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ColBosch · 08-21-2017, 12:00 AM

Leonard French reviews Harmony Gold vs. Tatsunoko:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrfOtJyJpM

This is only tangentially connected to the HG vs. BattleTech case, but still contains a couple of bombshells. The biggest is that Harmony Gold's license to use the anime shows that comprise Robotech expires on March 14th, 2021. After that all rights revert to Tatsunoko, and given the friction between the two companies, an extension is pretty unlikely to be granted. HG would presumably retain the rights to Robotech itself - that is, the trademark and the English voice track - but without the animation and soundtrack those aren't worth much.

The other news is that there are 41 character designs that belong not to Tatsunoko, but instead to Big West. Unfortunately, nobody outside of the companies involved knows exactly what that means. Still, it is another strike against Harmony Gold retaining any rights to Macross, Mospeada, or Southern Cross past March 2021.

As for how this affects the HG vs. BattleTech lawsuit, it doesn't...for now. Harmony Gold retains the rights to the mecha designs in the US for the time being. However, now that it's known that Robotech has a sunset date, this gives Piranha/Harebrained/InMediaRes more options. If they simply shelve the contentious designs they can wait until HG loses its rights, then re-introduce them, for example. It is extremely unlikely that anyone else would challenge their use at that point. The BattleTech properties have literally hundreds of 'Mech designs that they can use until then.

One side effect is that this might just scuttle any plans Sony has for a Robotech movie. It'll also effect Palladium and their Robotech games. All in all, the next few years will be interesting. I suggest buying up Robotech toys and DVDs; we might not see them again. ;)

Addendum: I have greatly simplified what will happen when the rights "revert" to Tatsunoko. Expect another huge round of court battles in Japan as Studio Nue and Big West try to get the rights to their work back. But that will have little effect here in the States, and none on BattleTech.

08-21-2017, 12:00 AM	#15
ColBosch Join Date: May 2007	Re: Harmony Gold vs. BattleTech, Round N Leonard French reviews Harmony Gold vs. Tatsunoko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrfOtJyJpM This is only tangentially connected to the HG vs. BattleTech case, but still contains a couple of bombshells. The biggest is that Harmony Gold's license to use the anime shows that comprise Robotech expires on March 14th, 2021. After that all rights revert to Tatsunoko, and given the friction between the two companies, an extension is pretty unlikely to be granted. HG would presumably retain the rights to Robotech itself - that is, the trademark and the English voice track - but without the animation and soundtrack those aren't worth much. The other news is that there are 41 character designs that belong not to Tatsunoko, but instead to Big West. Unfortunately, nobody outside of the companies involved knows exactly what that means. Still, it is another strike against Harmony Gold retaining any rights to Macross, Mospeada, or Southern Cross past March 2021. As for how this affects the HG vs. BattleTech lawsuit, it doesn't...for now. Harmony Gold retains the rights to the mecha designs in the US for the time being. However, now that it's known that Robotech has a sunset date, this gives Piranha/Harebrained/InMediaRes more options. If they simply shelve the contentious designs they can wait until HG loses its rights, then re-introduce them, for example. It is extremely unlikely that anyone else would challenge their use at that point. The BattleTech properties have literally hundreds of 'Mech designs that they can use until then. One side effect is that this might just scuttle any plans Sony has for a Robotech movie. It'll also effect Palladium and their Robotech games. All in all, the next few years will be interesting. I suggest buying up Robotech toys and DVDs; we might not see them again. ;) Addendum: I have greatly simplified what will happen when the rights "revert" to Tatsunoko. Expect another huge round of court battles in Japan as Studio Nue and Big West try to get the rights to their work back. But that will have little effect here in the States, and none on BattleTech. Last edited by ColBosch; 08-21-2017 at 12:04 AM.