Evil Dead - Book of the Dead Copyright stolen by Troll...

KateShkar

KateShkar

S-Mart Clerk
Joined
Sep 19, 2018
Does anyone know how to contact Tom Sullivan? He needs to know about this!

Yes, it is true... a company called Nightmare Novelty has copyrighted the book from the movies that Tom Sullivan created. Just seems to funny to be true. They steal someones intellectual property, claim it is their own, copyright it and make money off it! Total scammers!
I wanted to make all fans of the Evil Dead franchise aware of a situation pertaining to the Evil Dead franchise (Ash VS Evil Dead) intellectual property. In these movies (and TV show) a main prop in the story line is the Necronomicon Book of the Dead. I am assuming that the copyright for the book and its likeness is owned by Tom Sullivan.
I am a big fan of the Evil Dead movies and a few days ago I found a listing on E-Bay for the Necronomicon Book of the Dead from the Evil Dead movies. The company, Nightmare Novelty, claimed that they were the only ones that could legally sell them. They sell the book for $190! I looked for some reviews on their book and what I found was crazy... they claimed to be copyright owners!! What???
Nightmare Novelty owned by Sonia Bacon also has a website. They go into great detail to explain how the book they sell is a replica from the 1981 movie. Cover and pages. They also use video clips from the actual movie. She also uses banners featuring Ash VS Evil Dead and other images from the movies on all her social media, E-Bay and website.
Just making a replica isn’t in my opinion a huge deal. Not technically legal but not the end of the world. What is total BS is that earlier this year Sonia Bacon actually file a Copyright on the book she made. So, she has a copyright on the likeness of the book in the movie Evil Dead. Seems to me that the actual copyright for this intellectual property belongs to Tom Sullivan, the production studio or Bruce and Sam Raimi. But now Sonia owns the copyright to the Evil Dead Necronomicon. I hope she doesn't try to sue them like she has others :)
Sonia Bacon is promoting the fact that she owns the copyright for the Necronomicon Book of the Dead and that it is her original work. She is also selling phone cases, mouse pads and other items with images from the Evil Dead franchise. She is also selling many different items with logos from NFL, NBA, MLB and images from many movies without license.
Below are links to the relevant information:
UNITED STATES REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS - VA 2-117-595

https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/P...6lJLv4DBBpU_CndABX9v&SEQ=20180917203956&SID=1
https://www.nightmarenovelty.com/necronomicon
https://www.ebay.com/itm/253632609339
http://www.ebaystores.com/NIGHTMARE-NOVELTY
https://www.facebook.com/nightmarenovelty/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000470947976

As a fan of the Evil Dead franchise it bothers me that a total scammer is taking credit for stuff in the movies and just scamming everyone! What do you all think?
If you know how to contact Tom Sullivan please do so or provide me the contact info!
 
KateShkar said:
Does anyone know how to contact Tom Sullivan? He needs to know about this!

Yes, it is true... a company called Nightmare Novelty has copyrighted the book from the movies that Tom Sullivan created. Just seems to funny to be true. They steal someones intellectual property, claim it is their own, copyright it and make money off it! Total scammers!
I wanted to make all fans of the Evil Dead franchise aware of a situation pertaining to the Evil Dead franchise (Ash VS Evil Dead) intellectual property. In these movies (and TV show) a main prop in the story line is the Necronomicon Book of the Dead. I am assuming that the copyright for the book and its likeness is owned by Tom Sullivan.
I am a big fan of the Evil Dead movies and a few days ago I found a listing on E-Bay for the Necronomicon Book of the Dead from the Evil Dead movies. The company, Nightmare Novelty, claimed that they were the only ones that could legally sell them. They sell the book for $190! I looked for some reviews on their book and what I found was crazy... they claimed to be copyright owners!! What???
Nightmare Novelty owned by Sonia Bacon also has a website. They go into great detail to explain how the book they sell is a replica from the 1981 movie. Cover and pages. They also use video clips from the actual movie. She also uses banners featuring Ash VS Evil Dead and other images from the movies on all her social media, E-Bay and website.
Just making a replica isn’t in my opinion a huge deal. Not technically legal but not the end of the world. What is total BS is that earlier this year Sonia Bacon actually file a Copyright on the book she made. So, she has a copyright on the likeness of the book in the movie Evil Dead. Seems to me that the actual copyright for this intellectual property belongs to Tom Sullivan, the production studio or Bruce and Sam Raimi. But now Sonia owns the copyright to the Evil Dead Necronomicon. I hope she doesn't try to sue them like she has others :)
Sonia Bacon is promoting the fact that she owns the copyright for the Necronomicon Book of the Dead and that it is her original work. She is also selling phone cases, mouse pads and other items with images from the Evil Dead franchise. She is also selling many different items with logos from NFL, NBA, MLB and images from many movies without license.
Below are links to the relevant information:
UNITED STATES REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS - VA 2-117-595

https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search_Arg=Necronomicon book of the dead&Search_Code=TALL&CNT=25&PID=HvmxW88z-d_6lJLv4DBBpU_CndABX9v&SEQ=20180917203956&SID=1
https://www.nightmarenovelty.com/necronomicon
https://www.ebay.com/itm/253632609339
http://www.ebaystores.com/NIGHTMARE-NOVELTY
https://www.facebook.com/nightmarenovelty/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000470947976

As a fan of the Evil Dead franchise it bothers me that a total scammer is taking credit for stuff in the movies and just scamming everyone! What do you all think?
If you know how to contact Tom Sullivan please do so or provide me the contact info!
Click to expand...
Hi KateShakr ..

Tom Sullivan's a long time friend of this site so thanks for watching his back. The history of Tom's copyright to his BOTD design and artwork is a very long story. I've just tried to link to his website, Darkage Productions but it seems to be down now. It's possible of course that Tom has sold his copyright. I'll try to re find his private contact details, thanks for the alert.
 
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Hey Swofty...

I tried his site as well. Looks like it has been down for a while. If you can find his contact info and let him know that would be great. I just can't imagine he would ever let the copyright to the book go. I have seen him as a couple conventions many years ago and he was very proud of his work and rightfully so!
 
Hi Kate. Check your inbox. I sent you a private message.
 
You can also find Tom on Facebook. He's pretty good about staying in touch with fans, and yes the story of the BOTD rights issues goes back some. It's a never ending battle that only seems to worsen over time.
 
Thanks for the info. I tried to find him on facebook and not sure if I got the right Tom. But I sent him a message. If you have is real facebook account can you send it to me?
 
This is Tom's Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/tom.sullivan.391420

Had a quick look at the book, and it's nothing amazing in terms of the many book replicas I've seen, not screen accurate by any stretch, it's more of a mix and match between the books from ED1, ED2, AOD, ED RM & AvsED. It's certainly not a patch on the ED1 accurate replicas Tom and Patrick Reese used to sell, they were fantastic. Such a shame they're not being made anymore. Danish Evil Dead fan Jesper Mørch's book is another excellent replica, detailed here; http://www.bookofthedead.ws/website/features_replica_book_of_the_dead.html

Tom's copyright issues go way back, I mean people will make their own replicas and I don't think that ever bothered Tom, but there have been more and more people making them specifically to sell, which is far less okay. as I said, it's just a shame I can't put a link in here were people can buy an official book from Tom directly.
 
Thanks for providing Tom's Facebook account!

I agree the book this place sells is nothing great, it is actually not good at all. The thing that really bothers me about this isn't the fact that they made a copy of the book. Like you said others have done that and more will in the future. What really made me mad was that they had the nerve to copyright the book cover. They copyrighted the face or likeness if the book that Tom made and advertise it as a replica of the book in the 1981 movie. I hope Tom makes them stop selling it!!

Does Tom sell an official book? Would be cool to have one he actually made or designed!
 
UPDATE....

I was on Amazon looking at Evil Dead stuff and found a bit of interesting info. Looks like Tom Sullivan and Nightmare Novelty crossed paths back in 2016. They were selling there fake replica book and phone cases with face on Amazon. Tom found them and commented about the theft of his intellectual property... now in 2018 they are selling his book again and even copyrighted his work!!

I pray to god that Tom sees this and sues them!!!
 
KateShkar said:
UPDATE....

I was on Amazon looking at Evil Dead stuff and found a bit of interesting info. Looks like Tom Sullivan and Nightmare Novelty crossed paths back in 2016. They were selling there fake replica book and phone cases with face on Amazon. Tom found them and commented about the theft of his intellectual property... now in 2018 they are selling his book again and even copyrighted his work!!

I pray to god that Tom sees this and sues them!!!
Click to expand...
I expect Tom already knows about this, I've chatted with him before about lawyer's costs around replica botd stuff except that was over a decade ago ..

It's no secret that Tom's botd first re appeared as a photograph in a copy of a late 80's magazine called Monster Maker's Journal that revolved around make up FX and fan conventions .. after that, his hand built prop also re appeared in other horror films without him being informed, firstly in the Clive Barker horror book turned into a film 'Pumkinhead' aka 'Vengence The Demon' as a set dressing .. it also was used as a set dressing in Friday the 13th pt-8 ..

(I warned you this was going to be a long story)

Tom wrote a letter to Sam Raimi (of which Tom's friend and assistant at the time posted an image of on Deadites.net , Sam wrote an apology letter back to Tom .. because just after these two silver screen cameos of the book, Tod McFarlane then also created his new 'Movie Maniacs' toys, one of which (I say one, there were toy packs that also included The Pit Witch) was of Ash from Army of Darkness but it also included a miniature botd .. but not Tom's sculpt .. Tom had to quit before the completion of Army of Darkness because of his loss of a loved one which is why the book was resculpted.

Tom delighted us all by revealing he was going to do his mass produced yet hand created by him botd DVD case .. mod and all round good guy Morsoth translated the fake font Tom created for the DVD release, new messages in a fake font the Tom named 'Bullscrit' (bullshit scripture).

Tom also sold deluxe non DVD versions books via his website including all of his original artwork and also new pages that you could chose to buy in a snazzy glass and wood display case if you could afford that as well .. the whole thing was a work of art that also saw one of our ex forum members told of by Tom because he linked to scans of the artwork on this site ..
 
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Thanks for the background info Swofty. You were right about it being a long story. I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg!
 
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