[chuckdawg1999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boy Blunder

Not especially. Machine Robo (including toys and likenesses) are still owned by Bandai, while Gobots (character names, bios, and storylines) are owned by Hasbro. Which I assume means that Hasbro can't reissue any old GoBots toys, nor make any new toys that look explicitly like the old toys (hence why most GoBot homage figures are repaints, and sometimes have some deco overhauls - according to deco artist Joe Kyde, part of what got Fracture/Crasher released was finding an actual F-1 race car with a black/white/red color scheme).

Likewise, I'd take this to mean that any Machine Robo figures can only be released as Machine Robo figures, and not branded as GoBots.

So not all that confusing or convoluted.

Nope, there's more from what I understand. Bandai cannot release Machine Robo toys in the US, not because of Go-Bots, but because the Universe Ratchet toy from the early 2000s is tampoed Machine Robo Rescue. Also, I heard there's an issue with Bandai reissuing the older Machine Robo toys as well. To put it simply, there're questions as to who owns what beyond what we've discussed.