The Story of How the Transformer SHOCKWAVE Was Actually SHOCKBLAST for Awhile

That.... Is Shockwave! But did you know that the fierce Decepticon we knew and loved from Hasbro as well as the third Michael Bay film, DARK OF THE MOON, wasn't always named that? Such is the name of the game of trademark and copyright law. Remarkably, Hasbro had plenty of legal problems with naming a lot of their transformers as you already know, and Shockwave was yet another one:

The Name "Shockwave" Actually Legally Went to a Company Known as Lanard Toys, Ltd.

And wouldn't you know it? The company developed a set of military figures called "The Corps!", which ironically directly competed with Hasbro's other well-known toy brand -- G.I. Joe. Because Lanard owned the trademarked name Shockwave, Hasbro couldn't use it for the time being. Instead, they marketed the name Shockblast instead.

What's interesting about trademark and copyright law is that sometimes the registrations don't last for good reason -- companies need to upkeep on the registration as a means to prove that they're still sufficiently using the names or brands they've trademarked. If they abandon the registration, the trademark or copyright is then up for grabs.

It Just so Happened That Lanard Did Just That: They Gave Up on the Registration, for Whatever Reason

And they did so just before Hasbro's release of their Alternators toy line, unfortunately so late in the marketing game to snatch the trademark and plant it on the box. However, Hasbro grabbed the registration and christened the well-known transformer on their next Mini-Con. And there you have it: we have the Decepticon arguably resonating just as much as Megatron!

Ironically.... Hasbro kept the trademark Shockblast for their other brand -- G.I. Joe!