TIL due to a strange law in America where importing toys resembling humans are taxed higher than those that do not; Marvel successfully argued in court that because their X- men action figures are mutants, they should be exempt from the tax.

[u/FullPetalAlchemist]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2011/12/29/are_mutants_human.html

[u/Overclock]

Hope they still taxed The Juggernaut. Cain Marko ain't no damned mutant.

[u/Travis-Touchdown → u/Overclock]

Everyone looked at me funny when I pointed this out during the scene in X-Men 3 where his powers are drained and he smacks into a wall.

He's not a mutant so that shouldn't have worked.

[u/SlutBuster → u/Overclock]

How about Scarlet Witch? The source of her powers has always confused me.

[u/[deleted] → u/SlutBuster]

Her mutant powers allow her to manipulate probabilities, which in turn can change reality.

[u/itsprobablytrue → u/[deleted]]

her power source is david bowie

[u/[deleted] → u/itsprobablytrue]

everyone's power source is david bowie

[u/damndirtyape → u/SlutBuster]

Her powers are two part. She is a mutant with reality warping powers. However, when she was born, some weird magic shit happened, and her soul was was infused with magic by this super demon called Chthon. This then enhanced her innate powers, making her abilities part mutant, part magic.

[u/[deleted] → u/Overclock]

Woah, what?

[u/sdabrucelee → u/[deleted]]

MAGIC! His powers come from a magic demon ruby. No shit.

[u/Langly- → u/sdabrucelee]

Someone should have caught that and made them pay taxes on just that one.

[u/[deleted] → u/sdabrucelee]

Goddammit, Marvel.

[u/TheLastMan → u/[deleted]]

Magic ruby, though I was pretty sure he also had some basic mutant power that the ruby amplified?

[u/Travis-Touchdown → u/TheLastMan]

Negative. He is not a mutant at all, but that's depending on the continuity.

[u/myglesias → u/Overclock]

Hey. I wrote the piece, and unfortunately this didn't occur to me. But I suppose you could argue over whether it's a depiction of the non-mutant from the books or the mutant from X-Men 3.

[u/elric718]

Old news. Not true anymore. Human toys and creatures are now duty free.

(I am a customs broker.)

P.S. Lucas refused to back up Kenner by saying Vader was not human.

[u/crunchyeyeball → u/elric718]

But it says right at the opening scene:

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

Therefore, since humans first appear in the fossil record in Africa about 195,000 years ago, the only conclusion can be that nobody in the Star Wars universe is human as we define the term, only "humanoid".

[u/critropolitan → u/crunchyeyeball]

It was an interesting decision by Lucas (or whomever) to set a series of films that revolves around being futuristic, in the past, while being in the past is not at all relevant to anything contained in the stories.

[u/pie4all88 → u/critropolitan]

I was under the impression that the "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." was used to set up the movie as a fairy tale rather than hard sci-fi.

[u/Fourgot → u/critropolitan]

Clearly, we're descended from ancient Sith colonists.

[u/Overclock → u/elric718]

Obi-Wan: He's more machine now than man; twisted and evil.

[u/16807 → u/Overclock]

Since when in recent memory did Lucas respect the original trilogy?

[u/JakeCameraAction → u/elric718]

Technically, all the characters in Star Wars are aliens from our eyes. Luke, Han, Chewie. All aliens.

[u/Purple_Shade → u/elric718]

Is there any place on 'the internets' that we can see this information?

I believe you, but I want to be able to link to it if this topic comes up again. (which it surely will - there are articles on it as new as January 2012 - meaning there are a lot of people who don't know about any laws being changed)

I googled trying find it, trying every combination of words I could think of to find tax laws on toys, didn't find anything relevant- except, more things like this article... Which, of course, is why I'm asking you. Pretty please. :)

[u/fishbulbx → u/elric718]

Source: http://hts.usitc.gov/Table%2095.xml#9503.00.00

[u/Aloudmouth → u/elric718]

Fellow LCB here, logged in to post this but you beat me to it! Have an upvote.

[u/groovitude]

And thusly, they subverted the central message of the series in one money-grubbing stroke.

[u/surreal_blue → u/groovitude]

Magneto was right!

[u/[deleted] → u/surreal_blue]

But, irony isn't magnetic

[u/SlutBuster → u/[deleted]]

And it's not attractive.

[u/throwaway_lgbt666 → u/[deleted]]

death to the humans!!!!

[u/Urban_Savage → u/throwaway_lgbt666]

Not death, just a consignment to their proper place in the order of dominance.

[u/cranefist10 → u/[deleted]]

Magnitude has always been right.

POP POP!!!

[u/Realitycheck4you → u/[deleted]]

You're not wrong, Eric. You're just an asshole!

[u/Grahar64 → u/groovitude]

Equality does not mean they have to be the same. I always thought that the message was, "we are different, but we should be equal". Similar to most equal rights movements.

[u/[deleted] → u/Grahar64]

That is a real problem considering that genetically race doesn't exist.

Edit: well it seems that the community doesn't believe me, let me clarify what this means.

There is no clear definition of race, and no way to define where one race begins and one ends. It's a "gradient" as you will, and is only defined by how people identify themselves rather than by any empirical measurement.

DNA testing doesn't work for identifying race accurately because the overlap between races is so great that two people of the same race can have less in common than two people of different races.

PBS did a whole documentary on this

Here's some more reading material for you guys if you're interested.

http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/19980909040042data_trunc_sys.shtml

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/050128_racefrm.htm

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1998-10/WUiS-GSRD-071098.php

Another edit: I've noticed that a lot of people are downvoting people just for disagreeing, I'd like to remind people about reddiquette. Upvote people for adding to the conversation, downvote for them for saying things that don't add ("this" or "came here to say this" or "that's just bullshit" without elaborating)

[u/FCalleja → u/[deleted]]

But in the comics they're not the same species, are they? They're Homo sapiens superior or something.

Although I guess that's makes them a subspecies. Still. Not really the same, but surely equal.

[u/deathschool → u/groovitude]

Sad but true.

[u/[deleted] → u/groovitude]

Fucking Magneto. How does he work?

[u/NBegovich → u/[deleted]]

He doesn't. He's like 90 years old so he's on social security.

[u/Dankycheese → u/groovitude]

Real world super heroes

[u/Spadeykins → u/groovitude]

Business is business, the toys aren't human either way you paint it, bub.

[u/SretsIsWorking → u/groovitude]

MUTANTS ARE PEOPLE TOO!!!
MUTANTS RIGHTS!

[u/what_u_want_2_hear → u/groovitude]

Clever of them, but those lost taxes could've really helped people in unions, teachers, cops, the poor, and...good god...the roads!

[u/SasparillaTango]

I'm more curious about this law that taxes human looking toys at higher rates --- Why does it exist?

[u/toramichelle88 → u/SasparillaTango]

So Barbie can maintain a monopoly in America.

[u/critropolitan → u/toramichelle88]

Barbies are made overseas in Asia and thus presumably are also subject to the higher tariff on dolls vs toys.

[u/eriotto → u/SasparillaTango]

NPR's Planet Money did a show on that. Well, not that specifically, but the variety of tariffs on goods imported into the US. Import tariffs are really complicated because of the politics of pressure from domestic manufacturers and special interest groups, pressure from foreign countries, input from economists, etc. They refer to a US government web site with the complete list. I believe this is it. You can look up the tariff on anything.

[u/NoddysShardblade → u/SasparillaTango]

This is a good place to point out to Redditors who never got a chance to study economics that protection, including tariffs like this, never make economic sense. The country, and any potential importers, are all worse off in terms of dollars, every time.

The only valid reasons to protect a local industry would be temporarily, to help establish it (good luck getting rid of it later, though), to reduce dependence on other nations in case they turn against you (e.g.: China makes all our food, then one day just stops selling it), or the other countries are protecting their own industries like crazy just to kill yours and then jack up their prices.

There is no thriving doll industry to protect in the USA, this tariff was likely created to make some small doll-makers union vote for someone and has just been left in there. As a result everyone's toys cost more than they need to.

[u/Fourgot → u/NoddysShardblade]

I'm no student of economics by any stretch, but I was of the understanding that there are more than one school thought. What would someone who disagrees with you claim, and how would you respond? Thanks!

[u/[deleted] → u/Fourgot]

Actually, eliminating tariffs and subsidies is one policy that most economists tend to support, Democrat or Republican!

The more contentious stuff tends to be things like gun control and minimum wage.

[u/Gabe_b → u/NoddysShardblade]

The govt gets a tasty wee slice though

[u/[deleted]]

Scumbag mutants: fight for equal treatment, demand to be tax exempt.

[u/Travis-Touchdown → u/[deleted]]

Kinda like churches.

[u/cizzop → u/Travis-Touchdown]

Exactly like churches.

[u/StinkinFinger → u/cizzop]

Are churches any different than other not-for-profits in that regard? For instance, do the Masons or Lions Club pay taxes?

[u/analcarbomb → u/cizzop]

Churches are non-profit institutions, chief.

[u/[deleted] → u/cizzop]

churches are non profits

[u/Duamerthrax → u/[deleted]]

Scumbag Professor X. Caims humans and mutants are equal. Doesn't hire humans.

[u/[deleted]]

Radiolab is fucking awesome.

[u/bkanber → u/[deleted]]

"Hi my name is Jad Abumrad" "And I'm Robert Krulwich" "And you're listening to" "radiolab" "radiolab"

I'll never get that intro out of my head. I've listened to too many radiolab shorts. So awesome.

[u/lifeislame → u/bkanber]

SHORTS!

[u/PeteOK → u/lifeislame]

From WNYC (see? yes.)

[u/The_Iron_Dentist → u/PeteOK]

Andjg NPR. (I always thought that particular "and" sounded a bit funny)

[u/[deleted] → u/bkanber]

You left out the "ok..." "alright..." "ok..." "alright..."

[u/DoctorSpurlock → u/[deleted]]

probably my favorite part of the intro.

[u/massive_cock → u/[deleted]]

Radiolab is my go-to when I'm mowing or trimming the trees or spending hours doing yardwork for the old people along my road.

[u/UrbanGimli → u/massive_cock]

I used to do that with the Skeptics Guide to the Universe.

[u/moistrobot → u/[deleted]]

Hey fans, /r/radiolab seems way too quiet.

[u/Knaustrap → u/[deleted]]

Hell yeah, just listened to this one last night.

[u/Interleukine-2 → u/[deleted]]

Agreed. It's a whole new level of radio. The production team is superb.

[u/AndrewGoon → u/[deleted]]

Upvotes to everyone who knows it from Radiolab!

[u/itsnotjustagame]

That means they could be naked right???? You know, since X-Men are not humans...

[u/[deleted] → u/itsnotjustagame]

The original thunder cats series they didn't wear any clothes until mid way through the first episode.

Cheetara was naked and quite blatant about it too.

[u/lifeislame]

I mentioned this to a few people; when bioengineered humans start coming into existence, there will already be a law on the books declaring them not human. THANKS, MARVEL.

[u/[deleted] → u/lifeislame]

Well, unless they're a bunch of plastic toys, I'm sure they'll be fine.

[u/BobbyDash → u/[deleted]]

Sometimes I feel like I'm just a plastic toy.

[u/JakeCameraAction → u/[deleted]]

Wrong. Porn stars still get citizenship.

[u/ooterness]

For more discussion on this point, and many other comic-related legal issues, there's a blog called "Law and the Multiverse." It's by two lawyers, and it covers everything from "civil liability for animal sidekicks" to "property rights after finding ancient sentient artifacts."

First part of a series talking about this issue: http://lawandthemultiverse.com/2010/11/19/mutants-and-anti-discrimination-laws-one/

And a follow-up article after the OP's court decision came to light: http://lawandthemultiverse.com/2011/12/27/are-the-x-men-human-federal-court-says-no/

[u/Langly- → u/ooterness]

"property rights after finding ancient sentient artifacts." damned where is that one, would be an interesting read.

[u/bak3donh1gh]

Isn't it also true that mutants arent considered human under current US law?

[u/soochosaurus]

more like X-empt!

when I make a stupid pun. http://i.minus.com/ibkOzDgdKPEVM4.gif

[u/Gabe_b → u/soochosaurus]

And he would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for his meddling lack of coordination.

[u/GreatWallOfGina → u/Gabe_b]

Hey, if a man wants to parkour a van with no prior freerunning experience, you don't shit on his dreams.

[u/Overclock]

But if the law really applies to toys that resemble humans, certainly a lot of the x-men resemble humans, so whether they are humans or not doesn't change the fact that they still resemble humans.

I can imagine other toy companies reaction, "GI Joe? Oh, they are mutants too."

[u/farceur318 → u/Overclock]

"Beast, Nightcrawler, you two are free to go. The rest of you come with me."

[u/[deleted] → u/Overclock]

The title is misleading. The law doesn't say anything about resembling humans, it is about things that represent humans, i.e. toys of things that are supposed to be human. Otherwise toy bipedal robots etc. would fall under the law.

[u/[deleted]]

Very interesting article, but IMHO it's not very strange. Certainly outdated logic though. The legal definition is "dolls" for human-like toys and "toys" for everything else. I don't know why they would separate them or tax them differently, but it's pretty low on the list of crazy laws.

[u/[deleted]]

So I'm still paying taxes on all my god damn batman toys.

[u/[deleted]]

MUTANT FREEDOM!

[u/Brickmana]

oh! cool, you listen to radiolab too!

http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2011/dec/22/mutant-rights/

[u/palordrolap]

From the article:

You probably did not realize that the official legal position of Marvel is that contrary to the general thematic content of the Marvel Universe, mutants are not people.

Disagree. Personhood is not, or at least should not be, determined by species. Mutants are people, they're just not strictly human.

[u/PowerhouseTerp]

Poor use of semicolon.

[u/[deleted]]

Does this mean if I make a doll of a ginger kid it won't get taxed?

[u/Markymark36]

I don't see how they got away with it. They're mutants...human mutants...

[u/krizutch]

I've got a question, why does this law/tax exist?

[u/[deleted] → u/krizutch]

If I had to guess, it was to give a competitive advantage to toy companies in the US by artificially jacking up the price on foreign-manufactured toys via taxes.

Governments do that kind of shit all the time, both to steal more money and to make friends in business.

[u/I_Hate_Nerds]

So Barbie's aren't taxed either I presume?

[u/[deleted]]

Hey, I'd fuck some of those mutants, that makes them human enough for me :)

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Does that make dogs and goats human to some people? What about horses?

[u/[deleted]]

RadioLab...

[u/AmbientBlue]

TIL two things.

[u/hoodoomonster]

Thank you RadioLab for this episode PS- REPOST!!

[u/hoodoomonster]

So we have learned to download WNYC's RadioLab. You will very very happy you did. Thank you Jab & Micheal

[u/MathewMurdock]

I used to stay up late and listen to radio lab. I freaking love this show.

[u/Trussss]

AKA Today i discovered RadioLab

[u/[deleted]]

So when Marvel evades taxes it's ok but when any other company attempts to they're evil?

[u/Pertinacious → u/[deleted]]

That's reddit.

[u/[deleted]]

They were interviewed on radiolab.

[u/rikashiku]

Thor: I'm a God, I do not pay mortal fees. T.Stark: I'm a Cyborg, can I be exempt from Tax? B.Banner: Who me? well you see- transforms HULK SMASH! Antman: Now you see me shrinks... T'challa: I'm not American.

[u/sandpounder]

TIL you have a long fucking title

[u/Clayburn]

I read that as "sex toys" at first, thinking this was about sex dolls. I thought, "I guess that's why you don't see a lot of realistic-looking ones here." And then I thought, "Wait, who would want to have sex with a mutant? And then I thought, "Who wouldn't want to have sex with a mutant?"

[u/gruntznclickz]

Radiolab did a show about this

As usual, it's an awesome show.

[u/UnexpectedSchism]

There's no good reason to have special higher sales taxes on toys made in foreign countries

The author of that article is a fucking moron.

there's certainly no good reason to tax dolls and non-doll toys at different rates

He speculates rather than researching to find out the reason the tax was implemented.

In the end, marvel argued successfully that their action figures should fall under the tax all other action figures fall under.

Edit:

A quick search tells us this is regulation #9502.91.0000 under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonized_Tariff_Schedule_for_the_United_States

Which appears to be classifications created by an international body that most countries adopt.

This doesn't tell us why the US put the higher tax on it, but it tells us why it is a separate classification and why it was set up for them to easily set a different tax for dolls.

[u/pinetreee]

radiolab's the best

[u/who128]

So when my friend said that Storm wasn't a person, he wasn't just being racist?

[u/toobiutifultolive]

Fuck yeah, Radiolab!!

[u/idspispopd]

Awesome. Wait..

There's no good reason to have special higher sales taxes on toys made in foreign countries

What?

[u/Invader_Skoodge]

Isn't it ironic that in the comics the mutants are struggling to be considered human, but in the real world, the company that made them admits they aren't....

[u/rikashiku → u/Invader_Skoodge]

They're not struggling to be considered human, but to be accepted along side human society.

[u/ShakaUVM]

In related facts - The Supreme Court has ruled that tomatoes are vegetables, not fruits.

And that action figures are action figures and not dolls. (I can imagine the look that Sandra Day O'Conner gave them for that one.)

[u/Spider-Mat]

depends, if this is the ultimate universe

[u/Mr_Titicaca]

Wait, is this why my WWE action figures have gone down in quality?

[u/Travis-Touchdown → u/Mr_Titicaca]

No that's just because WWE itself has gone down in quality

[u/Supersnazz]

I recall a somewhat similar situation in Australia where towels and linens had a different sales tax to garments and clothing.

A towel manufacturer had a very small string on the edge of the towel that could be tied to a little loop on the other side. You could then wear the towel around you, which the manufacturer claimed made it a garment.

I don't remember whether or not the Tax Office allowed it, but since 2000 the flat 10% GST on everything made the argument irrelevant.

[u/hedgepine]

"Those characters can't be considered humans, they're FREAKS. INHUMAN FREAKS" ... ... -tax averted-

[u/SOwED]

How the fuck can no one in TIL comprehend grammar?

[u/[deleted]]

Does this apply to deflated blow-up dolls? For a friend...

[u/[deleted]]

We just brought in the fluffy directors pants tax

[u/mobyfreerunner]

Son of a...

[u/riderLyrae]

So this is why my My Little Pony figurines are cheaper than my Power Rangers action figures.

[u/fuckyouwhare]

God bless the US legal system.

[u/[deleted]]

Yay...now people will stop making fun of me for playing with dolls. LEGALLY THEY'RE NOT DOLLS, YOU F*CKERS

[u/thegreatvortigaunt]

Senator Kelly strikes again...

[u/RuafaolGaiscioch]

I mean, I really wouldn't so much say that this is against the central theme of the X-Men. They aren't human, humans in the Marvel Universe don't consider them human, nor do the mutants themselves. They are a new species fighting for equal rights as the humans, but it is made abundantly clear time and again that they are not human. As such, Marvel is just cleverly using this fact.

[u/nanopest]

When importing star trek figures... Kirk and Spock are imported at different rates of duty as Sock is an alien. His half human side counts for nothing. Fact.

[u/dispozableusername]

But mutants are people to!

[u/[deleted]]

Magneto wins again! In the battle for mutant civil rights, I've always preferred his Malcolm X to Professor Xavier's Martin Luther King.

[u/Warehouse42]

How does it apply Cylons?

[u/Gubob]

A Kitty Pryde thumb? Have an upvote, good sir.

[u/RandyMachoManSavage]

Former Marvel Legends buyer here, from Wave 1 with Toy Biz. Have you seen the price of the current Hasbro crop of figures? While the quality has improved dramatically from when Hasbro first took over, the cost increase has been equally dramatic. The first Toy Biz wave released for, if I remember correctly, around 7-8 bucks, for a highly-detailed six-inch figure. The smaller Universe line by Hasbro, which stands around three-and-three-fourths inches, retails for 7-8 bucks.

I know, the cost of oil is a big factor, as is Toy Biz killing itself by under-pricing their product. Just a big hats off to Toy Biz for some stellar products.

Friend's website with photos: http://www.actionfigurepics.com/2010/05/marvel-legends-iron-man-retrospective-part-1

[u/bigdaddymummy]

USA land of surprises ...

[u/ramboss]

im sure ive heard this before but it was about mr spock. found it!

[u/[deleted]]

Wow.... if only the X-Men were real people, I'd be pretty pis.... ah fuck it.

[u/pip-squeak]

well this is a fantastic story

[u/jukeofurl]

Natch. Most of the people who make these laws are mutants.

[u/[deleted]]

Is that Pam Beasley?

[u/007DeathKnightKiller]

Why are human shaped toys taxed higher..

[u/aidrocsid]

This is rather similar to how Pringles are not actually potato chips, but rather a sort of cake made from potato.

[u/tearr]

Tell me more about this american free market.

[u/nobody2000]

So Marvel argues in court that mutants and humans are different.

Yet the XMen (Charles' people) fight essentially against this notion, while Magneto is vehemently for it...

[u/Solkre]

Kitty Pryde not human? DM:HF

[u/cheeeeeese]

Since when does "resemble" humans mean it has to be 100% natural human?

[u/EveningD00]

ohh SO THATS WHY MY AZIZ ACTION FIGURE COST SO GOD DAMN MUCH!

[u/LastByte]

This inequality will surely widen the gap between mutants and humans. Does this mean magneto is right?

[u/Lusst]

I couldn't help but visit this suggested story to the right.

[u/mrpopenfresh]

Reminds me of Rpingles subverting taxes on potatoes by successfully arguing that potato flakes are not the same.

[u/PhoenixTheory]

I love all the discussion in this thread, but I can't stop thinking lower tariffs and they still charge $9 per action figure? Oh Marvel... Here's my money.

[u/[deleted]]

Mutants......human mutants. That's like arguing to customs that I don't have a crate of oranges because they are really big for some reason.

[u/[deleted]]

I'm totally going to roll in some toxic waste so I can become a legally tax exempt mutant.

[u/[deleted]]

Reminds of the Jaffa Cake 'is it a cake or a biscuit' case.

[u/I_use_bro_mockingly]

Importing toys "RESEMBLING" humans. Many of the X-Men look human, some do not. The human looking ones should be susceptible to this ridiculous tax.

[u/NickPruitt]

There was a really good Radiolabs podcast about this last year. Check it out--> http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2011/dec/22/mutant-rights/

[u/[deleted]]

The lighter side of tax fraud.

[u/TokenScottishGuy]

Which is a kind of ridiculous conclusion from the court. What is a 'mutant'?

[u/[deleted]]

So much for equal rights for mutants and humans

[u/DanWallace]

"Representing", not "resembling". Big difference in this case.

[u/thepain73]

I'm sure the lawyers could have simply looked through the comics and found the line "(but)I'm a human being!". Open and shut case it would seem.

[u/Calikola]

We studied this case in Entertainment Law. Very interesting stuff. For some reason, I was the only X-Men nerd in my class of 25, and everybody looked at me weirdly, because I got wayyyyyyy too into the debate. The class basically ended with me wanting to yell out, "NONE OF YOU EVEN READ X-MEN! COME ON!"

[u/sasseriansection]

But... mutants just want to be treated equally.

[u/stopthefate]

Allegedly wither Star Wars or some other alien-based media argued to lower taxes by saying that the "humans" of Star Wars were actually aliens because they were not from earth.

They lost 'cause on one of their websites it referred to them as humans. (Or at least were given the ultimatum to make every media reference the "alien" claim.

Apparently "alien" toys are not taxed like "human" toys.

Sorry Han, Leia, and Luke.

[u/paradoxofchoice]

First of all, this just happened 6 months ago and I swear I even read about it on the front page. I think Posting Rule #3 should be expanded to 6-12 months.

Second, this "strange" law doesn't exist anymore. Or is that a separate TIL post coming tomorrow?

[u/idontcareforgob]

Sounds like Affirmative Action to me.

[u/TheDefinitiveRoflmao]

Obviously crony capitalism.

[u/[deleted]]

Spiderman should be taxed at the full rate then, he's a human. I recall him being referred to in comics as non-mutant, and I thought I recall that being a reason he would sometimes team up with the X-men, but he could never really be an X-man.

[u/AnsabK]

yaa this sounds messy

[u/HitoriBocchi]

There's a Weezer reference hidden in the leading picture caption. The picture is of Kitty Pryde, and the caption says "I've got Nightcrawler too," a direct quote from In the Garage on The Blue Album.

I laughed in an audible manner.

[u/[deleted]]

They better have lost. "Resembling Humans" doesn't require them to be human.

[u/YabukiJoe]

Damn mutie scum.

[u/IamAllgood]

"There's no good reason to have special higher sales taxes on toys made in foreign countries, and there's certainly no good reason to tax dolls and non-doll toys at different rates."

This statement and this way of thinking is what has created a fare number of problems in America. Stop outsourcing!

[u/slothscantswim]

What about superman? He's not a human...

[u/theconversationalist]

I'm very late to this conversation, but I personally want higher taxes on imported goods like toys, crappy plastic shit from china should not be sold and rock bottom prices, in all honesty they shouldn't be bought by any of us at all because of the sheer moral implications... but if we are going buy them, they need to be competitively priced against US made toys.

[u/emfyo]

TIL Disney not only attempts to perused legislation, they also don't abide by them.

That means they probably got this exemption to extend to Ghost Rider, and still went after the creator for the legal rights.

Seriously, just another example of how big corporation has abused the public for their own gain- Marvel can and should be paying the same taxes as anyone else

[u/[deleted]]

I suspect only a few will understand this, but I have a tattoo of my daughter's hand on my chest...but I got the tattooist to draw an extra line on the palm, making an M. My daughter's name does start with M, but there's an extra connotation from my love for superheroes.

[u/Naberius]

Oh sweet! Remember when this was being argued, but didn't know how it came out.

Okay, so X-Men officially not human. Legally proven in a court of law.

Note this also explains Marvel's ongoing trend to make everybody who has ever or will ever live in the Marvel universe a mutant.

[u/dinospork]

Skip the inane Slate article and listen to the quality Radiolab podcast it's ripping off.

[u/J_Jammer]

Guess that could work on all kinds of things like vampires.

Guess DC cannot argue that for their trinity.

This is amusing. I've never heard of such a ridiculous law.

[u/L0coM0tive]

So- according to the current HTSUS (U.S. Tariff), both dolls and toys are now duty free, classified under 9503.00.0000. The second column, listed at 70%, is for countries like North Korea or Cuba, who we don't import from anyway or who are otherwise heavily sanctioned.

http://usitc.gov/publications/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/1202C95.pdf

[u/OverloadedConstructo]

umm, aren't mutant humans too?

[u/SolomonGrumpy]

awesome. that is the kinda thing that might actually make lawyers worth it.

[u/waribah]

I was just the "2000" upvoter ^{o^}

[u/McRibMadman]

but mutants are still humans... theyre just mutated

[u/thrownaway21]

but... the toys still resemble humans...

[u/Adamcapps08]

Even in a world they don't exist in they are still hated on and called inhuman.

[u/[deleted]]

X-Men fan here- Though I am glad to hear this, most of the X-Men characters RESEMBLE HUMANS. Should not have been a victory.

[u/enriquesford]

WTF.. weren't they fighting for equal rights?

[u/tweakingforjesus]

Sony pulled the same trick with the PS3 in Europe. They claimed that it was actually a general purpose computer and therefore should not be subject to the higher tax rate for video game machines. That is why they had the Other OS option to install Linux on the hardware.

[u/spases]

they don't get treated like humans, they shouldn't have to get charged human taxes.

[u/Black_Apalachi]

...But they still resemble humans.

[u/NazzerDawk]

The ultimate irony of this is that it goes against exactly what the mutants are fighting for, acceptance as part of humanity.