There were two slightly different releases of the second edition BattleTech boxed set. The first featured the iconic Alan Gutierez "Warhammer" art on the front and back cover, included the text "BattleTech is the second edition of Battledroids." The second release added artwork by Steve Venters on the box back, and replaced the original Battledroids map with two cardboard maps.
The result was Robotech.
Well, whatever the "truth" is, I doubt anyone can really say, all we know is how things played out over the next decade, starting with Harmony Gold sending a Cease and Desist to FASA at some point in '85. History doesn't record what FASA's reaction to this was, but probably involved using it for toilet paper.
This uneasy deadlock would continue through the rest of the Eightees...