Hasbro takes on the role of Mr Burns...
In the world of Facebook, and the free gaming environment that it apparently offers, a pair of Indian Brothers created an interactive game called Scabulous, based on the concept of Scrabble, and attracting over half a million users each day.
But free usage of a game that is similar to one that Hasbro and Mattel own the rights to, is just not on. To 'protect their property', Hasbro are demanding that Facebook remove the free-to-use game, so that they can install their own version they have developed with Entertainment Arts.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/st...014108,00.html
Just like Mr Burns from the Simpsons. They aren't losing any money from Scrabulous, but they are wanting to prevent people from having some free fun from it.
On a side note, I thought it interesting to read that Scrabble is co-owned by the two biggest toy company rivals - Hasbro and Mattel. But probably due to one acquiring the license in (or out) of Nth America before the other could. So not necessarily a joint venture, but probably more of a case of one preventing the other from getting global royalties (if it were owned worldwide by one toy company or the other).
That'd be like Hasbro buying up the licenses for selling Transformers-toys (not the brand name, which is owned by Hasbro) from Takara for Nth America, and having Mattel swoop in to seal up a licensing deal for selling those toys outside Nth America (and licensing the brand-name in non-Nth American countries).
This was Mattel's effort in April to do the same thing as Hasbro.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/st...014108,00.html
But with the internet being such a global thing, Hasbro and Mattel are going to be competing against each other with the exact same product.
