Power Rangers Video Parody Becomes A Movie Copyright Battle Over ‘Power/Rangers’
The Power Rangers video has quickly gone viral, but already the makers of a potential Power Rangers movie are demanding that the Power/Rangers video be taken down even though it’s being given away for free. Video director Joseph Kahn and producer Adi Shankar are already taking the fight to social media, but it’s possible you should watch the Power Rangers parody video before it’s taken down by the hordes of lawyers.
In a related related report by the Inquisitr, the real-life Power Rangers actor Ricardo Medina was once arrested and charged with murder after allegedly stabbing his roommate with sword. Fortunately for the red wild force ranger, his ending was not nearly as gritty as the parody film.
When Avi Shankar released the Power/Rangers video, he also explained why he was creating a “bootleg” of the Power Rangers franchise.
“When I was a child I had two favorite TV shows the X-Men animated series and Power Rangers. I eventually came to the realization that high school kids weaponized to fight an intergalactic threat would turn those kids into some seriously disturbed adults.”
If the Power Rangers video was supposed to be a joke that mocked gritty reboots with its Michael Bay-esque antics, then Haim Saban isn’t laughing. Saban Brands owns the rights to the entire franchise and is currently working on a Power Rangers movie with Lionsgate. Apparently, Saban demanded that the video be taken down and at least Vimeo has complied due to the “copyright violation” claims, while YouTube is still broadcasting this bootleg.
Director Joseph Kahn is apparently sleepless on Twitter right now following how his creation has been received by the world. But he’s also launched a counter-offensive against Saban, explaining in various tweets why the Power Rangers video is legit.
“Saban is trying to shut Power/Rangers down. If you’d like to keep watching, tell them to stop harassing me,” Kahn explains. “Every image in Power/Rangers is original footage. Nothing was pre-existing. There is no copyrighted footage in the short. I am not making any money on it and I refuse to accept any from anyone. It was not even Kickstarted, I paid for it myself. This was made to be given away for free. It is just as if I drew a pic of Power Rangers on a napkin and I gave it to my friend. Is it illegal to give pic I drew of a character on a napkin to someone for free? No.”
The battle over the Power Rangers video will probably delve into the legal grey areas of fan fictions and parodies. Meanwhile, fans of the series who are now adults will probably argue the merits of whether or not a reboot should be gritty in the first place. Thoughts?
