Hello, everyone.
We have what for most will be bad news, for us are terrible news, and for a selected few might actually be good news.
We have received a C&D letter from Hasbro's Legal representatives, asking us to cease game development, remove any materials that might contain My Little Pony characters, names, locations or related elements from the sites we control (Our site, our youtube, our twitch), and "cease any further use of [their] MY LITTLE PONY property".
Options have been considered, lawyers have been contacted, and resources have been (mostly) exhausted.
We have attempted negotiating with Hasbro for the continued use of the property in our non-profit, voluntary project, but so far we haven't received an answer. As such, we're complying with the contents of the C&D letter until we receive answer from their PR and/or Legal departments.
We also want to inform the general public of the final and irrevocable resignation of James Workman (Elosande) from the Mane6 DevTeam, effective February 6, 2013, as well as reminding of the final and irrevocable resignation of Prominence, effective January 30, 2012. The Mane6 DevTeam no longer represents their interest, nor do they represent ours.
We'll keep everyone posted as the situation evolves, but be aware we might not be able to respond to comments and questions due to the delicate nature of the situation.
Thanks for following our project so far.
I'm so very sorry, you we're so close to finishing! I'm going to continue watching and see where this goes, but for the time being i'm hoping.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty dumb and shitty on their part.
ReplyDeleteLegally Hasbro have no choice. Hasbro either need to protect their trademarks or lose them. Thus is the state of trademark laws
ReplyDeleteDamn, I wasn't reformed for THIS!
ReplyDeleteLooks like fanmade content is dead. RIP
And, it looks like you're not gonna be making anymore MLP-related games anymore because of this.
(But fanimation is still alive)
DX
ReplyDeleteReally, really upset to see this. I'm hoping that something can be worked out. :(
ReplyDeleteSome corporations just want to watch the fandom burn...
ReplyDeleteWhat. The fuck.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do hope you come to an agreement. I really want to play this game.
ReplyDeleteSomething told me that this was going to happen and I was hoping it didn't. All ya'll work... and nothing to show for it. ya'll be working on this for how long now...2 years........Hasbro...why, just why....
ReplyDeleteUntil an explanation is given by Hasbro, they have officially crossed over onto my shit list.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why they would do this. Hasbro really could have profited if they just asked you to team up with them. This sucks that we got some brony hating lawyer in hasbro wrecking our shit.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's quite a disappointment. Hope your negotiations are successful.
ReplyDeletewhy does Hasbro do this? why cant Lauren make the decision? correct me if im wrong but its her show right?
ReplyDeleteshe helped revamp the series, but actually has little say on what happens with the property itself. That would be another person entirely.
DeleteWhat a buch of fuckers! WHY DID THEY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEY ALMOST FINISHED!!? GRRRRR!!
ReplyDeleteThey can profit more if they do it all themselves. Which is probably why they're doing this.
ReplyDeleteOh wow.
ReplyDeleteFuck off hasbro, why would bother C&Ding a non-profit voluntary game which could bring in more revenue.....and let shit like banned from equestria run rampant.
ReplyDeleteI really hope an agreement is sorted and this game comes too light in its intended form.
Its been in working for too fucking long
People really need to stop saying this because it's entirely untrue. You do not lose a trademark if you don't defend it. You can only lose a trademark if it's abandoned, improperly licensed or genericized. See here:
ReplyDeletehttp://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm#6
The only thing that not defending your trademark can cause an issue with is limit the amount of damage claims the trademark owner can claim in the event of court claims.
No..it isn't hers. She created the premise but it is intellectual property of Hasbro. So it's theirs.
ReplyDeleteGreat, so Hasbro's now pulling fan-based content, which doesn't even cost them any money, since Mane6 doesn't make a cent off of this project, and because of their actions, we're out of an awesome MLP fighting game, and they lose a brilliant tool of free advertising, AND they tick off a sizable percentage of their fanbase...brilliant move, ha$bro. Just brilliant.
ReplyDeleteIs there any chance you could buy licencing? Run a kickstarter, people will pay.
ReplyDeleteI gotta say, this didn't come as lightning from a clear sky. But it's still sad news. Gotta respect Hasbro for wanting to protect their merchandise, even though that doesn't make to much sense since this were going to be free AND it'd give 'em some free advertisement...
ReplyDeleteI'm also paying my respect for you guys. Putting up on a project this big ain't something you can do overnight, and being so close to a finish product and all...
Keep on being awesome. Maybe y'all can put something else up. You got in in you, so please; don't stop doing what you do best :)
Heres how its going to go Hasbro will say well give us money meaning they will want some money from this. There not going to sit here and let people use there product for there own sorry but there are laws with this kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteMen, this project is just...outstanding. Is really stupid that they want you to stop.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing that can happen is that Hasbro hire you guys to finish this amazing game and gain some profit. That would be a win-win situation.
MLP is Hasbro's IP. It's not Lauren's show, she merely came up with the idea for the current incarnation. MLP is Hasbro's trademarked property, and due to the shitty way US law works, they're legally bound to protect said property.
ReplyDeleteSadness.
ReplyDeleteI have my fingers crossed for everything working out and Hasbro being nice, I am so very, very sad to hear this. You guys are awesome, even if this doesn't work out I know that you'll be able to move on and create even more amazing things.
ReplyDeleteHow the HAY did this happen AFTER everything with EVO??!?!? how did this not happen before that?
ReplyDeleteNot so much want to as had to in this case thanks to crappy US trademark laws.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see a big company turn against it's fans and customers...waitwut O_o
ReplyDeleteIt is non-profit and voluntary, hence this is complete bull. If they received any sort of profit for this, then Hasbro legally had something to stand on, but as this is non-profit and voluntary (in other words, doesn't compete with Hasbro on any commercial level whatsoever) they have no business shutting these guys down.
ReplyDeleteAs a last resort, make it open source and pretend its a leak.
ReplyDeleteWhy stop, keep production underground and distribute the game through piratebay
ReplyDeleteI would urge you guys to consider posting what you have now on the Pirate Bay. The fandom has been looking forward to this game for years. Give us what you can.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, that's not how copyright and trademark laws work here in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteAs stated above, Hasbro has to protect their trademarks and intellectual property or they will lose all rights to them.
ReplyDeleteYou sir, are one of the biggest morons I've ever seen. CongratS!
ReplyDeleteThat's how they do work x.x I studied them for this specific reason, and this falls under the parody act.
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong. Lauren Faust is not involved with FiM any longer and hasn't been for quite a while. Besides which, My Little Pony was never her intellectual property to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI want Hasbro to know... that it might have been a choice that they wanted to make, but it probably wasn't necessary. If Mane6 didn't claim My Little Pony as their own, and acknowledged that it was Hasbro's, couldn't they have excused this? Honestly, I might just be talking like the 13 year old girl that I am, ignorant to legal situations, but I know enough about this world to know that they Hasbro and Mane6 could have worked past this together. I think that a game like this would have made a lot of people happy.
ReplyDeletePeople who are mad at Hasbro, quit being idiots. They have to do this to protect their trademark, or else they could lose it. Just stick around, and wait till they respond to mane 6, till then, quit being bitches.
ReplyDeleteAs stated previously, Hasbro needs to protect their trademarks/intellectual property or lose rights to them completely.
ReplyDeleteJust work on it "underground" and then let the game "leak" to the community.
ReplyDeleteNOOOOOO!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNo. Lauren Faust doesn't own the rights to the show. She doesn't even work on it anymore. If Hasbro doesn't protect their copyright then they lose it.
ReplyDeleteHasbro is like any of the others, money grubbing filthy sons of whore dogs who do not deserve any of our hard earned cash, fuck em, thats right, fuck you Hasbro
ReplyDeleteThe explanation is that they're protecting their copyright.
ReplyDeleteHasbro, for that I'm going to petition the toys r us and start selling pirated dvds of MLP outside. Kill yourself.
ReplyDeleteThis is a total crock. What the hell happened to Fair Use? This is a non-profit project...if anything, this is massive free PR for them.
ReplyDeleteI guess this means I'll never be able to voice Trixie or Queen Chrysalis now ;;
no Hasbro is getting kind of copyright happy. One minute they are happy about fanworks, next they are bringing lawyers in saying to remove fanwork.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to make a petition to let the Mane6 team continue....
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting for this amazing game for a long time :/
Hasbro obviously doesn't care about this. Why would they? They will get nothing out of it. So they will end it so no others can either. The thing is, if they really cared, why the hell didn't they end it earlier? They would have already known about it. They chose now for some reason..
ReplyDeleteWhat "no choice"? If they have no choice, they would have shut it down for a long time. All I can see is they planning to make a terrible clone of this game for profit.
ReplyDeleteOf all the worst things that could happen... This is the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!
ReplyDeleteEgypt is a philosopher, upvote him to karma heaven.
ReplyDeleteThis bullshit Hasbro has never been a bro
ReplyDeleteFUUUUUUKIIIIIIIING AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
ReplyDeletefair use does not apply to trademark.
ReplyDeleteDarn, and I was planning on playing this game.
ReplyDeleteYou have a working engine, if you cant use their IP, why not make your own thing? This is terrible, but its very unlikely you`re going to get anywhere with this, since multiple other projects have already shut down. With that said, I do hope that you are able to continue this project, it looks way too good.
ReplyDeleteHave you guys considered asking for a license and maybe starting a kickstarter to get the money needed to buy it and to be allowed to continue developing?
ReplyDeleteIt would be an incredible Shame if this great project were to just vanish.
I don't know what little fuck at Hasbro decided to do this, but I will find him, and kill him.
ReplyDeleteI hope you guys could reach a mutual compromise because seriously, you were doing an awesome job.
ReplyDeleteIn situations like this, it doesn't actually matter what the letter of the law is. Mane6 cannot afford to let this go to court at all, even if they are in the right. C&Ds for small groups like this is a kiss of death.
ReplyDeleteSomeone tweet this to Tara or Andrea
ReplyDeletePETITION, RIOT, SOMETHING
ReplyDeleteIf you want to make a difference, send their corporate office letters:
ReplyDeleteHasbro, Inc.
1027 Newport Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02862.
It HAS to be letters. Send a LOT of letters. Send a letter, tell your friends to send letters, tell them to tell their friends to send letters, this requires a mass movement if anything's going to change and idly complaining about it fixes nothing.
Most importantly be respectful. Do not send them swill or poison, it only sends a bad image. Tell them this means a lot to you. Tell them you adore the MLP intellectual property, and tell them, urge to them, impress upon them the notion that this project is not, and cannot possibly be, a threat to their ownership of that intellectual property.
Please release for torrent what you have! We fighting game bronies can't let this work go to waste :(
ReplyDeletehttp://th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/021/0/3/manly_tears_by_dylandylan72-d4n7l51.png
ReplyDeleteAll the tears.
I'd like to hope that these guys continue their work on this in secret. It probably won't happen, but if only... T_T
ReplyDeletehttp://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/9-a.html
ReplyDeleteFighting is Magic would fall under copyright law under the definition of portraying copyrighted materials in a humorous way as almost to poke fun at the source material. That should be FiM's defense, and the case wouldn't be too hard to win.
This is just going to end in pain for them if they don't let you continue. It's turn into a PR hellstorm, destroying their public image and potentially their profits from a sudden backlash.
ReplyDeleteas previosly also stated, this is not how trademarks work. scroll up.
ReplyDeletepraying for your negotiations to go well guys...can't give up the fight yet on something you have all worked so hard at.
ReplyDeleteIf we don't fight back, then there is nothing to defend!
ReplyDeleteIt's time to act!
I'm legitimately crying over this. In the most literal sense possible. There are tears coming out of my eyes. I don't even know what to say. I mean seriously this may sound pathetic as fuck but I'm dead serious, I don't think I've been this sad about anything in years. I hope there will still be some option coming along which isn't as tragic. Seriously I've been following this project so closely from day one. Since you first posted that first AJ v AJ gameplay demonstation I've been hyping up the ponychan threads about this game. And then I've been playing the leak for like every day and f5ed this website and hyped others and holy shit. I just can't quite believe it's over. Please please please, and I know telling you is most probably completely unnecessary, but please do everything within your might to still make this game happen somehow Mane6. This can't end just like this.
ReplyDeleteI'm already crying over this. I really am.
ReplyDeleteLOL
ReplyDeleteCan you at least release what you guys have so far onto some torrent site so we can have it NOW if it NEVER gets made? just to be sure?
ReplyDeleteChrono Trigger Resurrection is one example.
ReplyDeleteWell this is legitimately disappointing. I would encourage you to finish the game as a private non-solicited project. Maybe we might not be able to play it - but this game was going to be a landmark. And it would be a shame for all that work to go to waste.
ReplyDeleteanother nail in the coffin of the brony fandom
ReplyDeleteThat's what I want.
ReplyDeleteeeyp
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Hasbro they used to let us put out this stuff now they are just being assholes. Hasbro if you can see this you are losing your fanbase.
ReplyDeleteI really hope you guys are able to work this out. I wish you the best of luck.
ReplyDeleteParody must comment on the original material. This does not.
ReplyDeleteHow many name do we need to petition this game's continuation?
ReplyDeleteI do not you understand hasbro, if there are many other similar games from other series and are not being forced to cancel
ReplyDeleteThis, I think we should all be positive and wait for something good to happen.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I have no clue about copyright crap, but I believe that if you never collect money that relates to this game you should be able to do it. It's just like memes. If they tell cheezburger to shut down MLB, they'll probably be in court with cheezburger.
ReplyDeleteJust curious, how hard would it be to get a Kickstarter going to get the funds to license the characters? I mean, it can't be impossible, and I bet this fandom would pull through if you did.
ReplyDeleteBefore you abandon ship, just save everything game-related for now, until all is said and done. It ain't over 'til derpy drops a piano on it.
ReplyDeleteThis. ^
ReplyDeleteLEL
ReplyDeleteHow does this poke fun? Portraying the characters as combatants doesn't do what you seem to think it does.
ReplyDeleteConelly, why do you keep agreeing to yourself? Do you not think people can see your name?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know why if they were going to shut it down..why they let it get this far in the development...kind of a dick move
ReplyDeleteSo it should be no problem for you to fund the lawyers needed for said case, right?
ReplyDeleteYou did nothing wrong, you're not stealing from them in any way, nor making any profit. If you can't compromise with them just move to .tk domain outside the U$A and they can't touch you.
ReplyDeleteIt's the end guys. Not just for Fighting is Magic, but for the fandom as well if they keep this shit up.
ReplyDeletejust alter each chara slightly and change the names of the ponies. But honestly I agree, work underground and just leak it out. Too many bronies have been looking forwards to this for so long.
ReplyDeletehasbro has no bro! everybody has been waiting for this, and dumbass hasbro just came and strolled along and canceled it D:<
ReplyDeleteLets suppose I'm Hasbro. I'm trying to expand my market. I go to a video game developer and say "I would like a platformer game based off these characters". The game developer goes "Hmm, I'll pass. If people want a pony game they can go play this one on the internet for free."
ReplyDeleteBuy Licensing Rights.
ReplyDeleteFuck Hasbro to the core. How many times are they still going to hurt the creative guys in the pony fandom? Fuck!
ReplyDeleteYou guys could try and work some kind of deal. Like this is free advertisement or something. You could put Hasbro ads in the game if you have to. We'd be willing to live with ads in the game.
ReplyDeleteI think that the EVO 'Money for Charity' probaly is the dettonant that meke HASBRO send the D6D
ReplyDeleteThis is just complete bullshit on so many levels. It really is. I've only recently heard of Fighting is Magic but I can already tell how much effort the dev team put into it, only for this shit to happen. Hasbro is already enough of a money-Hitler, and now they're just scraping the bottom of the barrel for every last drop. If the dev team were intending to make money off of Fighting is Magic, then I can understand why Hasbro would do this - But, the game is intended to be a free freaking fan game. There's absolutely no reason why this game should be C&D'd. After all, Super Smash Flash and all those other games never got C&D'd by Nintendo, and SSF used not just Nintendo characters, but many other characters from other companies as well, and those companies never had a problem with it. There's no reason why this game should be any different.
ReplyDeleteLAL
ReplyDeleteIs it possible you say "leak" the unfinished copy on torrents site and claim that some brony hacker did it? We already got one leaked version of it so far, how about an update?
ReplyDeleteThis thing was going to be big at EVO, we can get some of the fighters in on this too.
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't make any sense to me. This game has been in production for about a year, and Hasbro had nothing to say about it. All of a sudden, now that it's almost done, it gets a C&D. I can't help but wonder what changed, from when Mane6 announced their intent of this game, and now. I really hope this can get worked out, and what the person said below about sending letters--definitely do that.
ReplyDelete"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SOME GIRL NAMED CANCER IS MAKING MONEY OFF OUR PONIES?!"
ReplyDeleteA fascinating endeavor but that would still require Hasbro's willingness to sell the right, and it isn't just for MLP as a name, it's for twilight's image, aj's image, and every other pony's image that are filed under their own little copyrights. It will get expensive.
ReplyDeleteExcuse a bit of copypasta, but anon is right. He brings up a few decent legal points which should help if they haven't already been thought of.
ReplyDelete"All they can do now is set up a defense through fair use if they get sued. (It isn't fair use until it is determined by a court. Fair use varies on a case-to-case basis.)
On one hand, they do have good odds since they produced their own music and backgrounds. It is also non-profit. The most they copied are the flash vectors used to create the ponies, and even those have their own custom-made animations.
On the other hand, Hasbro is raking in dough so they are viable to set up a powerful team of prosecutors. Some of the copied content such as the flash vectors or any sound effects ripped from the show can be used against them.
I recommend that The Mane Six team gets at least one lawyer that specializes in the US laws of copyright and fair use. The fact that most of the content such as music was created rather than them doing something like rip "Smile Smile Smile" straight from the show, does give them a good fighting chance."
So, Mane6?
Will they still go to Evo with it if it's being shut down?
ReplyDeleteThat's probably the entire reason the C&D happened. EVO. In retrospect, anyone with a brain should have been like ABANDON SHIP! NO. CUT THAT SHIT OUT.
ReplyDeleteThe game being at EVO PROBABLY (my own speculation) had something to do with the C&D.
ReplyDeleteAnd with EVO, it involved money.
ReplyDeletedude, do you really think they would take the risk of some legal troubles in a court, for some guys? hasbro do not need it and at the end f the day, they must to care their franchise an its image, a game about fighting ponies with the name of their franchise would give a very bad message, specially when it's an remarkable game with articles in game spot for example, they are taking care about their franchise and their image. if mane six team wants to lounch their game, they must to change the name of the characters and the name of the game and locations, that is all mane six can to do in this moment.
ReplyDeleteIt was already shown off at EVO, though.
ReplyDeleteThis are the saddest MLP related news I've ever come across.
ReplyDeleteI wish you guys good luck and hope that this'll be resolved peacefully.
I can't believe im saying this but .. suddenly, im glad i dont live in u.s if these are the copyright laws D:
ReplyDeletebut its still bullcrap, i really looked forward to this.
for about 2 years, actually
ReplyDeleteLet the piracy begins... there are plenty of servers that you can use to submit beta versions of the game. We will be very interested to try at least what you have already finished.
ReplyDeleteIf Hasbro knew what they were doing, they would buyout Mane6 and make them a subsidiary, allowing them to release the game as a Hasbro property.
ReplyDeleteMuch like Microsoft did with Bungie.
And when you think about it, it doesn't have to stop at FiM.
Can you imagine a Transformers fighting game in this engine?
Seriously, talk to Hasbro about options.
I would so pay $60 to buy this.
And if it got ported to console?
I'd buy it again.
Remember Hasbro, never underestimate the buying power of a rabid fanbase.
and if you change the name of the game with something nothing to see with the trademark MLP, CHANGE THE NAME AND COLORS OF THE CHARACters, the tittle and the name of locations? it could help because it would not be something about MLP there.
ReplyDeleteWhat legal troubles, pray tell? Not getting as much money as they wanted in a court case? Because as I explained, that is the only negative thing that can happen.
ReplyDeleteon the bright side, your website is getting a ton of hits now...
ReplyDeletei hope this isn't the end. hasbro is going to loose so many fans if they keep this up.
i guess its a loophole...
ReplyDeleteoption to change colours of the ponies?
ReplyDeleteyeah we will donate :D
ReplyDeleteWhy is copyright law, a law that was supposed to protect and safeguard artists and creativity, always used to put artists and their creativity in a chokehold?
ReplyDeleteWe will all work together to make this game happen one way or another.
ReplyDeletedude, are you saying hasbro must to pay for something that it supuse
ReplyDeleteShhh...Hasbro is watching with their army of lawyers
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that this game would just be free advertising for them.
ReplyDeleteEh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htS2zKhTXvI
ReplyDeleteChange the colors of the ponies to the alts permanently, call them shutterfly and japplemack and sparkling twilight, and rename the group something like the sixmaners...?
ReplyDeleteLauren Faust even said she loved this idea and wanted it to be made.
ReplyDeleteLet them look and see the options we've given them.
ReplyDeleteO.O army of lawyers? we got army of bronies :D
ReplyDeletereally?
ReplyDeleteIf they don't at least give Mane6 some options of continuation, all the bronies can boycott hasbro
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thepetitionsite.com/526/847/063/allow-the-continuation-of-the-development-of-mane6s-mlp-fighting-is-magic/
ReplyDeleteFor a 13 year old you are remarkably articulate, I must say. And you are correct, if they were wise they would excuse this. They recently had this problem with the plushies; but that can be explained as people profiting off the license. Here, there is no profit. There is nothing these people gain but the smiles on people's faces whilst they play the game.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, while they don't stand to gain anything, Hasbro stands to gain something. You see, not everyone is a brony, or buying my little pony merchandise. Quite a few people who refuse the series may be attracted to it by a very good fighting game. It may not be many, but there is very high chance Hasbro would receive a small spike in profit upon the game's release.
Now, you don't need to know laws of copyright to understand Risk vs Confidence. They are pretty basic statistics terms; Confidence is the likelihood to succeed in an endeavor, risk is the chance to fail. There would be about 50% confidence that money is to be gained by Hasbro by leaving the game alone. But, there is a 100% risk that if they tell them cease and desist, no money can be gained from it. That isn't even adding in the damage to public relations.
While bronies may not be the number one source of money for Hasbro's MLP line, they can only stand to gain from their existence. They are hurting themselves for no explainable reason right now.
But, as a hope against hope, there is a possibility that Hasbro's cease and desist will be followed by a request to hire the team, and make the game for consoles as well as web. Extremely unlikely and changes how much confidence in the game making money (to about 45%). And again, the PR would be incredibly wonky.
dont you mean an army of fat ass virgins?
ReplyDeleteAll that hard work...... sent to the moon :(
ReplyDelete>No Derpy
ReplyDelete>Twolot Alicorn
>having Hasbro put on shit list just now
Yes, please let this happen if only to save the game
ReplyDeleteNo, they'd be paying for the rights to the game engine and development labor.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me everyone, but a better Idea would be to petition Hasbro. I've already sent them a formal and polite e-mail regarding the issue. I'd appreciate if everyone else could do the same.
ReplyDeletebecause it supposed to be just an project but the nomination to EVO just took the thing too far
ReplyDeleteIf it can't be an independent non-profit venture, I'm hoping maybe you can work out a deal with Hasbro to officially licence the game for marketing to Bronies. After all the work that's gone into it, and all the attention it's gained, it would be a real shame on Hasbro's part to just throw it away.
ReplyDeletethis really isn't the time to troll, its the time to despair.
ReplyDeleteNobody can see it right now,
ReplyDeletebut I am staring at Hasbro's logo with the cruelest, coldest, gaze I
can physically muster. I don't care if they have 'copyright' over
Friendship is Magic. The Mane 6 have been working on this game for
YEARS publicly, and they decide only NOW to put up a copyright claim!? Despite being completely quiet until now?
Despite the game receiving approval from both Lauren Faust and Jayson
Thiessan, the two people put primarily in charge of Friendship is Magic?
Despite the game being easily protected under fair-use as an
affectionate parody?
Along with being disappointed that this
might prevent me from playing the game, I feel bad for the Mane 6, who have been working so hard to get the game as far as it is now...I
just...*sigh* I really hope they overcome this, and wish them the best
of luck.
Like that will do anything.
ReplyDeleteBronies VS Lawyers...why don't we just re design the game as that :)
ReplyDeleteNot how the American Copyright system works, actually. Big companies use it to bully smaller individuals, but it isn't technically true.
ReplyDeleteAll they need to do is move their website outside the US, and they are invincible.
ReplyDeleteSadly, that's not what those who are intimately familiar with US law and are active in the fandom have said. You say you've 'studied' it, but there's a difference between reading the law and understanding how precedent and case law affect the actual implementation and enforcement of it. It's an awful mess and horribly complicated.
ReplyDeleteAnd by 'active in the fandom,' I mean dealing with EXACTLY these kind of IP issues in trying to make good stuff happen for fans and large gatherings of fans. I hate to see this happen to the Mane 6 team, and I understand you've studied this, but someone who deals with this on a daily basis would politely disagree with your assertions, and I trust his judgement. I am certainly not trying to disparage you or anything, just pointing out that very knowledgeable people come to a very different conclusion, based on their understanding of and/or work in the legal system
I think Hasbro really wants to take the title of "Dumbest company ever" from EA
ReplyDeleteAnd they are dangerously close with this one
more like the time to rejoice
ReplyDeleteIf every single brony joins in, Hasbro will lose a ton of money. we're one of their biggest sources of money
ReplyDeleteHahaha stupid gaijin
ReplyDeleteNO :( This is so stupid. It's basically free advertisement for them!!!
ReplyDeletethis is -20% less cooler
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to resurrect Derpy
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously tempted to agree with you on this.
ReplyDeleteLet this be a lesson. P.S HOLD THAT.
ReplyDeleteGuys! Video Games are a form of art! They cannot do this as the team is not making any profits from this. You guys have to stand your ground on the matter!
ReplyDeleteOkay so uh...
ReplyDeleteWILL DISCORD BE IN THE GAME
I hope they put up the source code on The Pirate Bay if they get shut down.
ReplyDeleteFucking Hasbro
ReplyDeleteWell...... the fandom is going to hell now.
ReplyDeleteget wrecked
ReplyDelete"Trademark rights can also be lost through improper licensing or assignment. Where the use of a trademark is licensed (for example, to a franchisee) without adequate quality control or supervision by the trademark owner, that trademark will be canceled."
ReplyDeleteAKA - Not protecting your trademarks will result in cancellation because of lack of, "Quality control or supervision."
This isn't good. This is not good at all, I don't understand why all of a sudden Hasbro is being tight about copyright.
ReplyDeleteHasbro did this stunt with the episodes. They shouldn't mark something as infringement unless they do it at the beginning of the development.
ReplyDeleteNo we're not. There are billions of children in America. BILLIONS. And perhaps only a million or two of us. And I can bet you only about half actually buy toys.
ReplyDeleteNeither of those two things are big deals, even a little.
ReplyDelete*flips table*
ReplyDeleteOne other thing to consider: If there is an unlicensed, pre-existing game out there, and your game studio develop one with similar character design or gameplay elements, the legal department will scream that there is now a risk of being sued for plagiarism or theft, and that this now poses a financial risk to the company. At that point, you have to disclose that to shareholders and the SEC, and now that affects your company's ability to borrow money or sell stock. There are whole levels of ramifications that depend on what seems like a no-brainer to the average gamer/person.
ReplyDeleteThe legal world is COMPLETELY different from what we consider common sense. I don't like it, it can make life hell for a lot of people, but it is how the system has progressed, and it's what we have to live with until the political will is developed to overhaul it.
To the two people who quit: You did the wrong thing.
ReplyDeleteEven if this isn't a lawyer within Hasbro just trying to further his career without warning, you can now take your almost complete game, slightly change the characters, change the names of the characters, and release the game as fair use. There is no possible way, no possible way, Hasbro will deal with the negative press of suing someone for using horses that kind of look like theirs.
You know what Hasbro needs?
ReplyDeleteA video game division.
No, Family Game Night doesn't count.
cmon give us the unfinished version even without online opcion
ReplyDeletewe will be happy...hasbro dind't have to know
LMAO
ReplyDeleteLOLBRONIES
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There's a difference between being a moron and being ignorant.
ReplyDeleteThis is horrible. Hasbro has no right to stop this development as it falls within fair use as a non profit game. They may be able to push the point that it is using extensive amounts of their copyrighted work, but due to its non profit nature, there is little cause for a C&D letter. I hope you guys are able to get around this, as this game looks incredibly promising. Not to mention Hasbro will take a big hit in PR if this decision stays final.
ReplyDeleteNo you know what Hasbro ACTUALLY needs...a stick remover...to help them remove the stick up their collective ass
ReplyDeleteThat's a horrible thing to say and you should feel bad.
ReplyDeleteWe should start a petition to say no to this BS
ReplyDeleteAs long as they don't make the same decisions BronyDoc did this could work. Don't overestimate a fanbase bred from 4chan.
ReplyDeleteFuck... I've been looking forward to this game for almost a year now. Checked the site pretty much every day, rejoiced every time there was an update. Especially with 6 characters having been announced I was super hyped about the release.
ReplyDeleteAnd now that... I'm seriously upset right now.
You have my sympathies, Mane6.
Submit what you already have to a torrent site! Please, PLEASE dont let that work to go to waste.
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow game dev my heart truly goes out to all of you on the team, past and present.
ReplyDelete