Zinjo Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-...online-releases First step ? Maybe ... I believe it is! I mighty smart business model too... I suspect the anime studios lobbied Sony for a while to include North America and Japan in the same region code to sidestep the "middlemen" distributing anime here. There will still be a market for dubbed shows, but I suspect the first releases will be with subs and then domestic distributors would get a crack at licensing titles for dubbed release afterward. Just like any company, the Japanese distributors don't want licensing fees, they want the profits directly and they have every right to get them. My only hope is that toy makers follow suit.. Quote
Zinjo Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 I believe it is! I mighty smart business model too... I suspect the anime studios lobbied Sony for a while to include North America and Japan in the same region code to sidestep the "middlemen" distributing anime here. There will still be a market for dubbed shows, but I suspect the first releases will be with subs and then domestic distributors would get a crack at licensing titles for dubbed release afterward. Just like any company, the Japanese distributors don't want licensing fees, they want the profits directly and they have every right to get them. My only hope is that toy makers follow suit.. I don't think it was legal action...for whatever reason (i.e. I don't know why), the music tracks never got delivered to create the dub for Volume Four. So if you watch the English version of Volume Four, they just went with Sharon Apple songs from the first three volumes. I don't know if they corrected it for the DVD or not, but apparently bandai Visual fixed it for the English audio track on the remastered Plus DVDs Is that confirmed? There is an english audio track? By the way...I've heard from several people around here that Plus and II are no longer available...is that reallly true? Both of them are still listed at amazon (and available new, not just used) and at Manga's website... Keep in mind, that Manga probably still has a lot of them still in stock in their warehouses. If they could re-release it again with the new transfer, they would have already. It's the trademark issue that is keeping that from happening. If they paid a dime to HG for use of the name, BW would pull the plug on their license... Quote
wolfx Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 Wow so complicated. Someone should sticky what Zinjo said for newbs. Concise and simple to understand "the mess". Quote
Sergorn Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 (edited) However, in a slick move that I'm sure BW is still kicking itself over, HG managed to gain the uncontested trademark over the name "Macross" in North America in early 2003 (a few months after BW won their Japanese case). Now armed with that trademark they have a say in any production coming to these shores with the "Macross" brand name. Hence why we probably won't see the remastered Mac Plus from Manga Ent. (under the Macross brand name), as they'd have to pay some sort of licensing fee to HG for use of the "Macross" name and BW won't have any of that. HG is seen as the ally of Tatsunoko who tried to steal the Macross franchise from it's proper owners and thus are not to be dealt with. Ugh I didn't know that. This is just crazy. I don't get why Big West and Bandai just don't go to court about this. Also... that just doesn't explain why there hadn't been any more Macross release in Europe. If everything really is settled, then nothing should prevent a release in Europe of Macross Zero - and that just didn't happen, which doesn't make any sense I don't think it was legal action...for whatever reason (i.e. I don't know why), the music tracks never got delivered to create the dub for Volume Four. So if you watch the English version of Volume Four, they just went with Sharon Apple songs from the first three volumes Yeah. Manga Video never got the "international track" (ie the music and sound effects track without dialogues), which means they basically had to redo it everything from scratch. In terme of sound effects that lead to some silly stuff (the Valkyrie guns make laser sounds duh), and in term of music some of the music had to be replaced since some tracks hadn't yet been released on the CD sounstracks. We had the same version in the french dub as well. Keep in mind, that Manga probably still has a lot of them still in stock in their warehouses. If they could re-release it again with the new transfer, they would have already. It's the trademark issue that is keeping that from happening. If they paid a dime to HG for use of the name, BW would pull the plug on their license... Does they actually still have the license ? When an anime is licensed it isn't usually for ever, and the license has to be renewed or else it returns the original owners. I've got to wonder if Manga would have a renewed the license of a series they essentialy can't sell anymore. -Sergorn Edited April 29, 2008 by Sergorn Quote
Zinjo Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 Also... that just doesn't explain why there hadn't been any more Macross release in Europe. If everything really is settled, then nothing should prevent a release in Europe of Macross Zero - and that just didn't happen, which doesn't make any sense Could simply be market demand... Does they actually still have the license ? When an anime is licensed it isn't usually for ever, and the license has to be renewed or else it returns the original owners. I've got to wonder if Manga would have a renewed the license of a series they essentialy can't sell anymore. -Sergorn It's possible they extended it to sell of their existing inventory. I suspect the fact that their titles were in the market before the trademarking, allows them to continue selling existing them off, but not produce any new versions. They had a re-release of several old titles but Macross was conspicuously absent from the re-releases. Additionally they no longer have the "Movie" version of Mac Plus available on their website. However, if BW releases Mac Plus and Mac II on bluray, they may buy the subs and/or the English audio track off them for their own release. We'll have to see if that happens. Quote
Sergorn Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 Could simply be market demand... Yeah unlikely - I don't know about the reste of Europe, but Macross Zero would definitly sell in France. Both Macross Plus and Macross II sold pretty well AFAIK, and altough most people here tend to go with the asumption that Robotech = Macross, the license is pretty well know (enough anyway to get a release of the original series subtitled and remastered). And eck we're pretty much getting any big OAV series that is being released (Yukikaze, Diebuster, KARAS...) - I'd have a hard time believing that of all the numerous anime editors we have over here, none of them would have tried to bring Macross Zero here. I still think there must be still be some kind of legal mess around all this. As I recall even brining the original Macross series was very problematic. However, if BW releases Mac Plus and Mac II on bluray, they may buy the subs and/or the English audio track off them for their own release. We'll have to see if that happens. It's possible. AFAIK the DVD released of Macross Plus in Japan included english subs and voice so that's a distinct possibilité for a Blu-Ray release. Not that it matters since we're not in the same region here -Sergorn Quote
Effect Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 Macross can work outside of Japan. Look at all the people who still watch that Roblowtech crap. As mentioned in other threads by other people, Bandai could always drop the name "Macross" from it and call it something else like "Megaroad Frontier" or "Megalord Frontier". Which makes me wonder if this is why the focus in Macross Frontier is on the SMS team with the insignias we see completely different from the UN Spacey insignia (What does the NUNS insignia look like?). HG can't lay claim to the new stuff and anything new is a result from DYRL which they can't touch other then to release the movie. Seems (could be mistaken) what needs to be done now is come up with an interesting new name for the series and something to replace "Macross" if need be. Sure there is more to then that but could be they are taking steps with this new series to be able to release it and others outside of Japan without any trouble from HG. Quote
Zinjo Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 (edited) Yeah unlikely - I don't know about the reste of Europe, but Macross Zero would definitly sell in France. Both Macross Plus and Macross II sold pretty well AFAIK, and altough most people here tend to go with the asumption that Robotech = Macross, the license is pretty well know (enough anyway to get a release of the original series subtitled and remastered). And eck we're pretty much getting any big OAV series that is being released (Yukikaze, Diebuster, KARAS...) - I'd have a hard time believing that of all the numerous anime editors we have over here, none of them would have tried to bring Macross Zero here. I still think there must be still be some kind of legal mess around all this. As I recall even brining the original Macross series was very problematic. It's possible. AFAIK the DVD released of Macross Plus in Japan included english subs and voice so that's a distinct possibilité for a Blu-Ray release. Not that it matters since we're not in the same region here -Sergorn Check on the trademark of the Macross name in France. HG may have trademarked the name there too... Essentially, HG has no rights outside of the SDFM animation. It is supported in the Japanese court documents and thus the only way to affect "Macross" distribution is via commercial trademarks. Not as far as I am aware. I have the japanese movie version and I didn't see any subs (although I should check again to be sure...) Edited April 29, 2008 by Zinjo Quote
s001 Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 Totally agree on this. Macross is an international phenomenon now. I mean Macrossworld is the greatest macross fan site in the entire web and most of the members are from outside Japan. I really think that Big West and company should be more ambitious with the franchise. I really want to walk in a music store or a department store and find Macross stuff at reasonable prices here in my country. They're losing a lot of money just because they sold a license to Harmony gold a looooong time ago. that's pretty foolish. Quote
Keith Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Supposedly, according to HG at least, they're no longer laying claim to all things Macross, saying that it's Big West who is preventing U.S. releases somehow. Regardless of the situation, our best hope for testing the waters would be Bandai Visual. Quote
00X Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Supposedly, according to HG at least, they're no longer laying claim to all things Macross, saying that it's Big West who is preventing U.S. releases somehow. Yeah, and I'd bet you anything that Big West is preventing U.S. releases because Harmony Gold wants royalties for(and their logo slapped on the box of) any Macross merchandise licensed for sale where ever HG claims ownership over the trademark. Seems to me like the only explaination why all of a sudden BW would be the ones blocking distribution. Quote
Radd Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 I really have to wonder just how solid this trademark issue is. I mean, could any company go out of their way to trademark the name of a popular foreign show, from a country we have international copyright and such agreements with, simply because they got distribution rights to some small part of that show? That's essentially what the trademark mess boils down to. It sounds really absurd. Quote
Effect Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 I just hope BW has it's finger on the trigger for when HG's trademarks actually expire so we could finally be done with this madness. In the days leading up to it they should have someone camped out at the right offices with papers already filled out. Quote
Zinjo Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 (edited) I really have to wonder just how solid this trademark issue is. I mean, could any company go out of their way to trademark the name of a popular foreign show, from a country we have international copyright and such agreements with, simply because they got distribution rights to some small part of that show? That's essentially what the trademark mess boils down to. It sounds really absurd. HG and BW both had been trying to trademark the name "Macross" in the US since 1999, but after each application the other would contest it and the matter would be dropped. In 2003, HG applied and since BW didn't contest it, were awarded the trademark for the name. It still boggles my mind why BW allowed that to happen... Now that the trademark has been awarded, no doubt in "Litigation Land", a judge would have to rule on the matter. In other countries, the method is different. I know in Canada there is a tribunal that oversees commercial trademarks. You still need lawyers to make your case, but the courts are not necessarily involved... Edited April 30, 2008 by Zinjo Quote
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