From: s_goetz@irau30.ira.uka.de (Oliver Goetz)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.misc
Subject: Star Trek Merchandise in Germany
Date: 28 Jan 1993 11:28:51 GMT
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, FRG
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: nz11.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de

You won't believe this one:

On Monday I saw a "Star Trek" toy in a shop here in Germany.
It was a child size ST:TNG uniform. It came along with a
"Star Trek laser". It looked like a usual Taiwan/Hong Kong
Space Gun (which it obviously was). It had a sticker on it
which said something like "King Kong Laser" along with the
picture of a robot which looked like a transformer.

The whole toy obviously had nothing to do with Star Trek,
but the package had a picture of the Enterprise and the 
logo "Raumschiff Enterprise - das naechste Jahrhundert" on 
it (that's the title of the dubbed German version of TNG,
it means "Spaceship Enterprise - the next century").
On the back of the package was a drawing of the communicator 
pin and of the main characters of the show, as well as a 
writing:

"Neue Welten und Zivilisationen sind zu erforschen - in 
den Weiten des unendlichen Weltraums.

Ein Abenteuer in friedlicher Misson mit einer tollen Crew
an Bord, eine gemeinsame Reise in ferne Galaxien.
Du musst dabei sein mit der neuen Pistole von Raumschiff 
Enterprise. Die Pistole mit den aussergewoehnlichen 8 Sounds
fuehrt Dich in die Welt des Staunens.

Zum Zeichen der Loyalitaet zur Sternenflotte tragen die 
Offiziere und Besatzungsmitglieder das Abzeichen der 
Sternenflotte auf ihren Raumanzuegen, das Symbol, das die
Verbindung zur Enterprise stets aufrecht haelt.

Phantastische Abenteuer mit aussergewoehnlichen Lebensformen
erwarten Dich mit dem Raumschiff Enterprise in 
farbenpraechtigen Planetenwelten des Universums. Die 
ueberlegene Enterprise-Technik und deine Phantasie machen
Dich zu einem grossen Abenteurer und Entdecker.
Viel Spass!"

Translation:
"New worlds and civilisations are to be explored - in the
wideness of the infinite Space.

An adventure on a peaceful mission with a terrific crew on 
board, a common journey to distant galaxies.
You have to take part with the new pistol of Spaceship
Enterprise. The pistol with the extraordinary 8 sounds
takes you to the world of wonder.

As sign of loyalty to Starfleet the officers and crewmen
carry the sign of Starfleet on their space suits, the 
symbol that always maintains the connection to the
Enterprise.

Phantastic adventures with extraordinary life forms await
you with the spaceship Enterprise in colorful planet-worlds
of the universe. The superior Enterprise technology and
your phantasy are making you a great adventurer and 
discoverer.
Have Fun!"


And the whole thing had the official Paramount logo on
it. With all that "Registered Trademark" and "All rights
reserved" stuff. The only other company name on the
package was "Merchandising Muenchen" (Munich).

Maybe I should point out that we don't get all the 
beautiful Star Trek stuff here in normal stores, only
via mail order houses which import it from the USA
and sell it at far higher prices than in the USA.

I'm really pissed off by Paramount's attidude towards 
merchandise products in foreign countries. They probably
think: "Germany? That's far away, and who cares. Let's
sell everyone who pays enough our permission to print
Star Trek on their junk."


                                |  "Ich kann mit einem
Oliver "Oli the Grate" Goetz    |   Eierloeffel Fledermaeuse toeten!"
  (s_goetz@ira.uka.de)          |                     - Monty Python
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.misc