Harmony Gold purchased the international Macross distribution rights from Japan’s Tatsunoko Productions, but later legal cases in Japan determined that Tatsunoko only had authority to sell the international rights to the original 1982 Macross TV series, and had no claim to its Japanese domestic rights or the international rights to later installments in the Macross franchise, which were ruled to be the property of Japan’s Studio Nue and Big West.
“This expansive agreement signed by [Big West and Harmony Gold] on March 1, 2021, ends two decades of disagreements and will allow Big West and Harmony Gold to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential of both the Macross and Robotech franchises worldwide.
Moving forward, both parties will cooperate on distribution regarding future Macross and Robotech projects for the benefit of both franchises.”
Harmony Gold slapped Macross together with two other unrelated anime series to create a series it titled Robotech by heavily editing and stitching together their previously unconnected narratives.