FAQ
What is the status of the Commodore brand acquistion?
On 31 July 2025, we completed the full acquisition of the whole of Commodore Corporation, signing the final papers in The Netherlands - having completed payment ahead of schedule. This acquisition includes all 47 original Commodore trademarks, the oldest dating back to 1983. We’re proud to have achieved this milestone and thank you sincerely for your faith and support in making it happen.
What’s the product strategy?
Commodore is built on two clear pathways: Retro and Modern. We call it retro • futurism - honouring the past, innovating the future. For every nostalgic offering, expect a modern counterpart that fits our mission as the Digital Detox Brand™. We're already taking the first steps to craft the first of those with a world-class hardware partner, centred around a clear vision.
But it starts with the Commodore® 64 Ultimate; a faithful hardware revival. Alongside that, we’re licensing standout community creations and carefully developing new tech with today’s needs in mind. No hype, no guesswork - only what’s truly wanted.
Is it more than just nostalgia?
Nostalgia is one of our two core pillars - alongside modern innovation. Like yin and yang, these forces balance and strengthen each other in that retro • futurism approach.
The commercial power of nostalgia is real - and it will help fuel and fund the development of modern, forward-facing products in turn. It’s a symbiotic cycle: retro inspires, modern sustains. Commodore isn’t returning. It’s evolving, with purpose.
Will Commodore's return be safe for small developers and the retro Commodore community?
We fully support the community that’s kept Commodore alive - we were born from it! Commodore today is founded by key figures within the retro scene who understand its values firsthand.
We’re not here to shut down creators. That wouldn't make any sense at all. If you’re selling commercial, compatible products without using official trademarks, you’re free to continue - or apply for a license to use ours. If you have, for example, a BBS or YouTube channel etc. with the word "Commodore" used in the name in an obviously harmless way, as a fan, and have ideally added a note somewhere that it is "unofficial", that's cool too. We get it. #wearecommodore
How do I get my product licensed or sold by Commodore?
For those who want to use the official logos or branding, or propose other partnerships and ideas, we’ll be offering a simple and fair pathway later this year directly through this website. It will include a quality control pipeline, tracking of your submission (e.g. "On Peri's desk!"), and other tools. But there's no pressure, and no obligation. Just an option many have dreamed of.
How much will you charge for official Commodore licenses?
Past owners charged flat fees or high percentages - often with complicated terms. We’re keeping it simple: just 6.4% of net sales. Full stop. (We call it "Commodore 6.4").
If you sell a product - say a Commodore case badge - for $1 net, you send us 6 cents. No setup fees. No hassle. We want to support creators, not drain them, while keeping Commodore from blipping out again at the same time.
Can I send you my ideas for Commodore?
We are inspired by the creativity and passion of our fans. We love hearing from people who care about the brand, want to see it thrive, and want to contribute to its success. Having said that, like any company, Commodore cannot accept or commit to using unsolicited ideas or proposals for products, features, or other ventures, and anything sent will be deleted. Here’s why:
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We’re often working on our own concepts, internally, and sometimes those can look similar to what fans propose. For perhaps obvious reasons, we often can’t share what those concepts are before we’re ready to talk about them publicly.
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To avoid misunderstandings, we can’t promise to review, keep confidential, or compensate for ideas that are sent to us.
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Of course we cannot force you not to send an idea - but if you do, please understand that, for our protection, it will be treated as non-confidential and Commodore may independently develop or use the same or similar ideas without obligation.
Our intention with this policy is to protect both you and us. We truly value your passion and support; along with solid legal protection it’s what keeps the spirit of Commodore alive!
Is Commodore attending conventions right now?
We’ve had many kind event invitations (a great problem to have!), but we mustn't rush into unprepared appearances. Commodore has waited 30 years, and was only fully acquired on 31 July 2025 - so when we do a convention, it must be done right, with a presence that matches our vision of sitting alongside brands like Apple - only less toxic.
Large shows require major investment and weeks of planning, so we’ll focus on bigger events starting in 2026. More modest shows may be supported through a Community Partner Program, where trusted fans or stores can represent Commodore informally at a Camp Commodore table or small booth, with branded materials and demos.
In short - if Commodore is officially present, you’ll know it; we won't be a small corner stand with one poster. If not, community partners may step in. We’ll have decades of conventions ahead, so missing a few very early ones is a small price for doing it right.
This won’t another failed Commodore reboot right?
The benefit of being a second attempt at the real Commodore is that we’ve learned from the past and are doing things differently. We’re elevating trusted, community-loved projects, not slapping the logo on random gadgets like a shredder. Nobody wants Commodore® Curling Irons.
And we're managing our money extremely carefully, with a world-class team including Chief Financial Officer Alex Rozenblat (formerly VP Finance, Disney/Fox). Our roadmap is steady, our standards are high, and the people behind this effort are part of the very community that kept Commodore’s spirit alive for over 30 years. Simply, we answer questions like this through execution rather than explanation.
Why are there Commodore channels on social media if you’re against social media?
It’s a fair question. Think of it this way - if you wanted to help people stop smoking, you’d need to start the conversation where the smokers are: at the cigar shop.
Commodore is returning partly as The Digital Detox Brand™, but social media is still where many in the community gather. We’re here to connect, share updates, and gently offer a different path - one built on creativity, clarity, and calm, optimistic tech. We don’t reject the platform. We reject the toxicity, and the algorithms designed to keep users trapped in a loop.
What’s the cool Japanese text on your website and merch?
コモドール (Komodōru) is the Japanese katakana spelling for Commodore. It’s a nod to the brand’s global legacy - and the era when Japanese tech design helped define the look and feel of computing’s golden age, not to mention retro-futurism of course.
Is Amiga part of Commodore?
Well, Amiga was a Commodore! Later, at least. But, officially, not yet - though we’d love it to be. And we won't repeat the mistakes of the past relating to that. We’re in open dialogue with the most relevant rights holder to explore a potential reunion, and techno-optimism is in the air. Commodore and Amiga belong together in spirit, and we hope to make that true in practice as well. We're just waiting for them to give the green light and let the fun begin.
This isn’t a brand cash grab is it?
Commodore has been rebooted from a place of deep love - for the brand, for its connection to childhood, for the magic it represented, and for the promise of the future it once held and now holds again. Every company needs cash to operate, but that doesn't make it a cash grab every time.
Plus, only carefully selected, high-quality products that respect that legacy will earn the right to use our name. Our mission is thoughtful restoration, not reckless licensing. We’re not here to stick logos on widgets for quick profit.
More than that, we aim to create meaningful technology that improves lives - tools that support creativity, learning, and digital wellbeing. Watch us be Calculating in that. That mission will unfold in real time. And ultimately, it will answer this question better than any corporate statement ever could.
Is a "YouTuber" qualified to lead this?
For our CEO, that journey began eight years ago on a whim, pointing an old smartphone at a Commodore 64 diode installation he was undertaking, to make a video about a hobby he loved. The community asked him to continue, and 40M views later, here we are. Commodore is back.
But a YouTuber label is one tiny part of a much bigger picture that includes three decades of creative work, patents, property development across four countries, and a business career that began with factory tooling setups and retail sales of his inventions by age 24 - just like now with Commodore. This isn’t a media project. It’s a structured revival led by someone with a proven history of turning vision into reality, as set out in "Let's Buy Commodore - Part 1"; that video intended as a resumé, handed to the community for the job application as CEO, and vocally accepted by the commenters.
Jack Tramiel himself started Commodore not as a corporate executive, but similarly as a hands-on worker repairing typewriters. Commodore has always been built by doers.
Is AI video used in marketing?
It's not. Our partner channel Retro Recipes occasionally uses clearly labelled AI in whimsical parody sketches aimed to raise a smile, and usually trained on the faces of the owners of the channel. It’s separate from Commodore the corporation though, and that’s clearly stated on the channel.
As for Commodore: AI might be used where it adds meaningful value - such as accessibility tools or educational resources. For example, if a national curriculum or education ministry begins requiring AI coding teaching, we may release educational tools that recognise that. Ignoring such realities would risk repeating history - and our CEO's main job is making sure Commodore never blips out of existence again.
We also want to be clear: 100% of our creative work is made by actual humans. Every merchandise design, the motherboards in our computers, even the retro-futuristic 3D banner up there, were crafted by talented artists. We embrace progress, but only when it serves people. And remember, the first AI programs were running on Commodore computers. Who remembers ELIZA and NIALL, the Near Intelligent Artificial Language Learner? He actually wrote this FAQ! (No, not really).
Are you working with Retro Games Ltd.?
Yes - we stay in close contact with the makers of incredible THEC64® Mini, THEC64 Maxi, THEA500® Mini, and its upcoming big sister. Our dream at Commodore is a single, joined-up family of Commodore machines, from superb-value, low latency emulators, to premium chip-based systems. Collaboration, not competition, is how we build a stronger future for fans. That's all anyone really wants.
Truth is, we have already been unofficial partners for years in a way. Retro Games Ltd. gave our President & CEO prototypes to review, and the resulting videos about RGL devices have brought their computers to over two million eyeballs. Commodore can't wait to work with them more officially in the near future. Watch this space for a more formal statement...