twitch @TheStockGuy MARVEL SUED THE US GOVERNMENT

@thestockguy

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SoundTikTok sound · original sound - thestockguy

Why it worked

The video explains a niche legal and tax loophole related to a popular franchise (Marvel/X-Men), making a complex topic easily digestible and surprising for viewers. The use of a whiteboard to visually break down the argument enhances understanding and engagement.

Summary

This video explains a historical lawsuit where Marvel sued the US government over the tax classification of their X-Men action figures. By arguing that mutants were not legally humans, Marvel successfully reclassified the toys from the 'human doll' category (12% tax) to the 'toys' category (6.9% tax), saving money on imports.

Structure

1Introduction of Marvel suing the US government over mutant classification.
2Explanation of the tax difference between 'human dolls' and 'toys'.
3Marvel's strategy to reclassify X-Men figures to save on import taxes.
4The lawsuit's outcome and the reclassification of mutants.
5Marvel's subsequent press release to reinforce the 'living and breathing human beings with extraordinary powers' narrative.

Product placement

Twitch: APPEARS as a watermark in the top right corner. Removing it would not change what happens in the video. Marvel: ACTS as the owner of the IP and characters, and the entity that sued the US government. Removing it would fundamentally change the story being told. Toy Biz: ACTS as the company that made the action figures for Marvel. Removing it would change the explanation of how the action figures were produced. X-Men: ACTS as the fictional characters whose classification is being debated. Removing them would change the subject of the lawsuit and the explanation of the tax rates.

Original caption

Marvel Sued The US Government #story #marvel #xmen

More from @thestockguy

On-screen text

twitch @TheStockGuy MARVEL SUED THE US GOVERNMENT SAYING THAT MUTANTS SHOULD NOT BE LEGALLY VIEWED AS HUMANS. YOU MIGHT SAY TO YOURSELF, THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE, THAT THEY'RE NOT REAL. THEY ARE TO THE TAX MAN. IN 1996, THERE WAS A TOY COMPANY. OKAY. AND IT WAS CALLED TOY BIZ. ALRIGHT. THEY WERE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY MADE THE ACTION FIGURES. NOW, MARVEL OWNED A BIG STAKE IN THEM THAT WAS BEHIND THE IP AND THE CHARACTERS AND THEY USED TOY BIZ TO MAKE THE ACTION FIGURES BACK THEN, IF YOU IMPORTED TOYS INTO THE UNITED STATES, WERE BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO DIFFERENT TAX RATES. IF YOU, IMPORTED SOMETHING THAT WENT IN THE HUMAN DOLL CATEGORY, YOU PAID OVER 12% IN IMPORT TAX. IN DUTY TAX. IF IT WAS CLASSIFIED UNDER TOYS, IT WAS 6.9%. MARVEL DECIDED WE DON'T WANT TO THROW OUR NAME BEHIND THIS. SO WE'RE GOING TO HELP OUT TOY BIZ TO PUT THEIR NAME BEHIND IT SO IN 1996 OKAY TOY BIZ. WITH THE BACKING OF MARVEL, ACTUALLY SUED THE US GOVERNMENT AND CUSTOMS SAYING MUTANTS ARE NOT HUMANS. THEIR ARGUMENT WAS IT WAS BASED AROUND X-MEN. AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF NON-HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS, AND IN 2003, THEY WON THE CASE. AND MUTANTS WERE THEN CLASSIFIED UNDER THE SAME CATEGORY AS ROBOTS AND MONSTERS. AND THEREFORE WERE NO LONGER SUBJECT TO THE 12% HUMAN DOLL TAX AND INSTEAD RELEGATED TO THE TOYS AT 6.9%. HERE'S THE LAST PART OF IT, THOUGH. MARVEL LATER, AFTER THE SETTLEMENT WAS OVER WE'RE WORRIED THEY WERE GOING TO LOSE SALES. BECAUSE HERE'S THE THING ABOUT X-MEN. WHY DID SO MANY PEOPLE LIKE THEM? BECAUSE THEY WERE PEOPLE WITH EXTRAORDINARY POWERS. IF THEY'RE GETTING TOLD THAT THEY'RE MONSTERS AND ROBOTS, IT KILLS WHAT THE X-MEN ARE, SO MARVEL WAITED TILL THE SETTLEMENT CAME OUT. AND THEN THEY WENT OUT AND THEY DID A PRESS RELEASE AND THEY COMMENTED THAT THE CHARACTERS WERE STILL LIVING AND BREATHING HUMAN BEINGS. WITH EXTRAORDINARY POWERS. THEY CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE THE LAW, THE LAW HAS ALREADY BEEN CHANGED TO A POINT WHERE FROM A IMPORT STANDPOINT, FROM A TAX STANDPOINT, THEY'RE NOT HUMANS.

Transcript

MARVEL SUED THE US GOVERNMENT SAYING THAT MUTANTS SHOULD NOT BE LEGALLY VIEWED AS HUMANS. YOU MIGHT SAY TO YOURSELF, THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE, THAT THEY'RE NOT REAL. THEY ARE TO THE TAX MAN. IN 1996, THERE WAS A TOY COMPANY. OKAY. AND IT WAS CALLED TOY BIZ. ALRIGHT. THEY WERE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY MADE THE ACTION FIGURES. NOW, MARVEL OWNED A BIG STAKE IN THEM THAT WAS BEHIND THE IP AND THE CHARACTERS AND THEY USED TOY BIZ TO MAKE THE ACTION FIGURES. BACK THEN, IF YOU IMPORTED TOYS INTO THE UNITED STATES, WERE BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO DIFFERENT TAX RATES. IF YOU, IMPORTED SOMETHING THAT WENT IN THE HUMAN DOLL CATEGORY, YOU PAID OVER 12% IN IMPORT TAX. IN DUTY TAX. IF IT WAS CLASSIFIED UNDER TOYS, IT WAS 6.9%. MARVEL DECIDED WE DON'T WANT TO THROW OUR NAME BEHIND THIS. SO WE'RE GOING TO HELP OUT TOY BIZ TO PUT THEIR NAME BEHIND IT SO IN 1996 OKAY TOY BIZ. WITH THE BACKING OF MARVEL, ACTUALLY SUED THE US GOVERNMENT AND CUSTOMS SAYING MUTANTS ARE NOT HUMANS. THEIR ARGUMENT WAS IT WAS BASED AROUND X-MEN. AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF NON-HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS, AND IN 2003, THEY WON THE CASE. AND MUTANTS WERE THEN CLASSIFIED UNDER THE SAME CATEGORY AS ROBOTS AND MONSTERS. AND THEREFORE WERE NO LONGER SUBJECT TO THE 12% HUMAN DOLL TAX AND INSTEAD RELEGATED TO THE TOYS AT 6.9%. HERE'S THE LAST PART OF IT, THOUGH. MARVEL LATER, AFTER THE SETTLEMENT WAS OVER WE'RE WORRIED THEY WERE GOING TO LOSE SALES. BECAUSE HERE'S THE THING ABOUT X-MEN. WHY DID SO MANY PEOPLE LIKE THEM? BECAUSE THEY WERE PEOPLE WITH EXTRAORDINARY POWERS. IF THEY'RE GETTING TOLD THAT THEY'RE MONSTERS AND ROBOTS, IT KILLS WHAT THE X-MEN ARE, SO MARVEL WAITED TILL THE SETTLEMENT CAME OUT. AND THEN THEY WENT OUT AND THEY DID A PRESS RELEASE AND THEY COMMENTED THAT THE CHARACTERS WERE STILL LIVING AND BREATHING HUMAN BEINGS. WITH EXTRAORDINARY POWERS. THEY CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE THE LAW, THE LAW HAS ALREADY BEEN CHANGED TO A POINT WHERE FROM A IMPORT STANDPOINT, FROM A TAX STANDPOINT, THEY'RE NOT HUMANS.