Robotech Reboot!?

[Tony/Otaku]

http://spinoff.comicbookresources.co...ts-300-writer/

Please tell me this isnt true? I wont lie, Robotech got me into anime as a kid. But I prefer Macross.

[Xellos-_^]

doubt it, WB is going to have to negotiate with the Japanese license holders and deal with the license troll HG.

[Jan-Poo]

300 hundred writers!

They should just create their own mecha cartoon at this point. Who is the copyright holder of the name "Robotech" anyway?

[Nightbat®]

Still trying to milk it for all it's worth,...again

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

300 hundred writers!

They should just create their own mecha cartoon at this point. Who is the copyright holder of the name "Robotech" anyway?

Harmony Gold

[Bri]

There will be no Macross or Valkyries in this movie given the legal rights situation. If it ever moves beyond the development stage it can only use designs from Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada, assuming the movie designers won't do their own thing.

Harmony Gold and Tasunoko Productions have a long standing relationship.

[Nightbat®]

Originally Posted by Bri

Harmony Gold and Tasunoko Productions have a long standing relationship.

I'm more inclined to believe Tatsunoko shot themselves in the foot with giving HG an unlimited license for the US market

[Xellos-_^]

i wonder if it is cheaper just to buy out HG (corporate takeover).

the company stock prices can't be that high.

[Bri]

Originally Posted by Nightbat®

I'm more inclined to believe Tatsunoko shot themselves in the foot with giving HG an unlimited license for the US market

Nah, Tatsunoko are the senior partners in the relationship with HG. HG has to pay to renew that license every 10 years and it's far from unlimited. HG just owns the name Robotech and holds a trademark to the name Macross in the US and Europe.

The basic gist is that Tasunoko (anime studio) can't do anything with the Macross property. They fought a long court battle in Japan with Big West (sponsor) and Studio Nue (designs) in regard to the rights to Macross. In the end they only own the international distribution and international merchandising rights to SDFM and DYRL. They are more than happy to make some money of the licenses they give out to HG, while HG's trademarks keep the Macross sequels and related merchandise, from which Tasunoko earns nothing, off the international markets.

[Xellos-_^]

another license troll, wish they go bankrupt with HG.

[aohige]

Said this a thousand times over the course of multiple decades:

Harmony Gold just needs to hurry up and die. Their income can't possibly be that high anyways, just.... go. away.

[Yu Ominae]

Saw in the ANN forums that a couple of peeps at least want to give this a chance.

Yeah...

[Ithekro]

I'd rather see if the North American live action Star Blazers movie goes anyplace before going into Robotech again.

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by aohige

Said this a thousand times over the course of multiple decades:

Harmony Gold just needs to hurry up and die. Their income can't possibly be that high anyways, just.... go. away.

Agreed.

Yeah, like the OP, I credit Robotech and HG for getting me into anime, but that's it. They need to go.

Endless "Wishful thinking" Soul

[Nightbat®]

Originally Posted by Bri

In the end they only own the international distribution and international merchandising rights to SDFM and DYRL.

IIRC DYRL is solely in the hands of Big West/Studio Nue
I believe HG is limited to the designs used in the TV series (I believe there was even talk about releasing the Orgus/Jotun Valkyrie as a toy, since it was IN the series)

I thank HG for my love for Anime, but really, for years they're sadder than Gollum and his ring

[Bri]

Originally Posted by Nightbat®

IIRC DYRL is solely in the hands of Big West/Studio Nue
I believe HG is limited to the designs used in the TV series (I believe there was even talk about releasing the Orgus/Jotun Valkyrie as a toy, since it was IN the series)

I thank HG for my love for Anime, but really, for years they're sadder than Gollum and his ring

Toynami makes DYRL toys while citing a HG license, so the DYRL international merchandizing is definitely in Tasunoko hands.

Distribution was never given to HG, iirc the animation committee for DYRL including BigWest and Tatsunoko licensed that to a now defunct company, the rights changed hands after that but honestly no one really knows who has them now.

[Nightbat®]

Did a bit of digging on the Good Old MacrossWorld forums

SDF Macross
On October 1st, 1982, Tatsunoko Productions asked for and received the worldwide (excluding Japan) film distribution and merchandising rights from Big West
as compensation for their animation assistance with SDF Macross.
On January 15th, 1984, Harmony Gold licensed, and later acquired, these same film distribution and merchandising rights from Tatsunoko.
However, the intellectual property rights (copyrights)
for SDF Macross still resides with Big West. What this means is that Harmony Gold can legally distribute the SDF Macross footage outside of Japan
(ie: the AnimEigo and ADV Macross DVD's) and edit the footage at their discretion (ie: Robotech).
However, they cannot create any new animation or movies using the SDF Macross characters and mecha because they do not have the intellectual property rights (copyrights).
Comic books and videogames are excluded as these fall under the category of merchandising rights.

Macross: Do You Remember Love
Harmony Gold also has the worldwide (excluding Japan) merchandising rights to Macross: Do You Remember Love.
However, they do not have the film distribution rights nor the intellectual property rights (copyrights) to this movie.
What this means is that Harmony Gold can legally license the distribution of DYRL merchandise (ie: Toynami's DYRL Super Posable toys) worldwide (excluding Japan).
However, Harmony Gold cannot release DYRL on video, nor can they create any new animation or movies using the DYRL characters and mecha.
Comic books and videogames are excluded as these fall under the category of merchandising rights.

On a related note, in 1988, Celebrity's Just For Kids released DYRL (as 'Macross in Clash of the Bionoids') in the USA under a license from Toho International Co. Ltd. In 1995,
Best Film & Video Corp. released DYRL (as 'Superdimensional Fortress Macross') in the USA under a license from Big West. At Anime Central 2001,
Robert Woodhead (of AnimEigo) was asked about DYRL and he said that nobody knows who owns the worldwide (excluding Japan) film distribution rights anymore.

In 1999 and 2002, Harmony Gold tradedmarked the name 'Macross' in the USA, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
What this means is that any series and merchandising featuring the 'Macross' trademark would have to compensate Harmony Gold for the use of that trademark in those respective countries.
Harmony Gold also trademarked 'U.N. Spacy' in the USA and Canada. In the European Union,
'U.N. Spacy' was trademarked in November 2007 and is held by Yugenkaisya Suneast trading (aka Suneast Co.Ltd) from Tokyo, Japan.

Which is all news to me, last I heard HG only held international (Excluding Japan) Merchandise rights of the original series

[Dextro]

And this is why international intellectual property laws need some serious reworking for the new global economy (and no, I don't trust accords made in secret by those who most profit from this clusterfsck).