The year is 2026, and the "Chicken Lips" are officially back. After thirty years of legal limbo, the most iconic logo in computing history has finally been rescued from the vultures.
The Commodore Resurrection: How a YouTuber Bought a Legend
For three decades, the Commodore brand was a "zombie IP." Since the original company’s bankruptcy in 1994, the name and the famous "C=" logo have been passed around like a hot potato. It was used to sell everything from generic Android tablets and e-cigarettes to overpriced PC cases—none of which captured the "magic" of the original 6502-powered breadbins.
| That changed in 2025. Christian Simpson—known to the retro world as Perifractic from the Retro Recipes YouTube channel—pulled off the ultimate "pro-gamer move." He, along with a group of angel investors, successfully acquired Commodore Corporation B.V. and its 47 original trademarks in a deal worth a "low seven-figure sum." |  |
The Mission: "Honouring the Past, Innovating the Future"
Unlike previous owners, Perifractic isn't a corporate liquidator; he’s a restorer. His vision for the new Commodore International is to end the "schlock" and restore the brand's dignity through three specific pillars:
- Authentic Restoration: Official, licensed replacement parts and "New Old Stock" style kits for original hardware.
- Premium FPGA Hardware: Moving away from laggy software emulation toward hardware-level accuracy.
- The "Council of Elders": Bringing back original legends like Bil Herd (C128 lead engineer) and Michael Tomczyk (VIC-20 creator) as advisors.
The Flagship: The Commodore 64 Ultimate
The first major release under this new era is the Commodore 64 Ultimate. This isn’t a "Mini" console that fits in your palm; it’s a full-sized, heavy-duty machine designed for the modern enthusiast. It features:
- FPGA Core: Uses an AMD/Xilinx Artix-7 chip to simulate the original circuitry with 99.9% accuracy.
- Mechanical Keys: Custom Gateron Pro 3.0 switches with 55g actuation force—bringing a "luxury" feel to the classic keyboard layout.
- Modern Connectivity: 4K HDMI out, USB-C power, and an internal SD card slot, but with a twist—it still supports original Datasette players and 1541 disk drives.
The Legal Maze: What about Amiga?
It is important to note that the "Commodore" brand is a puzzle of many pieces. While Perifractic’s team owns the Trademarks (the names and logos), the Software Intellectual Property (the ROMs and AmigaOS) remains a separate legal battleground involving companies like Cloanto and Hyperion. However, by owning the brand, the new Commodore can now act as a "Unified Licensee," finally giving creators a legal, official way to use the logo on their modern-retro projects.
Be Part of the History
The resurrection is just beginning. Whether you are looking for an official capacitor kit to save your original C64 or you want the "Founders Edition" of the new Ultimate, the future of 8-bit computing has never looked brighter.