I've heard several reasonings on this...but why can't Hasbro use some of the names anymore? Jazz, Hot Rod, Shockwave, Soundwave, Brawn...yet they can copyright names like Landmine for Energon. So, what's up with the copyright issues? Why could they do it back then, but not now?

They can use Jazz, but not on a real car, b/c there already is a car named Jazz, Mazda would not like its care sharing a competiters name, as Hotrod, it's too generic

Short version... copyright laws have changed in the past 20 years.

Some of the names have been sold to other companies, for example, Ravage was bought by K'nex for it's Rekonstruktors (sp?) line.

 

And Names that are common terms like 'Tracks' and 'Hound' cannot be copyrighted (so it seems). It would be like copyrighting the word 'Jump' because you have a character named Jump.

 

That's my take on it at least

Here this may help too

 

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/thread69015.html

For the hundredth time:

 

You CAN NOT "copyright" a name!

 

For more information on what Hasbro can and can't do:

 

http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1130522

http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1130794