4Kids Pitchs Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal on Licensing Expo


4Kids Entertainment plans to promote Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, in a Las Vegas event next week to attract potential merchandise producers. The series will premiere on CW's Toonzai block this Fall along with a 500-episode special event. Further plans to promote the series will be revealed at the Licensing International Expo.

4Kids is involved in a court battle with the Japanese licensors of Yu-Gi-Oh!, ADK's Nihon Ad Systems (NAS) and TV Tokyo. Both Japanese companies intended to cancel their contract with 4Kids Entertainment due to allegedly fraudulent underpayment. 4Kids then filed for bankruptcy but it continues to operate in the meantime.


ADK and TV Tokyo then planned to pitch Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal themselves at the Licensing International Expo, but 4Kids filed a legal motion against this. Last week, Judge Shelley C. Chapman of 4Kids' bankruptcy case ordered a stay, barring ADK and TV Tokyo from selling the license to another company until the case of fraudulent underpayment is resolved. Dang it.

Source: Licensing.biz via Anime News Network