Yamaura Eiji reacted with lightning speed, slapping his thigh. "Then Tatsunoko's claim that it holds the complete copyright and is authorized to license it overseas falls apart on its own!"
"Exactly." Nakayama Takuya nodded in satisfaction. "Once we get this document, Matsushima, take Sega's Legal Department and go knock on Tatsunoko's door. Slap the document onto their table and draw the line clearly. They can keep making money from the original animation, but every other mecha design, character design, and subsequent development right must be handed back to Big West honestly. That way, the copyright boundaries for Super Dimension Fortress Macross outside the European and American markets will be crystal clear."
Matsushima swallowed, a chill running down his spine. "What if Tatsunoko keeps its duck mouth hard even in death and refuses to acknowledge it?"
"Then we sue." Nakayama Takuya's tone was as calm as if he were discussing dinner. "Sega will pay. We'll hire the best intellectual property legal team in all Japan and support Big West in fighting Tatsunoko to the bitter end. If I remember correctly, Tatsunoko hasn't been having an easy time lately either. Its cash flow is stretched tight. Tell Big West that as long as they're willing to sign an exclusive partnership with Sega, Sega can cover part of the legal fees—even tens or hundreds of millions!"
The meeting room was so quiet that a needle dropping could be heard.
Matsushima felt his palms sweating furiously.
Back when he was at Sotsu, whenever he encountered this kind of copyright dispute, they would muddle through it, treat people to food and drinks, or simply avoid it altogether.
This was his first time witnessing Sega's overbearing yet razor-sharp business tactics.
They bypassed the frontal battlefield, went straight for the opponent's hidden trump card, then returned to