17 replies to this topic

[Stonefalcon]

We the battletech/mechwarrior community should buy the rights to the Robotech franchise before Harmony Gold gets their grubby mits all over it again.

As stated towards the bottom of the legal agreement here:

https://www.leagle.c...fdco20170830639

It states that Harmony Gold's contract to the Robotech rights (Which apparently includes exclusive rights to everything Robotech) expires on March 14, 2021.

[color=#1E1E1E]Arbitrator finds that Claimant's license in the Programs expires on March 14, 2021 as does their right to produce and/or exploit works based on any of the Programs. From the very beginning of the parties' relationship, they were dealing with finite terms that required additional consideration to be given for extension of the rights granted. To allow use of the Programs beyond the term without payment of consideration for renewal thereof would be totally inconsistent with the parties' course of dealing over these many years. The 2002-A extended the term of license on the Programs (all three since the reference therein is to paragraph four of the 1998-A which related to all of the Programs) until March 14, 2021. If the parties, in accordance with the Operative Agreements, do not reach an agreement to extend then Claimant would no longer have the right thereafter to produce and/or exploit any product containing the Programs or any part thereof.[/color]

Is there any way for us to identify how much HG is paying towards this contract? If so we should set the goal just a bit higher.

[El Bandito]

Meh. I could 100% live without Unseen mechs. There are literally hundreds of variants of other mechs that can sate my thirst.

Edited by El Bandito, 14 September 2017 - 07:45 PM.

[Bombast]

Harmony Gold 100% owns 'Robotech,' and Macross is 100% not for sale.

Also, you can't actually start a Kickstarter JUST to get an IP. It's against the rules.

[SargeantShepard]

Bombast, on 14 September 2017 - 07:48 PM, said:

Harmony Gold 100% owns 'Robotech,' and Macross is 100% not for sale.

Also, you can't actually start a Kickstarter JUST to get an IP. It's against the rules.

This.

OP, your heart is in the right place, but it lacks understanding of the reality of the situation.

HG will probably lose the Lawsuit its in right now, and even if it doesn't its rights run out in a few years. So one way or the other HG will lose its "rights" to the unseen.

Just let things proceed on their own. Ill-informed movements like this wont help things.

[Stonefalcon]

Bombast, on 14 September 2017 - 07:48 PM, said:

Harmony Gold 100% owns 'Robotech,' and Macross is 100% not for sale.

Also, you can't actually start a Kickstarter JUST to get an IP. It's against the rules.

That I did not know. Go figure.

Well if PGI/HBS/CGL wanted I reckon they could pool together to buy the rights themselves.

@Bandito, you're right, there are some mechs we can live without, but it's the principle of sticking it to the suits at HG.

[Bombast]

Stonefalcon, on 14 September 2017 - 08:01 PM, said:

Well if PGI/HBS/CGL wanted I reckon they could pool together to buy the rights themselves.

No, they couldn't. The rights are not for sale, and Macross is bigger than Battletech.

[Valdarion Silarius]

Bombast, on 14 September 2017 - 08:06 PM, said:

Macross is bigger than Battletech.

You sure about that? I personally never heard of Macross until these lawsuits were prevalent on the forums. I think more people recognize the name Battletech/Mechwarrior than Macross in the realm of table top and gaming over anime.

[Lupis Volk]

Arnold The Governator, on 14 September 2017 - 09:15 PM, said:

You sure about that? I personally never heard of Macross until these lawsuits were prevalent on the forums. I think more people recognize the name Battletech/Mechwarrior than Macross in the realm of table top and gaming over anime.

You can thank HG for that. Outside of the US Macrosss is a thing.

[Bombast]

Arnold The Governator, on 14 September 2017 - 09:15 PM, said:

You sure about that? I personally never heard of Macross until these lawsuits were prevalent on the forums. I think more people recognize the name Battletech/Mechwarrior than Macross in the realm of table top and gaming over anime.

I am sure of that.

Macross is a niche series with a MASSIVE following outside of the US, and a decent sized sized one inside it. It's had several major animation series, a ton of games, and a MOUNTAIN of ancillary material.

While Battletech/Mechwarrior is a niche series that's 'died' at least twice, struggles continually to expand, and has an average playerbase that continues to age. And it has owners who don't even care about it because the IPs so fractured no one can actually do anything with it.

Macross is a major player in anime - Maybe its not Gundam, but it's known and loved. Battletech/Mechwarrior doesn't hold a candle to it. And Macross's star is likely to be blowing up even bigger soon. About 4 years, to be specific.

Edited by Bombast, 14 September 2017 - 09:28 PM.

[CanadianCyrus]

I would be surprised if whoever owns the Robotech license even offers it to Harmony Gold to renew, considering HG has sued those companies and prevented them from releasing newer content in NA.

[Bombast]

Funzo, on 14 September 2017 - 09:39 PM, said:

I would be surprised if whoever owns the Robotech license even offers it to Harmony Gold to renew, considering HG has sued those companies and prevented them from releasing newer content in NA.

I've be surprised too, since HG is the one who owns it.

[Sodoff Baldrick]

Arnold The Governator, on 14 September 2017 - 09:15 PM, said:

You sure about that? I personally never heard of Macross until these lawsuits were prevalent on the forums. I think more people recognize the name Battletech/Mechwarrior than Macross in the realm of table top and gaming over anime.

Google Battle:
Mechwarrior 2,000,000 hits
Battletech 3,000,000 hits

Macross 8,000,000 hits

Robotech 4,000,000 hits

Gundam 60,000,000 hits

[Lily from animove]

Bombast, on 14 September 2017 - 07:48 PM, said:

Harmony Gold 100% owns 'Robotech,' and Macross is 100% not for sale.

Also, you can't actually start a Kickstarter JUST to get an IP. It's against the rules.

then kickstart a crappy lousy 100$ effort browsergame and say part of the kcikstarter is needing the IP to make that game

[Juodas Varnas]

I'd kickstart quads.

[Mendicant Bias]

This pointless litigation feud has been going on for years and will continue to go on for many more. The franchise owners of Robotech and Battletech will be battling each other in mechs before it's all over.

Edited by Mendicant Bias, 15 September 2017 - 01:25 AM.

[ForceUser]

Juodas Varnas, on 15 September 2017 - 12:47 AM, said:

I'd kickstart quads.

I didn't know they were so rubbish you had to kick start them.

[Juodas Varnas]

ForceUser, on 15 September 2017 - 01:52 AM, said:

I didn't know they were so rubbish you had to kick start them.

[Davegt27]

https://mwomercs.com...rights-to-sony/

http://www.ign.com/a...movie-franchise

edit:

"secured the rights to the science-fiction anime Robotech"

secured might not be the same as bought

Edited by Davegt27, 15 September 2017 - 08:51 AM.