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Robotech and HG License Debates


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These days, the only real barrier people have regarding watching the Macross series through the international ban is language barriers. Fansubs are a work around to it, but if you want to support it legally, learn Japanese and buy the current DVDs and Blu-Rays out there. It's going to be hard for some people, but if you can achieve it HG's problems become irrelevant.

... oh, there's money barriers too, just be a smart consumer.

If there's one thing I remember about Doug, it's when he mentioned that Robotech is awesome because it never had to "reinvent" itself the same way Macross did with its later incarnations. Robotech was "perfect" in his eyes, and despite how... crazy Doug can be at times, I can sense he's not the only Robotech fan who thinks that way. I don't know about him, but seeing how the classic Valkyrie evolves in the time line is what makes the franchise fun and constantly fresh. No "Super Shadow Fighters" or the proposed Tommy Yune designed "Gamma Fighter" here...

Oh yeah, I forgot the part where he thinks that when Carl Macek ran things Robotech was perfect. Even the Sentinels, Untold Story, and 3000 are perfect. His rantings these days are really about Tommy Yune and the current crew running it and nostalgia. Macross is just stuck in the middle of it. I think his ideal goal was to get Macek back to run the series, or if he doesn't want to come back get himself, Teh Number One Robotech Fan, to run it because he "knows" Robotech. One of the many things he talks about on his show is how he would do things, but wouldn't that be hypocritical because he wants to reinvent the series into his ideal image of it?

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These posts are getting longer and longer. I guess we'll find out what Toynami's big announcement is in a couple days. My guess is that it could be the Maia Beta with "synchro cannon". Or the Yamato stealth, I mean, Toynami Stealth 1/100. Or some other stuff that I heard, that may not be all that great. I'd like to hear the news of that stuff.

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There are many benifits for BW to get a distributor, but none of it has to do with HG. HG might have the stranglehold on that contract thru Tatsanuko but it'll never happen because Big West is smart enough to know that HG will run with any precedence that can show that HG can legally import any Macross products aside from the SDF/DYRL designs that Tatsanuko co-owns.

That was clearly shown when they tried to license the Macross 7 comic books and tried to have TokyoPop publish it. HG is trying to get their foot in the door but Big West is never going to answer that incessant knocking.

And yes it is a tired old debate, but clearly new fans are still disillusioned by the thinking that signing with HG is ideal. It's self serving for those fans to think something shuold happen just because of their own mistrust for online dealers. I'm just trying to point out how Big West would rather not distibute internationally rather than have to deal with HG. But at this point a few fans want what they want and it's just going over some peoples heads

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Sure IP law is a bit loose in Japan that is why these foreign parasites try to cash in but that does not mean what HG is doing is legally right.

If your grasp of the situation was correct... don't you think the situation wouldn't exist? I'm just saying... maybe there are more legal amateurs in this thread than you realize...

I'm just trying to point out how Big West would rather not distibute internationally rather than have to deal with HG.

Yeah but imagine how cool it would be to see Macross Frontier on Adult Swim or SciFi channel or something. I know the American anime market isn't huge but who knows, it could be lucrative. Apparently not a risk worth the headache though.

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If your grasp of the situation was correct... don't you think the situation wouldn't exist? I'm just saying... maybe there are more legal amateurs in this thread than you realize...

BW believes going over to court in the US would a pain with the question if such an action is worth it. Their target market is the Japanese market. They think the outside market is negligible.

Take Kadokawa Shouten when Haruhi became an anime they did not anticipate it would be an international hit. They even admitted fansubs help market Haruhi. Being a hit the license was sought after in the US.

If BW was supported by say Bandai Visual to bring over Macross Frontier, confirming there is a market. HG has a snowball's chance if they are taken to court. The Tokyo Court ruling which rules in favor of BW is advantageous to their case. HG will surely loose and they'll have to pay BW for years of claiming BW's IP is theirs.

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It's self serving for those fans to think something shuold happen just because of their own mistrust for online dealers. I'm just trying to point out how Big West would rather not distibute internationally rather than have to deal with HG. But at this point a few fans want what they want and it's just going over some peoples heads

The use of online dealers is not the end all. Due to shipping fees and taxes it's far more expensive here to buy individually from online vendors then from local speciality stores. Not to mention the hellish postal service. The Macross trademark by HG in the major European anime markets makes it impossible to buy items via the normal channels. I have to pay at least twice as much for Macross items then for comparable licensed anime merchandise. Also it would be nice to be able to get translated (art)books. So from my perspective it would be nice if HG lost those TMs.

BW believes going over to court in the US would a pain with the question if such an action is worth it. Their target market is the Japanese market. They think the outside market is negligible.

Take Kadokawa Shouten when Haruhi became an anime they did not anticipate it would be an international hit. They even admitted fansubs help market Haruhi. Being a hit the license was sought after in the US.

If BW was supported by say Bandai Visual to bring over Macross Frontier, confirming there is a market. HG has a snowball's chance if they are taken to court. The Tokyo Court ruling which rules in favor of BW is advantageous to their case. HG will surely loose and they'll have to pay BW for years of claiming BW's IP is theirs.

Do we really know anything about BWs position on the matter? I've not seen any statements. Also BW tried to aquire the US trademark on Macross but failed, HG got it instead, that doesn't sound like BW ignored the US market.

Edited by Bri
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Not important, but you can see how MEMO1DOMINION (aka the guys having troubles with his keyboard) can't STILL get it even if the legal mess regarding macross and robotech has been explained quite many times now : http://www.robotechx.com/forums/3-robotech...s-in-japan.html

No wonder why the guy has still problems with his keyboard.

Edited by Macross007
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What are you complaining about? That sounds like a perfect world!

Complaining? I was gloating! Gloating over the fact that the only Robotech thing they had on stock were Ben Dixon and I believe... Miriya's Valkyrie. Oh, and a set of "Chibi Alpha Fighters".

It was pretty much the same situation in Hong Kong (despite McKeever's insistence that Robotech has a strong following in China). The only Toynami thing on stock was that chibi crap again. And this is after going to main otaku havens like Causeway Bay and Nathan Road.

Check this out.

Note the usual lack of solid details...

http://www.robotechx.com/live-action/10-ge...o-them-all.html

This stuff isn't new. I read this sort of "fan speculation" as early as two years ago - set the whole thing in Iraq/Afghanistan... although at least now, they confirmed that WB will be doing a movie for each "generation" of Robotech. Why do Robotech fans keep counting their chickens before they hatch??

I guess we'll find out what Toynami's big announcement is in a couple days. My guess is that it could be the Maia Beta with "synchro cannon". Or the Yamato stealth, I mean, Toynami Stealth 1/100. Or some other stuff that I heard, that may not be all that great. I'd like to hear the news of that stuff.

Oooh! San Diego is so close!

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Apparently.

Giving "great new for Robotech Fans"...at a Macross Convention.

I'm surprised Tommy wasn't run out of the room on a rail.

Tommy Yune was there giving a Q&A session? :blink: I thought he was there for Artwork and Photoshop.

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Apparently.

Giving "great new for Robotech Fans"...at a Macross Convention.

I'm surprised Tommy wasn't run out of the room on a rail.

Can't understand it myself either. Why the guy is there in the first place ? You would think that HG staff will have some sense of honor, but apparently not. No wonder why BW don't want to deal with those guys. And some of you guys want to blame BW for not cooperating with HG after HG insulted us Macross fans YET AGAIN ? Get real please. This whole thing is a commercial WAR and therefore a possible future cooperation between BW and those a$$hole from HG is impossible. Glad BW see it that way too.

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Can't understand it myself either. Why the guy is there in the first place ? You would think that HG staff will have some sense of honor, but apparently not. No wonder why BW don't want to deal with those guys. And some of you guys want to blame BW for not cooperating with HG after HG insulted us Macross fans YET AGAIN ? Get real please. This whole thing is a commercial WAR and therefore a possible future cooperation between BW and those a$$hole from HG is impossible. Glad BW see it that way too.

You may want to take your cartoons a bit less seriously.

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Tommy left as soon as his Photoshop tutorial if there was a Q&A after that then it happened in someone's car. Not during the Con...

There was a really interesting question asked (not by me and not concerning the RLAM) but I think everyone missed it. But the official announcement will be at SDCC.

There was no talk about Robotech or RLAM during the panel, unless it concerned the artowrk being photoshopped.

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Tommy left as soon as his Photoshop tutorial if there was a Q&A after that then it happened in someone's car. Not during the Con...

There was a really interesting question asked (not by me and not concerning the RLAM) but I think everyone missed it. But the official announcement will be at SDCC.

There was no talk about Robotech or RLAM during the panel, unless it concerned the artowrk being photoshopped.

That's a relief. For a second there it sounded like Tommy used the event as free publicity for the LAMR for no apparent reason. This is probably some vague, offhanded statements from him made at the time causing someone from a different site to make them newsworthy.

But, there was no rule that he couldn't attend, right? It's his right if he wants to talk about business at a casual get together and sound like he has a conflict of interest being there.

Edited by Einherjar
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Tommy's a gracious guest. If he wants to spill some beans about anything Robotech related that's up to him, he knows how some fans on this boards feel about him, so he knows whatever he says is going to be discussed. I've never really held back about my thoughts about HG and it's never anything personal. But he came as a guest and he was treated as one by everyone there.

He almost lost my iphone though, haha.

When he was talking during the photoshop panel, I was really impressed with the drawing he had up.

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Tommy left as soon as his Photoshop tutorial if there was a Q&A after that then it happened in someone's car. Not during the Con...

So what kind of "panel" did this guy attend? If Tommy's panel was an artwork-and-Photoshopping session, was there another "panel" in the back seat of someone's car? :blink::lol: (I kid. I kid.)

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Tommy's a gracious guest.

May be, but he's still full of it. They all know they don't have the rights, and anyone with half a brain can comprehend the legal proceedings that went on in Japan. They need to just admit it and move on, instead of trying to spin it everytime it comes up.

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Bullshit answer. VF-1 /= F-14. They can't use the VF-1 because they don't have the rights to it.

Tell that to MEMO1DOMINION (aka the dude having troubles with his keyboard) because the guy is having a hard time understanding the facts (like most robotech fanboys).

Edited by Macross007
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May be, but he's still full of it. They all know they don't have the rights, and anyone with half a brain can comprehend the legal proceedings that went on in Japan. They need to just admit it and move on, instead of trying to spin it everytime it comes up.

Well we all know that. I don't know what keeps someone like Tommy from moving on and doing his own projects versus staying on and handling a property mired in legal issues and stuck in mediocrity. If the movie gets made (big IF) he's not going to be one of the heavy players in the production. But I don't know him well enough to ask or do I care enough to find out. All I know is everyone is cordial in the same room as they should be and all the discussions are made where they are suppose to be. If we started talking about it there, it would be a lot like this thread, a never ending frustrating and mostly boring discussion. I think MEMO is the only one interested in that there, no one else gave a crap.

All I know is I have new Macross shows and new Macross stuff... sorry to everyone else having so much trouble. All hail Big West!!! LOL.

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May be, but he's still full of it.

If he acted like Tomonobu Itagaki from Dead or Alive fame, then he would be full of it. From the notes from the article, he sounds more cautious about spilling anything concrete in an informal interview that could get him in trouble. I don't think he expected someone to actually make a big deal about whatever he said at the gathering.

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Bullshit answer. VF-1 /= F-14. They can't use the VF-1 because they don't have the rights to it.

I doubt that's true. Do you think the Alpha would be in it? Probably not because it looks like a boxy 80s design. The new transformers don't look like the old ones either. I would have never expected LAM designs to closely resemble cartoon designs.

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Well we all know that. I don't know what keeps someone like Tommy from moving on and doing his own projects versus staying on and handling a property mired in legal issues and stuck in mediocrity. If the movie gets made (big IF) he's not going to be one of the heavy players in the production. But I don't know him well enough to ask or do I care enough to find out. All I know is everyone is cordial in the same room as they should be and all the discussions are made where they are suppose to be. If we started talking about it there, it would be a lot like this thread, a never ending frustrating and mostly boring discussion. I think MEMO is the only one interested in that there, no one else gave a poo.

All I know is I have new Macross shows and new Macross stuff... sorry to everyone else having so much trouble. All hail Big West!!! LOL.

"MW Con: We may not like you, but we won't hit you with a pie!" :)

Sidenote, kinda sad I didn't go, but wound up being pretty busy this weekend. Maybe next year. Did you guys have any kind of Ace Frontier tourney?

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Tell that to MEMO1DOMINION (aka the dude having troubles with his keyboard) because the guy is having a hard time understanding the facts (like most robotech fanboys).

Oh there's no doubt that he is... he's over there on his site preaching about how Harmony Gold OWNS Macross.

After leaving the LAMR behind, Charles Roven is now involved in the Voltron LAM.

Proposed Live-Action Voltron Film Gets New Producers

He jumped ship for that? This might be saying something.

That Roven's an idiot? Isn't the Voltron live-action movie project still tied up in the courts because the US distributor doesn't have the IP rights to GoLion?

Edited by Seto Kaiba
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Oh there's no doubt that he is... he's over there on his site preaching about how Harmony Gold OWNS Macross.

Just to play devil's advocate...has anyone ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH THE SITUATION come out and said HG doesn't own Macross...?

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Just to play devil's advocate...has anyone ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH THE SITUATION come out and said HG doesn't own Macross...?

From Harmony Gold? Nah. They just keep repeating their same old line about how the litigation over Macross in Japan didn't affect them. MEMO was parroting it over there too.

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That Roven is looking for projects that are guaranteed to give him a salary for the long term. He's playing the field. A show about robot lions kicking butt is more stable now than a space "epic."

Just to play devil's advocate...has anyone ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH THE SITUATION come out and said HG doesn't own Macross...?

IIRC, the closest thing people got from HG recently was "We own everything in Robotech," used for various questions.

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