Hasbro bans KOs & 3rd party goods at Botcon

[MindsetOverhaul]

I'm all for 3rd Party and 100% against KOs. Ar$3holes trying to get bucks from thieving other peoples intellectual properties $h!7 me to no end.
It's good to hear they're getting cracked down on, i only hope they do a thorough and proper job of it!
It's kindof a shame that 3rd party stuffs might have to cop some on the chin through all of this. I think these conventions should celebrate all things transformers related. A handful of these 3/P-companies actually make great contributions to our capitalist hobby and shouldn't be ignored. I do however accept that 3/P dealer booths may not be allowed that's plenty fair enough but having said that, i'd prefer to see them stay.

[Doubledealer]

I'm all for 3rd Party and 100% against KOs. Ar$3holes trying to get bucks from thieving other peoples intellectual properties $h!7 me to no end.

Are you suggesting that 3rd party companies don't infringe on Hasbro and Takara's intellectual property? :/

[SkyWarp91]

The question now is would 3rd party sellers set up shop like 5m outside Botcon?

[Quickstrike]

They'll sell their stuff across the road at Robot Convention.

[kup]

They'll sell their stuff across the road at Robot Convention.

Given the current climate, it wouldn't surprise me if the 'Robot Convention' dealer room ends up overshadowing Botcon's after a couple of years.

Hasbro should be smart enough to recognize what is missing in their current business plan and adjust to compensate.

[GoktimusPrime]

Another thing is... it is a federal offence* in the U.S.A. to sell goods that infringe on someone's intellectual property, such as counterfeits. So if Hasbro and/or FunPub decide to enforce a policy that cracks down on it - hey, they're actually helping to enforce the law. And ultimately if people don't follow the rules, then Hasbro's fully within their right to take legal action against them.

Ultimately law-abiding sellers & collectors who don't buy unlicensed toys have nothing to fear. So I'm all good.

imo, most 3rd party stuff is just junk. Some of it REEEALLY f#@king sucks, and some of it crosses my makeshift moral margins regarding the whole subject. anyhow, there's a big difference between producing KOs and "infringing" upon HasTaks' intellectual property ie; scratch-building a transformable toy in the likeness of Transformers brand character. shi7 tonne of grey area

I agree that the 3rd party TFs are a "lesser evil" over KOs because they're not attempting to deceive people into believing that they're the real product, but even scratch-built Not-Transformer toys are still ripping off Hasbro's intellectual property because they're using the character image/likeness which they own. Some may be different looking enough to technically get away with it... but others, like Not-Arcee, are so dead-on accurate with the character likeness that if Hasbro were to take those producers to court... well I hope those producers have a good lawyer.



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*Trademark Counterfeiting Act 1984

[Doubledealer]

scratch-built Not-Transformer toys are still ripping off Hasbro's intellectual property because they're using the character image/likeness which they own.

Zactly right Gok.

[kup]

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*Trademark Counterfeiting Act 1984

That comic is spot on what is wrong with Hasbro rather than the third parties.

FansProject had originally announced a 'not-Wreckgar' simply because Hasbro had not revisited the character (G1) for over 20 years. However when Hasbro finally released their version, FP quietly cancelled their release as they knew they could not compete with the official article when it comes to price and availability, specially when it wasn't bad but rather a good 'Classics' tribute - Sadly the same cannot be said about Hasbro's new Bruticus

As I said before, if Hasbro made more stuff that was appealing to the collector market, there would be no need for 3rd parties. Only they have the power to stop the 3rd party movement but it won't be done with 'banning' or 'confiscating' toys but by acknowledging that there is money to be made from collectors with the right toys.

I support the 3rd party movement because they cater to what I like as a collector while Hasbro has not been making much that is appealing to me for a number of years now.

Hasbro has every right to ban unofficial toys at Botcon so no complaint from me on that but it's their neglect that caused 3rd parties exist to begin with. As long as Hasbro continues to neglect the collector market, 3rd parties will exist and as long as they exist, they have my support.

[MindsetOverhaul]

Are you suggesting that 3rd party companies don't infringe on Hasbro and Takara's intellectual property? :/

nope.

EDIT: i think i know what you're alluding to and if so, i get it.

imo, most 3rd party stuff is just junk. Some of it REEEALLY f#@king sucks, and some of it crosses my makeshift moral margins regarding the whole subject. anyhow, there's a big difference between producing KOs and "infringing" upon HasTaks' intellectual property ie; scratch-building a transformable toy in the likeness of Transformers brand character. shi7 tonne of grey area

[King Atlas]

This doesn't affect me whatsoever. So much butthurt on those forums, sad and hilarious at the same time.

I'd be happy just having a convention, be it official or unofficial (big or small wouldn't matter).