Where does the money from sales of products of defunct companies tend to go...?
Where does the money from sales of products of defunct companies tend to go...?
I know this will vary a lot with each product, but I'm curious about all the different weird ways this goes down in different industries.
Whether we're talking movies/music/books/games/shows, random toys or as seen on tv things that there must be a bunch of failed companies involved with or whatever else, I'm curious to know!
If it is physical stock the money goes to the store as the store has already purchased the goods. In an abstract sense the money would likely go to the owner of the IP unless there was a deal regarding distribution or creation of that specific thing.
In an abstract sense the money would likely go to the owner of the IP unless there was a deal regarding distribution or creation of that specific thing.
Yeah that was another element I was wondering about, but couldn't sort out how to ask without what struck me as a convoluted title question. If I understand right on this point, you're saying with say, shows/books/movies/shows/games/etc., it tends to go to the IP owners apart from any other arrangements?
So another form of this, even if the publisher/creative company goes under, but the work is still being sold, may involve the money going to some obscure holding company that bought up the IP?
Wholesalers, retailers, lawyers, etc. When a company goes under it usually involves some form of liquidation of assets, ie selling as much of the physical business as possible. Everything from leftover stock/product to the literal shelves that product was sitting on will sometimes get sold to another business/company or get auctioned off by lot. In the end, if you own the merchandise, as long as the product itself wasn’t banned by a regulatory agency, you’re free to sell it like any other merchandise. So to answer your question, whoever you bought it from.
NB: i have no expertise and could be entirely wrong about everything.
Lawyers. The answer is always: Lawyers.