ULTRAMAN was once a staple of children’s television in Malaysia. Week after week, this giant of light from nebula M78 and his kind protected Japan from the constant stream of giant monsters that wreaked havoc in the country.
However, few knew that Ultraman and his brethren had been locked in another major battle, a legal one, for their freedom since 1979.
On April 18 last year, its creator Tsuburaya Productions Co Ltd (TPC) finally secured a ruling from the United States District Court in the Central District of California that named the company as the sole intellectual property (IP) owner of all the heroes, monsters and any other characters in the Ultraman universe.
TPC president Masayuki Nagatake announced this at a special press conference held in Kuala Lumpur recently.
The ruling especially pertains to the original six Ultra Brothers – Ultraman, Zofy, UltraSeven, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace, and Ultraman Taro – as well as hero characters and monsters in their universe, such as Father of Ultra, Mother of Ultra, and Alien Baltan.
The saga began in 1976, two years after the release of Hanuman vs 7 Ultraman (released as The 6 Ultra Brothers vs the Monster Army in Japan).
An agreement dated 1966 surfaced that alleged former TPC president Norobu Tsubaraya had signed away the global rights to the classic Ultra heroes to a Thai businessman.
Ever since then, TPC had been fighting to regain the global IP rights. The company argued that the document called ‘Licence Granting Agreement’ contained so many discrepancies that it should be considered invalid, and perhaps even a forgery.
Last year, the US District Court agreed – finally putting to right, according to Nagatake, the many abuses of the Ultraman IP rights outside of Japan.
Nagatake noted that the Southeast Asian market, one of its largest fanbase, is littered with counterfeit and unlicensed Ultraman products and events.
With this legal victory, TPC with the help of local government agencies will crack down on products, events, and individuals who infringe on the Ultraman IP rights.
However, TPC will not take action against cosplayers as long as they adhere to the values of Ultraman, which are bravery, hope and compassion. Additionally, fansubs not frowned upon will be seen as a way to help the Ultraman series reach a wider audience.
Currently, the Ultraman series is in its fourth generation. The first generation includes all the Ultramen from 1966 to 1980 (Ultra Q to Ultraman 80), the second generation spans from 1996 to 2006 (Ultraman Tiga to Ultraman Mebius), and the third generation from 2009 to 2018 (Ultraman Zero to Ultraman R/B).
The latest generation features the tri-squad which includes Ultraman Taiga, Ultraman Titus, and Ultraman Fuma.
Nagatake said the ruling also marks a new dawn for the Ultraman franchise as official content, products, and shows can now be expanded globally.
This year, TPC has introduced more series starring the giant of light. Each show will target a different age group with a live-action TV series at its core.
A 3D animated series, Ultraman, debuted on Netflix in April. Aimed at young adults, the series tells the story of Shinjiro Hayata, the son of Shin Hayata who merged with Ultraman.
Inheriting his father’s powers, Hayata must now don a metallic suit to become Ultraman.
The first season also saw the appearance of UltraSeven and Ultraman Ace. If the series is anything like the manga it is based on, we will see the rest of the Ultra Brothers, namely Zofy, Ultraman Jack and Ultraman Taro, in the next season.
Ultraman season two will debut on Netflix in April next year.
Starting this Aug 30, TPC will be airing last year’s live-action series Ultraman R/B (Ruebe) on Astro.
Aimed at younger audiences, it features two Ultramen – Ultraman Rosso and Ultraman Blu – brothers who are inspired by the classic duo of Ultraman Leo and Ultraman Astra. The story revolves around family and brotherhood.
The latest live-action Ultraman series, Ultraman Taiga, made its debut in July in Japan. The titular Ultraman in this series is Taiga, along with his companions, Ultraman Titus from the planet U40, and Ultraman Fuma from the planet O-50.
Taiga has a lot to prove and a lot to learn about friendship since he is the son of Ultraman Taro and the grandson of Father of Ultra.
TPC will also debut Kaiju Step, a show for children on Japan’s NHK TV network this fall.
For adults, Nagatake said Shin Ultraman, a movie adaptation of the original 1966 Ultraman, is scheduled to be released in 2021.
While TPC reps would not comment more on this movie, they did say it will not be the same as the live-action/CGI Ultraman trailer that mysteriously popped up on its official YouTube channel four years ago.
That trailer showed an organic-looking Ultraman and teased a July 7 release date. However, nothing much came out of the trailer except for a statue produced by Gecco Collectibles.
There’s more. At the end of September, TPC is launching Ultra Fight Galaxy, an online series featuring Ultraman’s New Generation Heroes versus the League of Darkness. The show will debut on TPC’s official YouTube channel.
