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Harmony Gold & Toynami releasing DYRL? Toys


Duke Togo

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So, again, either HG has obtained permission from BW, or HG has just made a big leap in terms of what they're claiming to own on the basis of the 1982 BW/TP memorandum.

Just being my usual, cynical self, I'd assume the latter. It seems to fit in with HG's MO. They haven't said exactly what they feel they own because they calim to own it all. (Of course, that's a crock, or as it's been said ad nauseam here, they'd have run crying to their lawyers back in the '90s over Mac Plus). Instead, theyprobably found a convinient peg for marketing and are running for it.

The problem with Nightbat's theory is that assuming that they did buy the license from ARII, it would still be pretty restrictive. While there were AFAIK no region restrictions (ARII Macross product was available as late as 1998 at Suncoast Video in malls in America) in the agreement, wouldn't they have to fulfill the license with the product that ARII was producing at the time the license was inked? For instance, if ARII was making 1/100 action figures of x, y, and z, and Toynami goes and makes either a 1/55 action figure of x or a 1/100 of q, wouldn't that be a violation of the license?

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Answer to Pat: In my non-expert opinion, that would depend on the specifics of the license. If the license was restricted to a specific scale or specific subjects, then even if it could be transferred--which probably isn't a given--it couldn't be used for other scales and subjects. But if it just said "toys based on transforming fighters appearing in DYRL", it wouldn't matter what ARII happened to be making at the time.

So the ARII 15th anniversary figures appeared in the US via normal distribution channels at a major retailer like Suncoast? I didn't know that.

Edited by ewilen
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So the ARII 15th anniversary figures appeared in the US via normal distribution channels at a major retailer like Suncoast? I didn't know that.

Oh yeah. In fact, up when I was going to college in Oregon last year, I could still fing the ARII 15th Anniversary models at a local gaming shop.

And, guys, we're probably only going to hear from BW and Yamato after the official unveiling of the DYRL figures, at which time they'll have already consulted with their lawyers and finally send out a message to HG that in effect says "put up (i.e. show us your license contract in a court of law) or shut up." Rest assured that right now, they probably have their lawyers on both sides of the Pacific working on this, and they'll tell the world in the fullness of time.

That is, unless they DID make an agreement with HG, in which case, the rising of the Antichrist will be all the confirmation we need :p

Edited by Pat Payne
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At the bottom of the page it says that it's the reason Antartic lost the contract for the RT license. I forgot who the member was. The artist is listed as Gregory Lane which leads me to believe that it's Glane that did this.

As a stand-alone book, or as a sequel to Megastorm, Covert Ops works fine. But as a part of the greater tapestry that is the Robotech universe, it fails miserably. Still, worth a look, especially if you're curious why Antarctic Press lost the Robotech comic book license ...
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Also look at http://robotechcomics.50megs.com/intro.html

Antarctic claimed that they lost the license because Harmony Gold wanted all their licenses back, probably in preparation for the then-upcoming Robotech 3000 TV series and had nothing to do with Harmony Gold's dissatisfaction with their work. However, sources within Harmony Gold claim that Antarctic lost the license because they failed to run things by Harmony Gold for approval; the appearance of designs from the 1984 film Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love? in such titles as Covert Ops and the regular color Robotech series, for instance, was not approved by Harmony Gold.

But even if that's what really happened, we don't know for sure if HG was concerned about legal repercussions, or if they just didn't want to use DYRL designs in Robotech for stylistic reasons (and to keep the continuity hounds off their backs).

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Also look at http://robotechcomics.50megs.com/intro.html
Antarctic claimed that they lost the license because Harmony Gold wanted all their licenses back, probably in preparation for the then-upcoming Robotech 3000 TV series and had nothing to do with Harmony Gold's dissatisfaction with their work. However, sources within Harmony Gold claim that Antarctic lost the license because they failed to run things by Harmony Gold for approval; the appearance of designs from the 1984 film Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love? in such titles as Covert Ops and the regular color Robotech series, for instance, was not approved by Harmony Gold.

But even if that's what really happened, we don't know for sure if HG was concerned about legal repercussions, or if they just didn't want to use DYRL designs in Robotech for stylistic reasons (and to keep the continuity hounds off their backs).

Why would they go thru all the trouble of pulling someone's license for stylistic reasons? Something like that would only require a slap on the wrist.

There was an instance last year when there was a poster made for the new Robotech comic books. The picture showed the Black Skull insigna on a VF-1 Fast Pack. It had Minmei sitting in the cockpit with Rick Hunter. It may even had the Strike Cannon on it (that I'm not sure off...) and there was a big hoopla on the old boards about it. later on the poster was released with a missle pod and the kite insigna in the place of the DYRL objects.

So was the decision made because of continuity's sake or licensing mistake? It would seem funny that if it was for continuity's sake, then why would they release it and wait for Macrossworld to spot it for them? Also if they would take away the license from Antartic for the same reasons then why did they let WildStorm keep the contract this time around?

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Also if they would take away the license from Antartic for the same reasons then why did they let WildStorm keep the contract this time around?

HG might have been looking for a reason to justify the pull of licenses back for that animation masterpiece of Robotech 3000.

It was probably HG didn't want to ruin a new deal with Tommy's old friends at Wildstorm, that link also making it much easier to bring them back into line than with the old "show HG after the fact" method.

Cyc

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man, that covert ops crap looks like...uh...what's the word...CRAP!

and to me...

comic books = american comic books

manga = japanese comic books

cartoon = american made cartoons(ie Disney, Warner bros)

anime = japanese cartoons

that should be simple enough, no "grey" area :rolleyes:

I thought Greg's "Covert Ops" was a very nice DYRL tribute (his artwork that is). Greg is a big DYRL fan and really wanted to do a true DYRL comic, but of course the licensing issues wouldn't let him.

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shite, I thought the link led to official Robotech comics that Yune drew that was gettin released. my bad. anyway, it's not professional work and that's what I thought it was, if I knew it wasn't, I wouldn't have been so harsh...sorry Greg...or whomever did that. :p

Edited by Eternal_D
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man, that covert ops crap looks like...uh...what's the word...CRAP!

and to me...

comic books = american comic books

manga = japanese comic books

cartoon = american made cartoons(ie Disney, Warner bros)

anime = japanese cartoons

that should be simple enough, no "grey" area :rolleyes:

Really? What do you call Korean animation? Or french animation? Or..... *shudders* Afeganimation? :lol:

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shite, I thought the link led to official Robotech comics that Yune drew that was gettin released. my bad. anyway, it's not professional work and that's what I thought it was, if I knew it wasn't, I wouldn't have been so harsh...sorry Greg...or whomever did that. :p

Well, it is professional in the sense that he was paid to do it for an established company under license.

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shite, I thought the link led to official Robotech comics that Yune drew that was gettin released.  my bad.  anyway, it's not professional work and that's what I thought it was, if I knew it wasn't, I wouldn't have been so harsh...sorry Greg...or whomever did that.  :p

Well, it is professional in the sense that he was paid to do it for an established company under license.

ok, I'm just going to shutup now...before I REALLY piss some ppl off.

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  • 1 month later...
btw anime refers to all things animated, even the simpsons, anime isnt just japanese there.

From dictionary.com

an·i·me ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-m)

n.

A style of animation developed in Japan, characterized by stylized colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sex.

I don't think Care Bears or My Little Pony can be classified as anime. ;)

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btw anime refers to all things animated, even the simpsons, anime isnt just japanese there.

From dictionary.com

an·i·me ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-m)

n.

A style of animation developed in Japan, characterized by stylized colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sex.

I don't think Care Bears or My Little Pony can be classified as anime. ;)

Eh... dictionaries have been known to be wrong.

IIRC- The word "anime" is what the japanese call all animation, not matter where it's origin.

Referring only to Japanese animation as "anime" is actually a Western concept.

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Slighty OT (on-topic) (Hey I dare to be different), I know this may be old news and such but apparently the ever-so-widely-loved Tommy Yune is hosting the Robotech panel at AX2004 and apparently has a 'simple and easy explanation about HG being able to release the DYRL toys and the rights they have that pertain to anything Macross'

Can't wait for that one <_<

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Eh... dictionaries have been known to be wrong.

IIRC- The word "anime" is what the japanese call all animation, not matter where it's origin.

Referring only to Japanese animation as "anime" is actually a Western concept.

Yeah, anime just means animation, but in American fandom it's been taken to mean only Japanese animation. I guess 'Japanimation' wasn't cool enough anymore. :rolleyes:

Same thing with the word otaku. Very different meanings and implications when spoken by an english-speaking fan and a native Japanese.

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Slighty OT (on-topic) (Hey I dare to be different), I know this may be old news and such but apparently the ever-so-widely-loved Tommy Yune is hosting the Robotech panel at AX2004 and apparently has a 'simple and easy explanation about HG being able to release the DYRL toys and the rights they have that pertain to anything Macross'

Can't wait for that one <_<

It's old news but until now I've only seen it reported on MacrossWorld. Where did you see it?

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OK for us Westerners... lets just put it this way... Go into the nearest Best Buy and ask them why you can't find Disney in the "anime" section. Then go to the comic book store and ask why you can't find Spawn in the manga section. Different languages make new different meanings for foreign word. Let's just make it easier on each other stop pretending we don't know what we're talking about. ;)

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