Let's show Hasbro that we care! C'mon!

[Motion Spark 7,806]

Signed the petition!! Twice. I have another idea though. How about we create a website, where everypony post Fighting is Magic artwork? I say it's a lot more eye catching, and in it we can post why we love the game and why it should continue. This should appeal to even those that may have never heard of it. I've seen some great artwork so far, what would People think if we have a whole website of it?!

oh my... that sounds like a fantastic idea, maybe that way we can show how much we care about that game, the thing is, how do we get a server and a domain name lol XD

[MeloDenesa 6]

oh my... that sounds like a fantastic idea, maybe that way we can show how much we care about that game, the thing is, how do we get a server and a domain name lol XD

still, we need to figure a way to make sure Hasbro dont take this site down too... Unfortunately that seem very unlikely. Ideas anypony?

Oh, and the guy that said this is a bad idea, i wanna play Fluttershy, so i'll FIGHT FOR ThE RIGHT TIL THE END!!! Period.

[Leatherbehlt 465]

Hey everypony, SHUT THE BUCK UP AND WAIT FOR HASBRO TO EXPLAIN. We know we already pissed them off somewhat through FIM if they C&D'd it, so shouldn't wait until there's an explanation before causing an internet riot over this? Surely they're being a bitch about legal issues, but remember they're the ones in charge of the show we know and love. Don't shit on them yet, all right?

[MeloDenesa 6]

Got news from my friend today, he watched a fighting is magic clip i sent him, and he agreed to help. He said if he manage to convince -i dont know who exactly but they sound important- to back him up, all 100+ of them, they would be able to 'pressurise' Hasbro into letting Mane6 continue.

I asked him pressurise how, he refuse to tell me. He just said the same thing happened before and that other company almost went bankrupt. I'm sure he's joking about the bankrupt though. I hope.

Sounds like a long shot, i hope this would work. Without the bankrupt thing.

About that friend of mine, dont know if u'll know him. He's famous on the Halo fanbase for creating some popular fan series or something.

[Pixel Stick 927]

Oh, and the guy that said this is a bad idea, i wanna play Fluttershy, so i'll FIGHT FOR ThE RIGHT TIL THE END!!! Period.

And is your "right" to play a fighting game more important than preserving the show on which the game was based? Is your right so important that you're willing to piss off Hasbro even further, to the point that they might consider trying to shut down every form of fan contribution just like FOX does with X-Files fans?

 

At the risk of sounding like a total dick, that seems awfully selfish to me.

[Leatherbehlt 465]

Got news from my friend today, he watched a fighting is magic clip i sent him, and he agreed to help. He said if he manage to convince -i dont know who exactly but they sound important- to back him up, all 100+ of them, they would be able to 'pressurise' Hasbro into letting Mane6 continue.

I asked him pressurise how, he refuse to tell me. He just said the same thing happened before and that other company almost went bankrupt. I'm sure he's joking about the bankrupt though. I hope.

Sounds like a long shot, i hope this would work. Without the bankrupt thing.

About that friend of mine, dont know if u'll know him. He's famous on the Halo fanbase for creating some popular fan series or something.

I'm not exactly sure about you, but I have a feeling you're trying to say "I have a friend who can fuck up multi million dollar companies and I asked him to do it to a company that makes my and several hundred thousand other people's best show. I hope they don't get mad at us for anything that happens because of this." Yeah, great.ಠ__ಠ

[Feather Spiral 1,892]

They had, as you said, all this time to think, thanks to the leaks. Did they really have to wait through all of it?

How long does it take to decide whether or not something goes against their copyrights? Why did they wait until the game was nearing completion?

I don't believe the game makers deservedHasbro is, by all means, being a dick in that regard.

 

That's what we're essentially complaining about, not "ZOMG they issued a C&D on a game I was waiting for WAHWAH I won't be able to play this free game based on my fandom".

An addition to the above quote, and to all shallow simpletons who STILL haven't made the connection.

 

I am an artist who draws and writes. The Mane6 are artists who code, vector, compose music, make animations, do beta testings.

I understand how an artist must feel when they're told to abort a huge project after months and months of hard work. Hasbro's order has done that to 6 different people AT LEAST, not counting all beta testers (who, besides playing, contributed in finding glitches and bugs).

 

That is why I'm resenting Hasbro's action and pointing out they're assholes. That is why I'm taking this personally.

 

Because they pulled a dick move on a team of artists; let them work for months on a project they were fully aware of, then demand that they quit and withdraw everything because of "law".

Yeah, let's just put our hearts and souls into making something, then simply undo thousands of hours spent on it because we're using "someone else's property" and it's "against the law".

 

I hope everyone finally understands that my intentions are the exact opposite of

awfully selfish

I couldn't care less about not being able to play the game myself. I know I've expressed excitement about it, but I honestly wouldn't have made all this fuss if it had been stopped at a much earlier stage.

 

Am I the only one like this here?

Edited February 16, 2013 by Feather Spiral

[Pixel Stick 927]

 

An addition to the above quote, and to all shallow simpletons who STILL haven't made the connection.

 

Gee, thanks for the unnecessary label.

 

 

I am an artist who draws and writes. The Mane6 are artists who code, vector, compose music, make animations, do beta testings. I understand how an artist must feel when they're told to abort a huge project after months and months of hard work. Hasbro's order has done that to 6 different people AT LEAST, not counting all beta testers (who, besides playing, contributed in finding glitches and bugs).

 

That is why I'm resenting Hasbro's action and pointing out they're assholes. That is why I'm taking this personally.

 

Because they pulled a dick move on a team of artists; let them work for months on a project they were fully aware of, then demand that they quit and withdraw everything because of "law". Yeah, let's just put our hearts and souls into making something, then simply undo thousands of hours spent on it because we're using "someone else's property" and it's "against the law".

 

I hate to say it, but it doesn't matter what your profession or hobby is, nor how much you love the work you do or how much time you put into your project.  If you're using a company's property without their express permission, they have every right to shut you down, whenever they want and for any reason (including none).

 

Also, consider the thousands of talented artists, coders and testers who work for years on official, in-house projects at companies like Hasbro only to have their work cancelled at the last minute.  It happens all the time in every industry.  It's happened to me several times in my career.  Trust me, I know how it feels.

 

And I agree that it's unfortunate to have happened to a talented team like Mane6, especially when they were so far along.  But I disagree that it was a "dick move" on Hasbro's part.  I suspect that they wanted to leave it alone, hoping it would stay under the radar like the majority of the Brony fandom.  But when it started getting more widespread press and the promise of public exhibition, that likely forced Hasbro's hand.

 

Keep in mind that Hasbro IS aware of us and has been for some time.  They are also aware that conventions like BronyCon and EVO are likely to have children attending with their parents.  When you have a My Little Pony fighting game getting a lot of attention at a big gathering like that, children are going to see it one way or another.  I doubt that would sit well with any company's legal department, no matter how much they might like us.

[MeloDenesa 6]

they have every right to shut you down, whenever they want and for any reason (including none).

Having the right to do something doesn't mean it's right to do so. Though, we have to wait for Hasbro to give us a reason. It better be a good one. All this uproar from the fans, in my opinion, is necessary to make sure Hasbro actually wants to give a reply to settle us down, rather than try to tip-toe around us if we are not doing anything about it.

Then we can judge if the reason is reasonable enough. If it is, we will settle down eventually, like the Derpy incident. If it isn't... Well, Hasbro's gonna have a hard time for a loooooooooong while.

 

And I agree that it's unfortunate to have happened to a talented team like Mane6, especially when they were so far along.  But I disagree that it was a "dick move" on Hasbro's part.  I suspect that they wanted to leave it alone, hoping it would stay under the radar like the majority of the Brony fandom.  But when it started getting more widespread press and the promise of public exhibition, that likely forced Hasbro's hand.

Forced how?

Hasbro's partner will sue = why would they?

Lose potential customers = more like gain thousands more

Children would not like it = my 6 year old cousins adores it

Parents thinks it violent = there are lots of worse things on the Internet ...ahem, cupcakes

Just paranoid = ...this explains everything

And this doesn't explain why 'Friendship is Witchcraft' and 'Rainbow Dash Presents' got shot down too. Especially the latter, that doesn't even use footage from the series.

 

Keep in mind that Hasbro IS aware of us and has been for some time.  They are also aware that conventions like BronyCon and EVO are likely to have children attending with their parents.  When you have a My Little Pony fighting game getting a lot of attention at a big gathering like that, children are going to see it one way or another.  I doubt that would sit well with any company's legal department, no matter how much they might like us.

Aren't the conventions for adults? Children can't play it without their parent's help to download it anyway. Why would that be a problem?

[Pixel Stick 927]

 

Having the right to do something doesn't mean it's right to do so. Though, we have to wait for Hasbro to give us a reason. It better be a good one. All this uproar from the fans, in my opinion, is necessary to make sure Hasbro actually wants to give a reply to settle us down, rather than try to tip-toe around us if we are not doing anything about it. Then we can judge if the reason is reasonable enough. If it is, we will settle down eventually, like the Derpy incident. If it isn't... Well, Hasbro's gonna have a hard time for a loooooooooong while.

 

And this right here demonstrates that you have completely missed my point.  Hasbro does NOT have to give you a justification.  The simple fact that it's THEIR property is enough in the eyes of the law.  And it is not up to YOU to decide if Hasbro's reasons for shutting down an unauthorized game are "reasonable".

 

And as I said before, forming an angry mob and bitching and whining at them non-stop is likely only going to piss them off further.  Also, I suspect that once the controversy dies down, you and whichever few people decide to join you will be the only ones left still fighting them on it, while the majority of us will have moved on.  Don't you think that would look rather silly?

 

 

Hasbro's partner will sue = why would they?

 

The partner company licensed to develop official MLP games?  They can sue because Mane6 does NOT have a license to the property.  If Hasbro were to allow Fighting to continue, it would be a breach of contract for the licensee, and a dilution of Hasbro's brand rights.

 

 

Lose potential customers = more like gain thousands more

 

I doubt that.  If you were given the choice between a commercial game that cost money to play, versus a free downloadable game using the same characters and property, which would you choose?  And that is what we call unfair competition when one of the groups involved doesn't have a license.

 

 

Children would not like it = my 6 year old cousins adores it

 

I never said kids wouldn't like it.  In fact, I'm sure they'd love it.  But you're missing the point: The show is about FRIENDSHIP.  It's about characters who genuinely care about each other and work out their differences through peaceful means.  Beating each other senseless goes against the entire grain of this property.  If Hasbro were to allow this game to become mainstream, it would send a very confusing message to those children.

 

 

Parents thinks it violent = there are lots of worse things on the Internet ...ahem, cupcakes

 

As has been pointed out elsewhere, Cupcakes was released anonymously, such that the original creator of it can't be tracked down.  If Hasbro knew where it had come from, they would probably be trying to shut it down as well.  But further, things that are inherently adult-oriented are not as big a problem as games that could be seen as being targeted at the same demographic as the show itself.

 

 

Just paranoid = ...this explains everything And this doesn't explain why 'Friendship is Witchcraft' and 'Rainbow Dash Presents' got shot down too. Especially the latter, that doesn't even use footage from the series.

 

I can't speak for "Rainbow Dash Presents", but from what I understand, Hasbro did not directly shut down Witchcraft - it ran afoul of Google's Content ID system, which also shut down a lot of other legitimate parodies, commentaries and fan works, even ones that were playing completely by the rules in terms of fair use.  You should be directing your anger for that one at YouTube, not at Hasbro.

 

 

Aren't the conventions for adults? Children can't play it without their parent's help to download it anyway. Why would that be a problem?

 

Oh come on.  Do you seriously think a My Little Pony convention would be an adults-only experience?  This game was to be publicly exhibited at the con, and I've been to enough sci-fi/fantasy and furry conventions to know that young children do attend even when there's nothing there specifically for them, and they often are allowed to run around without adult supervision, despite what the rules might say.

[Motion Spark 7,806]

@,reading your posts it's like bringing all of these people with heated head to the level of the grounds, I could not agree with you more.

Hasbro does not owe us any kind of explanation for their actions at all, if they want to say something they would address the issue to mane6 directly.

 

But the least we could do is, like I said countless of times, to show them that this game is important to the fandom making emphasis in the non-profit aspect of it.

But now that you mentioned EVO and other things (like the SUPER COOL article they got on Gamespot), this game in the end has received A LOT of spotlight these past months to the point of becomming a potential threat for them.

 

What we know is that the C&D has been issued by Hasbro's lawyers, so maybe they are advising them on what's the best approach for them. In the end, they want to protect their product. I just hope we can make them change their minds and that mane6 are a serious team without dark intentions.

 

 

An addition to the above quote, and to all shallow simpletons who STILL haven't made the connection. I am an artist who draws and writes. The Mane6 are artists who code, vector, compose music, make animations, do beta testings. I understand how an artist must feel when they're told to abort a huge project after months and months of hard work. Hasbro's order has done that to 6 different people AT LEAST, not counting all beta testers (who, besides playing, contributed in finding glitches and bugs). That is why I'm resenting Hasbro's action and pointing out they're assholes. That is why I'm taking this personally. Because they pulled a dick move on a team of artists; let them work for months on a project they were fully aware of, then demand that they quit and withdraw everything because of "law". Yeah, let's just put our hearts and souls into making something, then simply undo thousands of hours spent on it because we're using "someone else's property" and it's "against the law". I hope everyone finally understands that my intentions are the exact opposite of

despite the fact of the hard work they put into this game, you have to understand that they were working with owned property. Normaly Hasbro ignores most of the things the fandom produces, but this game has become too big to believe, and they needed to take actions into it.

It's not a dick move like you say, they are a corporation and they must protect their products. 

I'll take that mane6 didn't ask for a written permission from Hasbro the reason of why all of this is happening, I don't know why they didn't do that.

[Gone Airbourne 21,969]

A petition for something such as this is a excellent idea. I am in full agreement with getting enough people to try and convince Hasbro. Yeah MLP is Hasbro's and they can do what they want with it however listening to the fans ought to be a concern for them too. I think the reason all has to do with money and that the game is not being developed by them.... They want money "mostly" everyone/company does. 

 

But this is a excellent idea!

[Pixel Stick 927]

A petition for something such as this is a excellent idea. I am in full agreement with getting enough people to try and convince Hasbro. Yeah MLP is Hasbro's and they can do what they want with it however listening to the fans ought to be a concern for them too. I think the reason all has to do with money and that the game is not being developed by them.... They want money "mostly" everyone/company does. 

 

But this is a excellent idea!

 

Of course Hasbro wants to make money.  That's what businesses do.  On the financial end of things, having a free game floating around out there that (1) goes against the grain of their IP and (2) isn't licensed actually CAN hurt their bottom line.  In this case, I doubt direct sales competition would have been the biggest factor - instead, potential damage to the MLP property's image (both in what Fighting was about, and in Hasbro's condoning it) would likely have hurt them much more.

 

I honestly don't see what you think this petition will accomplish, but all the more power to you.

[Gone Airbourne 21,969]

@, 

You are right in what you said there. It is just really upsetting that all of that work that was done on the game was just basically wasted. Not much we can do though... It would have been awesome if that team partnered up with Hasbro or something along those lines. But idk we are just all upset about the fact it was so close to being finished when the hammer was laid down :/. 

Edited February 18, 2013 by Gone ϟ Airbourne

[Pixel Stick 927]

@, 

You are right in what you said there. It is just really upsetting that all of that work that was done on the game was just basically wasted. Not much we can do though... It would have been awesome if that team partnered up with Hasbro or something along those lines. But idk we are just all upset about the fact it was so close to being finished when the hammer was laid down :/. 

 

That's perfectly fair - I totally understand how this feels (as I mentioned earlier in the thread).  I've been there myself - had a couple of projects I was actually being paid for get cancelled close to completion.  Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens a lot in the industry, both for freelancers and for corporate employees, and there isn't much anyone can do about it except to move on.

 

Word has it that Mane6 has been approached by Lauren Faust to rework the game into something new, with original characters designed by her.  True, it wouldn't be Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy against one another, but the spirit of the game would still live on and that talent doesn't have to be wasted.  I haven't heard if Mane6 has considered her offer.

[Motion Spark 7,806]

Of course Hasbro wants to make money.  That's what businesses do.  On the financial end of things, having a free game floating around out there that (1) goes against the grain of their IP and (2) isn't licensed actually CAN hurt their bottom line.  In this case, I doubt direct sales competition would have been the biggest factor - instead, potential damage to the MLP property's image (both in what Fighting was about, and in Hasbro's condoning it) would likely have hurt them much more.

 

I honestly don't see what you think this petition will accomplish, but all the more power to you.

 

 

@, 

You are right in what you said there. It is just really upsetting that all of that work that was done on the game was just basically wasted. Not much we can do though... It would have been awesome if that team partnered up with Hasbro or something along those lines. But idk we are just all upset about the fact it was so close to being finished when the hammer was laid down :/. 

 

hey! don't be negative, it's most likely that this game will never end it's development.

but the final word has not even been said yet. Let's have a little bit of faith Harvan! Hasbro has granted permission for using MLP trademark in brony projects before, let's just wait a bit till the situation evolves. 

[Gone Airbourne 21,969]

That's perfectly fair - I totally understand how this feels (as I mentioned earlier in the thread).  I've been there myself - had a couple of projects I was actually being paid for get cancelled close to completion.  Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens a lot in the industry, both for freelancers and for corporate employees, and there isn't much anyone can do about it except to move on.

 

Word has it that Mane6 has been approached by Lauren Faust to rework the game into something new, with original characters designed by her.  True, it wouldn't be Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy against one another, but the spirit of the game would still live on and that talent doesn't have to be wasted.  I haven't heard if Mane6 has considered her offer.

Oh man that is awful... yeah you are right nothing but move on. 

 

And that is some very interesting info. about the team being approached by Lauren Faust. Well I guess all we can do is wait and hope if not just move on.

[Feather Spiral 1,892]

Gee, thanks for the unnecessary label.

I'm sorry that I have feelings and that I sometimes act like I'm not a soulless computer.

People who've known me will be aware, I hope, how hard I ALWAYS try to keep a level head. But that does not mean I have to be cold, and let you all defend people who demanded others to toss months of hard work out the window.

Sorry I sounded like an asshole, but honestly, I feel I must fight fire with fire.

That, and all this condescension (like "how hard is it to grasp the concept of copyright") that people show... I have this bad habit of picking up the other party's attitude to make things fairer. Speak to me rationally, you'll get a reasonable response; speak to me like I'm a retarded 5-year-old, and I reply on the same tone.

 

And you're right, it doesn't matter what -I- do. This ISN'T about what I do.

This is about what the Mane6 did.

And this ISN'T about the way Hasbro reacted.

This is about the bullshit reason they provided.

 

" If you're using a company's property without their express permission, they have every right to shut you down, whenever they want and for any reason (including none)."

Then this means every single fan who has ever done fanart, fanfiction, poetry, comics, music, mod... of the franchise(s) they love, is a criminal. We'd better track down every single fangame producer ever. Say, Flash Trek, Paper Bowser, Sonic Flash... I could go on and on.

 

But they didn't get as popular as Fighting Is Magic, is your excuse. Well, I haven't seen FIM get much publicity outside of their website, EqD, maybe fansites and forums, and YouTube. Also game websites, seeing that's the point of a gaming website.

Then again, I don't spend much time online, seeing I have my own life to attend to. So I can't make any assertions on the matter, but I can't take your word for it either.

Where, outside of the brony base, did you see it become so popular?

 

And how is "it happens to professional artists" a valid excuse to do this? It's like saying "soldiers get shot in war all the time, it's okay to go put a bullet in someone's chest for stealing your kid's candy cane".

It happens to hobby artists too.

I don't know if you're aware, but a lot of leisure writers, including myself, have hundreds (maybe thousands) of ideas, written down on stray sheets of paper or in a dozen different notebooks and even on their hard drives. Ideas they may never use because they might never figure out how to put them anywhere.

Ideas that range from vague concepts to FULLY SCRIPTED SCENES WITHIN THEIR PREVIOUS WORKS' UNIVERSE.

 

They could have, and they should have, simply asked the team to change their characters and background art, and adjust the animations accordingly. Lauren Faust did indeed suggest it, but they could've asked the team to do this in the first place.

Instead, they just issued the C&D. Literally "stop doing whatever and withdraw everything".

THAT was dickery, and no amount of "property and copyright" yapping will ever change that.

 

You have no data on why they chose now to make their move. Maybe there were big discussions on high levels on just how to handle the situation. Who knows?

That is exactly my problem: we're given no valid reason.

I'm not complaining that they issued the order. And I'd understand if your EVO supposition was true, if this was a temporary thing.

I'm complaining that we are KEPT IN THE DARK about something that CONCERNS US DIRECTLY.

Maybe they only learned of the game twelve hours before the C-D order was sent.

That has to be the most senseless argument I've ever heard. One moment everyone is pointing out how popular it had become; next you're telling me they might've never heard of it.

The division that decided to issue the order might've.

But I won't take bullshit because of some company's internal communications problem. I get enough of that at the campus.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Feather Spiral

[Pixel Stick 927]

 

And this ISN'T about the way Hasbro reacted. This is about the bullshit reason they provided.

 

What WAS their reason, anyway?  Has anyone actually published the C&D letter that Mane6 received?  Or did Mane6 only say that they received one?

 

 

" If you're using a company's property without their express permission, they have every right to shut you down, whenever they want and for any reason (including none)." Then this means every single fan who has ever done fanart, fanfiction, poetry, comics, music, mod... of the franchise(s) they love, is a criminal. We'd better track down every single fangame producer ever. Say, Flash Trek, Paper Bowser, Sonic Flash... I could go on and on.

 

Yes, in fact, technically we all are breaking the law any time we publish anything to the net that contains a copyrighted character or trademark, when we don't have the copyright holder's express permission AND when it's not for the express purpose of parody or critical commentary.  But now you're jumping to extremes for the sake of argument and justification.  The real world is not black-and-white - there is a threshold of reasonability to be considered here.

 

The fact is, companies like Disney and FOX are well-known for doing exactly what you just said - they go aggressively after EVERY form of fan work that contains any use of their characters or properties.  They spend literally millions of dollars a year to fight their fans.  And they have really bad reputations because of this.  Hasbro, on the other hand, has been extraordinarily lenient with the Brony fandom, purportedly because they recognize that our enthusiasm for the show is an excellent marketing tool for them.

 

But now and then, something like Fighting comes along that goes over the line of what they can tolerate, and they are forced to shut it down.

 

 

Where, outside of the brony base, did you see it become so popular?

 

It was to be publicly exhibited at the Evolution Championship Fighting Games tournament in Las Vegas this month.  EVO 2013 is not directly connected to brony fandom at all, which means the MLP-themed game showing up there was a significant piece of mainstream notability.  There's a lot of speculation that, had it not been publicized through that venue, Hasbro might not have taken the action it did.

 

 

And how is "it happens to professional artists" a valid excuse to do this? It's like saying "soldiers get shot in war all the time, it's okay to go put a bullet in someone's chest for stealing your kid's candy cane". It happens to hobby artists too. I don't know if you're aware, but a lot of leisure writers, including myself, have hundreds (maybe thousands) of ideas, written down on stray sheets of paper or in a dozen different notebooks and even on their hard drives. Ideas they may never use because they might never figure out how to put them anywhere. Ideas that range from vague concepts to FULLY SCRIPTED SCENES WITHIN THEIR PREVIOUS WORKS' UNIVERSE.

 

At the risk of sounding like a "soulless computer", as you put it, it doesn't matter.  If you violate a company's copyright or trademark, you're on thin ice, and you shouldn't be surprised if you get a C&D order.  It's as simple as that.  Just because you're passionate and creative and have lots of great ideas doesn't give you free reign to trample on someone else's copyrights.  The fact that we, as a fandom, have been able to do so to the extent that we have for so long is a testament to how lenient Hasbro has been with us, but Hasbro's action with Fighting should remind us to watch our step just the same.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not unsympathetic toward Mane6.  I was heartbroken to hear a couple years ago about Chrono Resurrection, a fan-made project that sought to recreate Chrono Trigger (one of the best JRPGs ever made, IMO) in 3D.  It was truly beautiful, it had wonderful music already done for it, and it was truly a labor of love.  And unlike Fighting, it didn't even have anything in it that could have been considered "against the grain" - it was to be a 100% faithful recreation.  Square-Enix shut it down with a C&D order similar to the one that hit Mane6, because the project was unauthorized and unlicensed.  Last I heard, the company had no plans to consider taking the project under their wing, either.

 

When I heard about that, I felt much like you - I was upset and harshly critical of Square-Enix, and I even threatened to never buy another product from them.  Then I realized that my reaction was pretty silly - yes, the game would have been truly wonderful had it been allowed to continue, and I would have paid money to play it.  But I could see it from Square's point of view as well - they could not afford to let this game go rampant on the Internet, since they were still actively selling the original SNES version on Wii Virtual Console and the retranslation on the Nintendo DS.  Having an arguably superior version floating around online that hasn't been licensed would hurt their sales and cause confusion among users.  And Square evidently didn't have room in their budget (or any real desire) to expand that franchise on their own, nor to pay a licensee for it.

 

Regardless of their reasons, they were within their rights to do that.  It sucks that such a beautiful project had to shut down as a result of the company exercising its rights, but I've come to accept and respect their decision, knowing that if I were a copyright holder, I'd want to carefully control how my own IP was being used and abused as well.

 

 

They could have, and they should have, simply asked the team to change their characters and background art, and adjust the animations accordingly. Lauren Faust did indeed suggest it, but they could've asked the team to do this in the first place. Instead, they just issued the C&D. Literally "stop doing whatever and withdraw everything". THAT was dickery, and no amount of "property and copyright" yapping will ever change that.

 

Do you have any idea what a Cease & Desist order actually is?  It says "Stop infringing on our copyrights."  It does not say "You must exit the market" - ALL C&D orders are specifically sent out to tell a party "You are doing something that infringes on our brand.  Stop doing that now or we will sue you."  It doesn't mean that Mane6 can't change the characters in the game, call it something else, and publish it again - once they've addressed the copyright violations, Hasbro should have no reason to send another C&D to them or take further action.

 

On the other hand, if Hasbro wanted to ensure that Mane6 couldn't ever create a fighting game of any sort, they would have to actually take Mane6 to court and prove that it had a reason to do so, and a judge would have to agree and enforce an injunction against them.  A simple C&D order does not have that kind of power.

 

I assume that is why Faust is offering to help Mane6 out.  She's aware, particularly as the creator of Friendship is Magic, of what Hasbro's IP is and just how far it extends - and more importantly, where it does not.

[lardbobobo 1,591]

I think the best thing that the bronies can do in this situation is simply bring to light how strange the laws are regarding this and how unprotected essentially any fan creation is.

 

I hate to say it, but Hasbro really does have the power to take down essentially any fanwork you can name. There are parodies they might have some trouble with, but for the most part all fan art is usually either copyright or trademark infringement. 

 

I'm currently writing a couple essays that I'm gonna send to a couple sites in hopes that they too can realize how strange the laws are. Maybe if these get enough coverage the law might be changed, I don't know. After reading a crap ton about the subject and talking with a few lawyers that I personally know (which is awesome because if I'm friends with them they won't charge me), copyright and trademark laws do protect the brands and characters but in many cases they also damage them.

 

-edit-

I'm gonna say that Harvan is right in the sense that you don't have to take the fanwork down, but I don't think that anyone wants to get sued and the fact that they spent enough time to bother sending a cease and decist letter probably means that if it were to stay up they might actually go to court.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Lord Bababa

[Pixel Stick 927]

 

I'm gonna say that Harvan is right in the sense that you don't have to take the fanwork down, but I don't think that anyone wants to get sued and the fact that they spent enough time to bother sending a cease and decist letter probably means that if it were to stay up they might actually go to court.

 

Technically speaking, a C&D order is an optional step, too - companies don't have to send them out.  They can just go straight to litigation if they want to.  However, C&Ds are a heckuva lot cheaper than taking someone to court, and they usually get the desired outcome because of fear of actually being sued.

[Motion Spark 7,806]

hmmm...this thread has been dormant for quite a lot of time, well I don't know if you guys know but mane6 has updated their page, though it's not good news, it's not bad either

 

NEVER LOSE THE FAITH, WE CAN MAKE IT!

 

link: http://www.mane6.com/2013/02/c-megapost.html

 

also they have a FAQ section regarding the C&D