Florida-based company Epic Stone Group filed a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox on Wednesday, claiming that 20th Century Fox knowingly infringed on Epic Stone’s trademark for “Battle Angel” with its upcoming Alita: Battle Angel film.
Epic Stone alleged that 20th Century Fox is engaging in unfair competition by using the good will associated with Epic Stone’s trademark. Epic Stone claimed that it has been selling merchandise using the “Battle Angel” trademark since 2009, when it filed the trademark in the fields of computer games, toys, action figures, and other merchandise.
The lawsuit seeks to compel 20th Century Fox to cease the sale of merchandise bearing the trademark, as well as damages and any profits that 20th Century Fox has earned in using the trademark.
The film, which adapts Yukito Kishiro’s Battle Angel Alita (GUNNM) manga, will open in the United States on February 14.
Kishiro’s manga ran in Shueisha’s Business Jump magazine from 1990 to 1995, followed by the 1995-1996 follow-up Ashen Victor and the single-volume GUNNM: Other Stories. The story continued in 2001 with the partial retelling Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, which moved to Kodansha’s Evening magazine as the result of an issue between Kishiro and Shueisha’s Ultra Jump magazine. The newest manga, Gunnm: Kasei Senki (Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicles), launched in Kodansha’s Evening magazine in 2014, and is ongoing.
Viz Media published the original manga beginning in 1994, and it also published Ashen Victor, and the first 15 volumes of Battle Angel Alita: Last Order before Kodansha Comics took over to publish the final four volumes. Kodansha later released Last Order omnibus editions. Kodansha Comics also re-released the original manga beginning in 2017, and is also releasing Battle Angel Alita: Mars Chronicle.
The manga inspired a two-episode original video anime (OVA) project in 1993. ADV Films released the anime in several formats in North America, including DVD in 1999.