brought about by "GSI/Federico Lapenda", only for the fights to be re-uploaded a month or so later. And then a fortnight or so later they were gone again thanks to GSI/FL. All up in the air.