Hasbro Forces Closure of MLP: Online

[Rainforce]

That's right Hasbro, why make money with pretty much free advertisement and making it official with only work you don't even need to pay for, if you can just kill it? Killing is so much easier. And efficient.
Any longterm goal can be achieved by ignoring and killing the competition everything that isn't your own and remotely in your field of view.

 

[XMark]

From what I understand, it's not that they're required to defend a trademark simply when they know of a fan work. It's only in cases where the fan work is represented in a way that could confuse a customer into believing it's a work of the trademark holder. I think their biggest mistake was choosing the name "MLP Online". That sounds way too official, especially when an official online MLP game also exists... the title may have been the bulk of the reason behind getting it taken down. Fighting is Magic is something which is much more obviously a fan work by the title.

Other than this, Hasbro has been remarkably chill about fan works and free streaming of episodes online. Every once in a while they get some YouTube streams taken down (although I can always find one or two of each episode in a few seconds of searching). They also took down a website which had been offering full HD episode downloads a while ago (the big legal thing being that it was straight-up downloads and not streaming I guess). Then this MLP Online incident. And, well, that's about it. Hasbro is basically doing the absolute minimum amount of legal intervention they could possibly do.

 

[wulfy42]

Why don't they just buy the game (they being HASBRO) for $5....and then let them do whatever they want with it after that?

 

[jackpipsam]

Sucks how American copyright works, they put couple years good work into that.
Still at least they bowed out with grace.

They thought it was a troll...? Even while knowing that they used trademarked characters, settings etc. without permission...? How dumb are they?

There were cases of trolls under Hasbros name taking down content off YouTube.

 

[Legeden]

Seriously, this one had to do something really wrong ... mostly the title. http://www.fillygamez.com/ had exactly same title planned as the Gameloft's game and got out of it mostly unharmed, certainly not closed. So either they didn't resist much on the closure or the name was a bit too much.

 

[Beautiful End]

Is this the one that's kinda like Harvest Moon? Where you build your farm or something like that?

Becaus-- wait...

"It is our goal to have it completed by Bronycon 2013, though this may be ambitious."

"...completed by Bronycon 2013..."

"...Bronycon 2013..."

THAT EXISTS?!

Oh...god...just...I don't wanna judge so...I'm leaving.

 

[Arcadian Legend]

Is this the one that's kinda like Harvest Moon? Where you build your farm or something like that?

Becaus-- wait...

"It is our goal to have it completed by Bronycon 2013, though this may be ambitious."

"...completed by Bronycon 2013..."

"...Bronycon 2013..."

THAT EXISTS?!

Oh...god...just...I don't wanna judge so...I'm leaving.

Uh, yeah. it's existed since summer 2011 and has grown bigger and bigger since then. There was a second around that time this year as well. Not including Bronycon there has been a slew of other conventions up and down America, some big and small like Everfree Northwest and Canterlot Gardens. There are a couple international cons too like BUCK in the UK and Galacon in Germany.

As for the actual thread topic, it's not too surprising that they got shut down with an official sounding name like that. Makes me wonder what'll happen to that 3D WoW-esque one, Legends of Equestria? (I think thats the one?) Hopefuly Fighting is Magic is in the clear. Mane6 been extremely open about development with that one. I think FiM's creators even said they're eager to see that one come to completion.

 

[Hazy992]

So does that mean Fighting Is Magic might go the same way? That'd be a shame it looks like a fun little fighting game. Nothing spectacular mind, but it does look fun.

 

[MetalMagpie]

Man, I can't wait to be on that side of the fence, wait till a fan made project is done or almost done, see how it does and gauge audience reception, then shut it down.

I understand that these companies have to shut these projects down but it just seems like they always wait till it's finished or nearing completion when they send the C & D notices. These fandoms are not very shy about their creations, it shouldn't take this long to realize the group was productive enough to finish it.

To be fair, until the project is actually launched to the public, there isn't anything to send a C&D against. I could create a complete clone of a copyright-protected game like WoW for my own amusement, and I wouldn't be breaking any laws. The moment I make my WoW clone publicly available, Blizzard can decide to C&D me. The moment I try to make money off it, Blizzard have to kill it.

I guess they could try to be helpful by sending a "Just so you know..." letter earlier in the process, but they're not obligated to.

 

[NearLifeExperience]

Dear god.. bronies are making games now?? Where does this madness end..

 

[xplosive59]

I couldn't give less of a shit in all honesty, Fighting is Magic still looks promising even though the source material is meh.

EDIT: I would not recommend looking at the facebook post The Escapist made about this, the comment section has gone to complete shit, I don't understand how a nice community like this one can have such dickheads posting on the Facebook links.

 

[BlazeRaider]

At first I was like "D: O NOES HABRSO Y U DO THIZ?!!?"

Then I was like "Meh, thinking on it now we were bound to end up overstepping our bounds eventually, a game clearly using their IP is probably too far."

Then I read this:

"Hasbro is not to be blamed here. As per U.S. Trademark law, as soon as an infringement comes to light, they are obligated to defend the trademark, or they will lose it," he continued. "They had no choice in the matter, regardless of what they thought of the project or how it benefited them."

And now I just feel sad. Sad with a small amount of hope that the project can be salvaged, if only because so much effort was put into it and a lot of people were looking forward to it.

 

[itsthesheppy]

Copyright law is so damn stupid in this country.

This has to be why the Mane6 devs are so cagey about releasing updates and builds for MLP:FiM. Hopefully the game gets completed and released before the C&D inevitably hits, because by that point it'll be on the web and unstoppable.

 

[jackpipsam]

Dear god.. bronies are making games now?? Where does this madness end..

Bronies have been making games since like 2011

Some of them have featured on The Escapist before, such as Fighting is Magic.

 

[Buizel91]

Doesn't surprise me. Hasbro are also pretty militant at taking down episodes uploaded to youtube (well, the newer episodes anyway).

I can easily Find Transfomers Prime episodes on youtube, i have never noticed anything been taken down by Hasbro, but then again they do let 3rd party company's make Transformer figures, with different names etc, so maybe they aren't as hard on Transformers as they are with MLP.

OT: Sucks to anyone who was playing MLP online but they had to of seen it coming...

 

[verdant monkai]

Can anyone tell me if they were actually trying to sell this game?

Also does anyone know if it's illegal to make a non profit thing that is based off of someone else's franchise? (I'm not planning to by the way I am just intrigued)

 

[Asuka Soryu]

ToastyJustice? Makes me think of the Tick! Spoony Justice!

Well, not shocking that something with a trademark that didn't get permission from said trade mark holders was shut down.

 

[DjinnFor]

Actually, in this case, copyright law seems to have served its purpose, at least if the game was generating revenue (if it wasn't, then it's a whole lot more ambiguous and I really don't want to get into that discussion). Simply put, you shouldn't be able to profit off of someone else's intellectual property, especially if they're still using it.

Don't get me wrong, the current copyright laws can go burn in a fire, but I really have a hard time feeling sympathetic in this case.

Copyright Law has a purpose but it fails at that purpose [http://levine.sscnet.ucla.edu/general/intellectual/againstfinal.htm]. The claim that you shouldn't be able to "profit off of someone else's idea" is incoherent. There are no economical benefits and no moral justifications for such a claim, and it is in fact founded based on an erroneous belief: that "intellectual property" is the same as regular property. It is not [http://levine.sscnet.ucla.edu/general/intellectual/coffee.htm].

 

[Entitled]

I do not see why people hate on copyright laws. Think about this: without such great protection, the big game companies like EA, Blizzard Activision, Ubisoft would crush independents. They would make knock-off of almost everything making it harder to compete. There would be a lot less innovation and less creative games.

There are four problems with that:

1. Why would they do that? Most indie games are not particularly popular, or profitable. Even now, nothing stops them from publishing games very similar to FTL, Dwarf Fortress, Hotline Miami, McPixel, or Dear Esther. The thing is, that they don't want to. There is more money in CoD and ME and AssCreed.

2. Hating copyright law doesn't mean that we hate the very idea of copyright, just the copyright laws as they are written right now. Of course, creators need some form of protection from Ubisoft outright grabbing their game and selling it as their own. But just as this group made an MLP inspired but very original game, if EA wants to make an action RPG based on the FTL ip that is distinctly not FTL itself, or Ubisoft wants to make a 3D game with Dwarf Fortress-like mechanics, I wish they would, and I don't see how that would hurt creativity.

3. EA *could* make an incredibly unoririginal Minecraft-clone right now, as long as they are not copying any title or content from Minecraft. While at the same time, these guys are being shut down for making an in-depth, clever, and in many ways, original game with all their love, can be shut down as long as they are infringing on Hasbro's pony trademark. This kind of copyright isn't encouriging art, it's encouraging mediocre games that use enough legal skullduggery to be declared officially "original", while disccouraging honest fan art.

4. Most IP is owned by big publishers, epecially the most famous works are. Almost every bit of the past century's popuar culture is owned by a handful of giant corporations. Indies are expected to to be navigating in a world where they can't build from that existing culture, because it's taboo, because these corporations have a monopoly on it. And if they don't do thatthen they are called thieves, while the corporations are big enough to just EMPLOY artists to work for a salary, then fire them, and keep their art as their own, thus horading decades of content that they are now profiting from.

 

[-Dragmire-]

Man, I can't wait to be on that side of the fence, wait till a fan made project is done or almost done, see how it does and gauge audience reception, then shut it down.

I understand that these companies have to shut these projects down but it just seems like they always wait till it's finished or nearing completion when they send the C & D notices. These fandoms are not very shy about their creations, it shouldn't take this long to realize the group was productive enough to finish it.

To be fair, until the project is actually launched to the public, there isn't anything to send a C&D against. I could create a complete clone of a copyright-protected game like WoW for my own amusement, and I wouldn't be breaking any laws. The moment I make my WoW clone publicly available, Blizzard can decide to C&D me. The moment I try to make money off it, Blizzard have to kill it.

I guess they could try to be helpful by sending a "Just so you know..." letter earlier in the process, but they're not obligated to.

I was thinking that the C & D notices could go out when the people working on these projects have public sites clearly declaring the intention to complete the project as well as updating it with current progress. Projects like the this tend to be quite open with the community so it's pretty clear it's not for personal use. Come to think of it, do you think anyone would even remotely believe you if you said you were creating an MMO for personal use?

Often projects like this are funded by donations which I think skirts the law on making money on that property because it's optional. I very well could be wrong though.

I do not see why people hate on copyright laws. Think about this: without such great protection, the big game companies like EA, Blizzard Activision, Ubisoft would crush independents. They would make knock-off of almost everything making it harder to compete. There would be a lot less innovation and less creative games.

All new ideas are built on previous ones, it's how we move forward creatively. Copyright law, while it intends well, actively prevents ideas from entering the public domain which limits potential creativity.

Above all, It's kind of ridiculous for a copyright(a temporary monopoly on an idea so the creator can recoup R&D losses and fund future ideas) to last for 70+ years after the creator dies. That's really fucked up.