The Pokémon Company International: Difference between revisions

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[[File:PUSA logo.png|thumb|250px|The logo of the former Pokémon USA, Inc.]]
[[File:PUSA logo.png|thumb|250px|The logo of the former Pokémon USA, Inc.]]
The Pokémon Company International was founded in February 2001 as Pokémon USA, Inc.<ref name="his" /> in {{wp|New York City}}. It was created to manage the Pokémon franchise outside of Asia, with responsibility for "licensing, merchandising, TV animation, trading card games, theatrical releases, home video entertainment, the official Pokémon website" and other areas<ref name="Wizards">[https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20031229005065/en/Pokemon-USA-Wizards-Coast-Resolve-Dispute ''Pokémon USA, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Resolve Dispute'' - Business Wire] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.
The Pokémon Company International was founded in February 2001 as Pokémon USA, Inc.<ref name="his" /> in {{wp|New York City}}. It was created to manage the Pokémon franchise outside of Asia, with responsibility for "licensing, merchandising, TV animation, trading card games, theatrical releases, home video entertainment, the official Pokémon website" and other areas<ref name="Wizards">[https://web.archive.org/web/20150923221442/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20031229005065/en/Pokemon-USA-Wizards-Coast-Resolve-Dispute#.VgMkXIHP32c ''Pokémon USA, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Resolve Dispute'' - Business Wire] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.


The company's first president was [[Tatsumi Kimishima]] (who would later go on to become president of [[Nintendo]])<ref>[https://www.usgamer.net/articles/5-reasons-why-tatsumi-kimishima-is-good-for-nintendo ''5 Reasons Why Tatsumi Kimishima is Good for Nintendo'' - USgamer] (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref>, and on November 16, 2001, it oversaw the opening of [[Pokémon Center (store)#United States|Pokémon Center NY]] at the {{wp|Rockefeller Center}} in New York<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20011119104638/http://www.pokemoncenter.com/pkstore/text_2.asp ''Pokémon says “I Choose You!” To Rockefeller Center for First U.S. Store Dedicated To the Growing Worldwide Phenomenon'' - Pokémon USA, Inc.] (archived from the original November 19, 2001; retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.  
The company's first president was [[Tatsumi Kimishima]] (who would later go on to become president of [[Nintendo]])<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180911211854/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/5-reasons-why-tatsumi-kimishima-is-good-for-nintendo ''5 Reasons Why Tatsumi Kimishima is Good for Nintendo'' - USgamer] (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref>, and on November 16, 2001, it oversaw the opening of [[Pokémon Center (store)#United States|Pokémon Center NY]] at the {{wp|Rockefeller Center}} in New York<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20011119104638/http://www.pokemoncenter.com/pkstore/text_2.asp ''Pokémon says “I Choose You!” To Rockefeller Center for First U.S. Store Dedicated To the Growing Worldwide Phenomenon'' - Pokémon USA, Inc.] (archived from the original November 19, 2001; retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.  


In 2002 Tatsumi Kimishima was succeeded by [[Akira Chiba]] as president. Following threatened litigation, the licencing agreement with [[Wizards of the Coast]] for the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]] ended in 2003<ref name="Wizards" />, and Pokémon USA, Inc. brought the production and distribution of the game in-house.
In 2002 Tatsumi Kimishima was succeeded by [[Akira Chiba]] as president. Following threatened litigation, the licencing agreement with [[Wizards of the Coast]] for the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]] ended in 2003<ref name="Wizards" />, and Pokémon USA, Inc. brought the production and distribution of the game in-house.
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On January 20, 2005, the journal ''{{wp|Nature (journal)|Nature}}'' published an article in which a group of researchers named a newly discovered {{wp|Zbtb7|cancer-causing gene}} "Pokemon"<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03203 ''Role of the proto-oncogene Pokemon in cellular transformation and ARF repression'' - Nature] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>. Pokémon USA, Inc. responded by threatening legal action, as they said that the image of Pokémon could be undermined by associating it with cancer. As a result, the gene was renamed<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/438897a ''Pokémon blocks gene name'' - Nature] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.
On January 20, 2005, the journal ''{{wp|Nature (journal)|Nature}}'' published an article in which a group of researchers named a newly discovered {{wp|Zbtb7|cancer-causing gene}} "Pokemon"<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03203 ''Role of the proto-oncogene Pokemon in cellular transformation and ARF repression'' - Nature] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>. Pokémon USA, Inc. responded by threatening legal action, as they said that the image of Pokémon could be undermined by associating it with cancer. As a result, the gene was renamed<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/438897a ''Pokémon blocks gene name'' - Nature] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.


Up until 2006, the licensing and merchandising for Pokémon outside of Asia was outsourced to [[4Kids Entertainment]]. On December 23, 2005 Pokémon USA, Inc. and 4Kids Entertainment announced that they had agreed not to renew the representation agreement set to expire on December 31 that year, and licencing was brought fully in-house by Pokémon USA, Inc.<ref>[https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20051223005061/en/Pokemon-USA-Moves-Licensing-In-House-2006-4Kids ''Pokémon USA Moves Licensing In-House in 2006; 4Kids Entertainment to Transition Its Representation of Pokémon'' - Business Wire] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>. Part of this agreement involved the [[dub]] of the {{pkmn|anime}}, and from [[S09|season nine]] onwards Pokémon USA, Inc. changed to using [[TAJ Productions]] for this process. This also involved the recasting of many main characters, a move that proved to be [[Pokémon USA recasting controversy|controversial]].
Up until 2006, the licensing and merchandising for Pokémon outside of Asia was outsourced to [[4Kids Entertainment]]. On December 23, 2005 Pokémon USA, Inc. and 4Kids Entertainment announced that they had agreed not to renew the representation agreement set to expire on December 31 that year, and licencing was brought fully in-house by Pokémon USA, Inc.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200522071511/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20051223005061/en/Pokemon-USA-Moves-Licensing-In-House-2006-4Kids ''Pokémon USA Moves Licensing In-House in 2006; 4Kids Entertainment to Transition Its Representation of Pokémon'' - Business Wire] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>. Part of this agreement involved the [[dub]] of the {{pkmn|anime}}, and from [[S09|season nine]] onwards Pokémon USA, Inc. changed to using [[TAJ Productions]] for this process. This also involved the recasting of many main characters, a move that proved to be [[Pokémon USA recasting controversy|controversial]].


In 2007, Akira Chiba stepped down as president and he was replaced by [[Kenji Okubo]], previously executive vice president and head of Pokémon USA’s {{wp|Seattle}} office. In his new role, he was leader of Pokémon’s operations in New York, Seattle and London<ref>[http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20071211006030/en/President-Pokemon-USA-Step ''President of Pokémon USA, Inc. to Step Down'' - Business Wire] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.
In 2007, Akira Chiba stepped down as president and he was replaced by [[Kenji Okubo]], previously executive vice president and head of Pokémon USA’s {{wp|Seattle}} office. In his new role, he was leader of Pokémon’s operations in New York, Seattle and London<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180227034726/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20071211006030/en/President-Pokemon-USA-Step ''President of Pokémon USA, Inc. to Step Down'' - Business Wire] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.


In 2008, Pokémon USA, Inc. moved production of the anime dub from TAJ Productions<ref>[http://www.pokebeach.com/2008/01/taj-productions-no-longer-dubbing-pokemon ''TAJ Productions No Longer Dubbing Pokemon'' - PokéBeach] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref> to [[DuArt Film & Video]]. That year, Pokémon UK worked with design agency Red Central to create a marketing style guide for Europe<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180911211827/http://www.creativematch.com/news/pok-mon-launches-european-branding/94049/ ''Pokémon launches European branding guide for a new era'' - creativematch] (archived from the original September 11, 2018; retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>, announced a partnership with Network Distributing to distribute the [[Pokémon movie]]s and anime on {{wp|DVD}} in the UK<ref>[http://pkmn.net/?action=news&page=viewnews&id=673 ''UK to get all Pokémon seasons on DVD?'' - PKMN.NET] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>, and announced {{wp|Jetix#Jetix Europe|Jetix Europe}} (now {{wp|Disney XD Europe}}) would air the anime from [[S11|season 11]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121107164354/http://www.jetixeurope.com/site/press_office/press_releases/pokemon.html ''Jetix becomes new home of Pokémon in Europe'' - Jetix Europe Ltd.] (archived from the original November 7, 2012; retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.
In 2008, Pokémon USA, Inc. moved production of the anime dub from TAJ Productions<ref>[http://www.pokebeach.com/2008/01/taj-productions-no-longer-dubbing-pokemon ''TAJ Productions No Longer Dubbing Pokemon'' - PokéBeach] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref> to [[DuArt Film & Video]]. That year, Pokémon UK worked with design agency Red Central to create a marketing style guide for Europe<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180911211827/http://www.creativematch.com/news/pok-mon-launches-european-branding/94049/ ''Pokémon launches European branding guide for a new era'' - creativematch] (archived from the original September 11, 2018; retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>, announced a partnership with Network Distributing to distribute the [[Pokémon movie]]s and anime on {{wp|DVD}} in the UK<ref>[http://pkmn.net/?action=news&page=viewnews&id=673 ''UK to get all Pokémon seasons on DVD?'' - PKMN.NET] (retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>, and announced {{wp|Jetix#Jetix Europe|Jetix Europe}} (now {{wp|Disney XD Europe}}) would air the anime from [[S11|season 11]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121107164354/http://www.jetixeurope.com/site/press_office/press_releases/pokemon.html ''Jetix becomes new home of Pokémon in Europe'' - Jetix Europe Ltd.] (archived from the original November 7, 2012; retrieved April 22, 2020)</ref>.
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