Freiflug88

It was because of HG's trademark on the name "Macross." While HG didn't have any involement what so ever with Macross 7 or Macross 7 Trash as long they have "Macross" in the name Harmony Gold can claim trademark rights. Would you expect to name an original series "Star Wars 7" or an original manga "Star Wars 7 Trash," and somehow avoid paying Lucas Arts to use "Star Wars" in the title? It is a violation when Big West puts "don't pay HG for the trademark" or whatever in the contract. So either you violate Harmony Gold's trademark and get legally screwed or you pay Harmony Gold's trademark and violate Big West's contract only to get legally screwed as well..

I see the whole thing as a stupid pissing contest in which everyone loses. Sure BW had a "right" to do what they did and write HG out of the exclusive rights contract, but for one I doubt that HG would ever be able to hijack Macross with a HG staffer or two whose on board just to make sure HG is not being jibbed of trademark revenue or left out of the loop. I think it was more of BW's pride that lead to the deceison not a fear that HG would somehow seize Macross. I am no legal expert, but with regards to trademarks I know its not who owns the Intellectual Property that matters. What matters is who put the products or services in commerce and registers the name or logo first. Considering that HG was marketing Robotech: The Macross Saga internationally through their deal with Tatsunko almost a decade before Big West released Macross Plus outside of Japan through Manga, so HG obvious had first use of commerce on the Macross name trademark outside of Japan. As Seto also pointed out HG aquired the trademarks while BW verus Tatsunko was still going on, so Harmony Gold probably got BW by surprise and registered the trademarks when BW was busy in court hearings. It probably also helped HG tremondously that as a worldwide distrubitor they no doubt already had representatives around the globe that could quickly register the Macross trademark in places like Europe and South America.

HG doesn't have copyrights on the name Macross, they have Trademarks. Trademark and copyrights are two different things. If doubt that HG's trademarks are legiate just see for yourself: Go to: http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess...4010:6ko3g4.1.1 and run a basic search of "Macross" As for Macross II and Macross Plus those two were released before Harmony Gold started registering trademarks for Macross in 2001-2003 so Harmony Gold couldn't do anything to charge them for the trademark then. Manga releasing the Remastered Macross Plus now would be a different story. Simply ignoring HG when they have a legimate trademark to back them up now won't solve anything. That is a pretty low move. Not that HG trademarking the Macross name isn't as well, but to forbid licensed distributors from voluntarily paying HG's trademark on top of paying them the expensive licensing fees for Macross is just as bad.

Big West could still stick with releasing Bandai distributing in the US with no cost to them. What Harmony Gold's trademark means is that whoever distributes anime products with the trademark Macross name in the U.S. has to pay Harmony Gold a fee for the right to use the trademark. Bandai would actually be the one paying the trademark fee as the distributor not the producer of the show Big West. Of course Big West refused to allow Harmony Gold to distribute Macross overseas, but they would no doubt have no problem working with Bandai or pretty much anyone besides Harmony Gold. The problem is that no American company besides HG is serious about importing Macross because its so expensive just to acquire a Macross show and dub it for an English release even without the Harmony Gold trademark fee that is something like $2.00 per DVD sold. Only ADV, which is unfortunately out of business now, had the balls to actually acquire and dub Macross then charge consumers an extra $2.00 a DVD to cover the Harmony Gold Trademark, but on the other hand the rights to SDF Macross is no doubt only a fraction of what Big West would charge Bandai for Macross Frontier.

Why bother we all know your face now thanks to your description. Your current identity is ruined. Buy some glasses and get a job as a newspaper reporter or something as a secret identity. Writer for Protoculture Addicts perhaps?

So they have changed their answer on the matter, again. First Kevin Mckeaver said that Shadow Rising was on hiatus, then he says he didn't mean hiatus as its defined in the dictionary and that Shadow Rising production will continue at HG in parrareel to WB's production of the LAM, now apparently Shadow Rising is supposedly on hiatus until the Robotech brand is more widely known for better sponsorship deals. Personally I don't think that is the case. The Shadow trilogy was nothing more then a scheme to profit from zealous Robotech fans and with the profits generated from Shadow Chronicles and from licensing Robotech to WB HG could easily produce Shadow Rising now and then shelve it until the Robotech brand becomes more popular if they really wanted to. Besides if it was WB's best interest to have Robotech become more popular through Shadow Rising between now and when the LAM hits theaters wouldn't they help sponsor it? I mean if they are really serious about spending millions on making a blockbuster Robotech movie then sponsoring HG for an animated movie with a budget of only one million would be a piece of cake. I believe the issue is that WB wants the Robotech brand to remain associated with the nostalgic 80s cartoon and not become too associated with the anime knockoff Shadow Chronicles. WB is trying to market this movie to mainstream audiences and of course mainstream audiences will naturally show more interests in a LAM associated with a classic 80s cartoon few remember then they would with a modern American made BS anime that is fresh in people's mind. Think of it this way if your making a LAM Evangelion movie would rather advertise to movie viewers that "Evangelion is the Watchmen of mecha anime" and associate the movie with the theatrical flop in the minds of movie goers or would you rather just state that "Evangelion is an anime classic that redefined the Mecha genere?" So what if she's a popular girl... I'd still tap that tail fin.

Judging from the fact that an entire Shadow Rising's script was leaked less than a year after Shadow Chronicles, all the completed Shadow Rising designs on Tommy Yune's desk, and the fact that Voice Actors like Richard Epcar were apparently signed on for 3 movies from the start it seems to me like HG has everything in place for their Shadow Trilogy and just haven't gotten around to actual production work. I don't think its because Tommy Yune decided to go lazy and sit on Shadow Rising until the LAM, I think it is more likely that Tobey Maquire and Warner Brothers requested Harmony Gold to put Shadow Chronicles on hiatus while they produced the LAM. While it may sound appealing to many to have two Robotech Shadow movies during the long wait to the LAM, its not very appealing to the creative team that is putting together the re-imagined Robotech LAM. For one the LAM is obviously trying to sell itself as a re-imaging of the classic Robotech: Macross Saga, but showing people Robotech Shadow Movies shortly before the LAM will lead fans to identify Robotech more with Shadow Chronicles and lead to expections that the LAM will be some kind of Live Action prequel to the Shadow Trilogy.

I don't think its just the lack of script that is keeping them from producing a tie-in Robotech cartoon. Every American made movie-tie- in cartoon uses familiar visual designs lifted straight from the movie so they are no doubt waiting for Maquire's team to come up with re-imagined designs as well. If the LAM is a complete flop I am sure it will kill any chances of making a new cartoon series with Warner Brothers animation, but HG will still have their die hard Robotech fans and could always fall back to continuing the lousy Shadow Trilogy. Considering that Shadow Chronciles was made on a budget of merely $1 million and that HG probably charged Tobey a few million dollars for the Robotech rights Harmony Gold might have more then a enough money to finish the Shadow Trilogy on their own in the future.

Which Robotech crew are you referring to? HG's Robotech Crew that made the Shadow Chronicles cartoon or Maquire and his crew that will be making the Live Action Movie with the new continuity. Speaking of which at Dragon Con last weekend several friends and I got to meet Richard Epicar and we asked him if he knew anything about the Robotech LAM or Shadow Rising. According to him he was cast and signed on to play Vince Grant in a Robotech Shadow Trilogy way back in like 2005 when they first started producing Shadow Chronicles. He also said that he was scheduled to come in for a recording for Shadow Rising when his agent got a call from HG saying that Tobey Maquire is acquiring the movie rights to Robotech and that he wants to be Rick Hunter in a Hollywood movie and that the decesison has been made to halt production on the Robotech animated trilogy for now, but that they will call if and when production continues. Since then their hasn't been a single phone call from HG asking for him to voice Vince or try out for any new Robotech cartoons so yet again all signs point to HG focusing all their attention to the Live Action movie.

You are right Penguin, his name was Emil Lang. They kept the black beady eyes because according to the comics his eyes were changed after coming in contact with Protoculture. I think Dr. Lang and Exodore died off-screen in that tiny research ship where they found Janice after trying to rescue Hunter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Lang_%28...al_character%29

Bad idea. You never interrupt the EXO from eating his frackin chicken or alcohol unless your Adama. I say its the good ole' American BS cartoon editing, but that is just me. Really all Harmony Gold has to do though is call "Trek Support" and reboot their franchise... after terminating the vermin process.

Alright. So Dolza did apparently shout Protoculture. Indeed. Only when he isn't firing all of his heroin with one big shot from his wave motion gun. That's it. Dolza was just trying to sing the song "Fuel." Gimme Fuel Protoculture, Gimme Fire, Gimme that which I desire, Ooh! ...Or maybe the old guy was simply having a case of Alzheimers and was thinking back to the last time he filled up the Gas tank on his mobile fortress. Those mobile fortress gas tanks just take FORVEVER to fill up at the pump and the worst part is that the cost per gallon of Protoculture is astronomical because the Robotech Masters at OPEC keep coming up with some excuse that they only have so little left cause the Invid raided most of their supplies or something when everyone knows the stuff grows like a weed.

That is just from Dai Con IV the greatest AMV that will ever be. I just know the SDF for the Robotech LAM will have the Enterprise and the Galactica for arms. It also shoot giant spider webs from its wrist to ensnare enemy ships manned by giant alien Zentradi Celestrials. Its greatest weapon though will be Minmey Minnie Mouse singing the Mickey Mouse song. I remember he did the last time I watched Robotech, but it was the Remastered Robotech DVD episodes not the Original Robotech episodes that were originally broadcasted and then put to VHS and DVD. Does anyone have the Original Robotech DVDs to look back at? A lot of people forget that Harmony Gold added in a few new scenes when they had to redit remastered Macross, Southern Cross, and Mosepedia footage into the Remastered Robotech collection after the Original Robotech edited footage was damaged in a flood. So I say it is possible that the Dolza yelling Protoculture as Rick and Lisa kissed was never shown in the original 85 that were broadcasted just as Robotech edited out that scene where Minmay jokes that her hair looking good is more important then her life in Episode 2.

That explains a lot. I recognized him as Louie right after he walked in and spoke thanks to seeing all the "OVA quality animation" through my friend's DVD.

Oh your talking about original designs. I was thinking ideas in general from the show. HG has shown time and time again that even though they can't always rip-off the original visual design they will rip off the ideas when they can.

I know what you mean appearance wise. I was talking about idea wise how their would be no character named Louie in Shadow Chronicles if Southern Cross never existed.

Master's Saga/Southern Cross same difference. Without Southern Cross there would be no Space Station Liberty, Louie, or nuclear plants growing in the core of SDF class Ships.

I could have sworn Shadow Chronicles had Space Station Liberty, Louie, and whats that crap called again... oh yeah protoculture. So is buying a DVD with the HG logo on it and getting it autographed by Richard Epcar at Dragon Con an unforgivable sin?

Exactly. Tatsunko just licenses the Mosepeda franchise in their contract with HG. Tatsunko hasn't done anything with Mospeda to my knowledge, maybe they sell the occasional toy or DVD in the bargin bin in Japanese stores IDK. Its obvious though that they don't have plans for anything like a Rebuild of Mospeda so its a no brainer for them to just license the Mosepedea rights in an expensive contract with HG. Once the contract expires you could outbid Harmony Gold to acquire the Mospedea and legally create a Robowarriors to run alongside Shadow Chronicles. The name of the figthers and cyclones would probably have to be changed though.

By Tatsunko's right. All of Mospedea is owned by Tatsunko and as along you pay Tatsunko enough $$$ they will let anyone do whatever they want with their franchises, that is why I nicknamed Tatsunko the "anime studio whore house."

Unfortunately, I doubt Bandai is going to produce a batch of English Subbed Macross Frontier DVDs. I am sure their position is to import the DVDs and just learn Japanese yourself. Even if they wanted to make English subbed DVDs the fact that they can't officially advertise or market them to Anime fans outside of Japan thanks to the blockade means that most likely their would be too few DVDs sales to actually justify the cost of manufacturing a second batch of specially labeled subtilted DVDs and Blurays in the hope that they get marketed to English speaking fans via word of mouth. And if it became apparent that Bandai Visual were selling a special batch of Subbed DVDs with the goal of marketing them directly or indirectly to English speaking fans outside of Japan I am sure Harmony Gold would step in and take any legal action they could in a heart beat.

I am sure many of you heard of Disney planing to buy Marvel recently (deal still needs to be approved by shareholders). What struck me though is that Fox is apparently planning a Fantastic Four reboot and no doubt more X-men movies to keep their movie rights to those Marvel franchises from lapsing, and that they can apparently do this even if Disney acquires the rights to all Marvel characters. This got me thinking about the RLAM. Harmony Gold claims that WB can make a Robotech movie on any part of Robotech including Macross while we all cite that Big West has the rights over the Macross character and mecha designs and that the RLAM can not possibly resemble the Macross saga. I am wondering though if Tatsunko rights over the completed SDF Macross series is enough for HG and WB to make a live action adaption of the SDF Macross storyline and just replace the mecha and charater designs, terms, etc that are trademarked by Big West with new ones. For example in Harmony Gold's English dub of the Gatchaman 94' OVAs rather then obtain the trademarks for "Bird Go!", "Bird Missile", "Red Impluse" etc they just simply replaced them with their own lame terms.

I nevar knew thar wus any southr'n red necks up thare in Poland. I allways fiqared red necks wus just as american as Robotech and apple pie.

Exactly, It was Captain Okita's cruiser that Mamoru Kodai saved right before his Kamikaze run that I was referring to specifically. Both the show and the ship itself had their fair share of "invincible unsinkable hero" moments. Then again they can get away with it when they have an an epic theme song sung by the voice of Joe the Condor.

The RT will be be exactly like Space Balls after all Mel Brooks was Carl Marcke's father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate. Seriously though, I think Mel Brooks was at least some what familiar with Robotech: the Macross Saga when he made Space Balls. The fact that the movie came out 2 years after Robotech in 1987 and featured a giant ship named "Space Ball 1" that transformed into a giant humanoid seems too much to be mere coincidence.