Hasbro cracking down on released DOTM toy images

[griffin]

The KOs and Unauthorised toys eating into their sales are okay, but giving fans a tease of upcoming toys to build up the hype enough to want to buy the new toys, is apparently bad.

According to updates on Seibertron and TFW2005, they've received a 'cease and desist' from Hasbro.

I don't see a problem with posting links in the public section to sites that want to risk hosting images... until enough time passes for Hasbro to not be too bothered about image leaks.

[5FDP]

This may seem a bit harsh, but if I was Hasbro and that was the best I could come up with, I'd want those images removed as well.

[Vector Prime]

Bunch of party-poopers!

This may seem a bit harsh, but if I was Hasbro and that was the best I could come up with, I'd want those images removed as well.

LMAO

[SharkyMcShark]

Yes good, take that stuff all away and then come back with proper movie toys

[jaydisc]

I'd guess it probably related to Paramount's interest. Hasbro doesn't do that for other lines.

[kurdt_the_goat]

They ought to be prepared for this kind of thing (it's not like this is the first time toy pics have leaked early!).

They should be in a position to counter the cell phone pics the moment they appear, by releasing the official pics (that they must have, if the boxes are printed already!)

.... or... is it my imagination, or is there a big toy show coming up in January where they'd be announcing most of this stuff? I can't recall the name

[griffin]

US Toyfair is usually around late January, which will be their controlled release of information/themes for TF3.
These might just be fan-sites, but Hasbro and/or Paramount may worry about the number of general public seeing these things before they can be strategically released from official sources, with appropriate amounts of corporate spin.

[kaiden]

sounds like nintendo and pokemon

[SkyWarp91]

You can't toy around... **puts on sunglasses** ...in the toy business.

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

[reillyd]

This might be the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.
This type of publicity builds up demand and excitement in collectors
(you're going to buy now aren't you, don't pretend) and may very
well be good for Hasbro, but their legal department may feel quite differently,
or even that it violates their intellectual property (the copyright to characters likeness). Its routine to send down cease and desist letters these days - they really aren't worth the paper they're printed on, but most people comply because its not worth the expenses to fight it.