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If it was just Hasbro putting their foot down at BotCon, I wouldn't be too concerned about this. But in the aftermath of the SOPA/PIPA debacle, with ACTA still looming worldwide unless the EU shoots it down, and the RIAA getting the U.S. government to force ISPs to spy on their customers supposedly to spot illegal downloads and ultimately deny access to the internet to anyone they accuse of I.P. theft (this will be in place by July if it isn't already, and you won't have much legal recourse), is anyone else worried that this whole decade is going to be defined by waves of lawsuits from media giants over flimsy claims of I.P. violation that ultimately lead to big restrictions on freedom of speech?

I'm sorry if that's straying off topic, but the timing of this has me afraid that it's all connected. Otherwise, I might actually side with Hasbro, but even if they are losing money from I.P. violations, protecting the rights of average citizens falsely accused or facing disproportionately hard penalties for minor infringement is quickly going to become a LOT more important to everyone on this site. Couldn't a good corporate lawyer blur the line between copyright infringement and bad word-of-mouth where online reviews and comments are concerned if it would protect a company's profits?

Hopefully I'm overreacting. If these policies never extend beyond BotCon, then call me Chicken-Little (or was that Henny-Penny?) Just pointing out a slippery slope while we're still on solid ground.

G1 Legacy wrote:My biggest complaint that I mentioned weeks ago in another thread (Re: 3rd Party Ban) is why for the love of god are they waiting until THIS close to the actual function to implement these stupid-ass new rules AFTER everyone has pre-paid and gotten their financial commitments paid out and all types of other travel "ducks in a row".

This is what is known, in the common parlance, as answering one's own question.

its going to look like chinatown in alot of hotels around dallas next month

This move makes perfect sense to me.

If they are to be able to have a legal leg to stand on against third party/KO toys, then they must fight ALL IP violations, including usage of their IP in derivative works, such as sculptures, statues, drawings, T-shirts and anything else which might be sold for profit.

If a company wants to sell T-shirts in a store with a TF character on it, they must first purchase the proper licensing/negotiate a deal with Has/Tak to do so. That's the same thing as with bands at concerts. There are often sellers of unlicensed stuff, but it's illegal and they crack down on it if they find it.

That's all Hasbro is doing and are well within their legal rights to do so.

When it was JUST fan made stuff and straight KO's of existing products, it wasn't such a big deal as the lines were clear on who the bad guys were legally in Hasbro's eyes, but now that small companies (who are getting much larger thanks to their big sales, i.e. TFC and FP) are basing their entire business models on using Has/Tak's IP for the creation of derivative works which they sell for profit without any licensing agreement with Has/Tak, Hasbro had to step in and do something, otherwise, under US copyright laws, they lose exclusive rights to their own IP, meaning tomorrow Mattel would legally be able to release an 'Optimus Prime' figure with no legal recourse to be taken by Hasbro.

That's why they have to do this.

It sucks, and I don't like it, but I do understand it. My only hope is that they DO eventually create a true 'elite collectors' type line to cater to us instead of just to the kiddies, but I see such a move being more forthcoming from Takara than I do Hasbro, as their focus is already on adults and not children with the majority of their TF lines.

it just dawned on me that those trademarks hasbro just applied for may never see the light of day, what im saying is this could be just another step in their attempts to control their ip
i mean seriously they didnt have a tm on scorponok? talk about sleeping on the job

This really that much of a problem H? Not even Megatron would stoop to this level. 2 movies that made over a $1 billion each (at least 2.5 bill between the 3 films) and they're pennypinching fan art over IP?

What's next? Sorry, attendees of all TF cons the rest of the year must pay extra to wear any TF related apparel and pay to even utter the words "transformers, autobot or decepticon" Seriously wtf?!! Terrible

If hasTak would compete with these 3rd party companies and actually put out decent product (Devastators, reflectors, Bruticus etc.) and brand new never before made MP characters -they wouldn't have this problem as bad. They act like they don't have the $, infrastructure and resources to do this. BULL &*(^*(%G S&*T!!!!

This is gonna break into a bit of a rant I apologize...

The convention for the fans is becoming less about the fans with each passing year, it is getting insanely more corporate and it saddens me that I have yet to go to a Botcon, and so, have missed out on the convention back when it was still fun for everyone.
Still for something like this, while it is a sign of the times we, as fans, are having to go through, it is generating a lot of "Ruined Forever" talk that, to me, screams of premature overreaction.

Transformers is and always has been a Hasbro brand, and they have every right to dictate how it is handled at their official convention. Their handling of this situation definitely leaves a bit to be desired, though..

I understand the positions of those who have already paid airfare for the con, have their hotels registered, and whatnot. Having such things announced a month before the Con, dropped on the laps of people who already paid to go, is bullshit to a heretofore unheard of degree, and a terrible move on the parties involved. I feel especially bad for any artists who have already paid their way, and were expecting to recoup some of that cost with commissions and prints of their works and the like. Honestly what the hell is the point of an artist alley at a Transformers convention, if the artist aren't allowed to sell pieces they've done of the characters everyone's there to celebrate? Yeah they can draw them, but nobody can buy that art? That's total crap.

I get that Hasbro's finally starting to take this third party stuff seriously, but there's gotta be a better way to handle it than half-assed schemes that stir up a shitstorm in the fandom like this. Maybe their plan is to get us so pissed that these things are happening, that we turn our backs on the third party companies for bringing us to this stage? I could see that being the case, fighting the third party companies by blaming them for the state of the convention... The only possibly logical reasoning I can think of for this action.

Even with all this going on, I still think that anyone saying this will be the death of the franchise, or the end of the fandom, anyone who wants to boycott Hasbro, or Botcon, are all overreacting and their pressing of the RUINED FOREVER button is definitely premature.

Will I stop buying Transformers? No.
Will I stop buying 3rd party stuff? Also, No.
Will I stop renewing my Club subscription? Again, No.
Will I pass on any reasonable opportunities for me to hit a Botcon in the future? No.
Does this mean I hate the fandom for supporting those who have wronged us in the eyes of so many? Not a chance.

I'm just gonna keep riding it out, and see what happens.

I personally think the banning on art is pretty lame, but it IS Hasbro's right to decide that.

...Just like it was my right to buy Hercules instead of going to Botcon/getting the exclusives.

Seems like I regret the decision less every day, kind of a shame really.

Will I stop buying Transformers? No.
Will I stop buying 3rd party stuff? Also, No.
Will I stop renewing my Club subscription? Again, No.
Will I pass on any reasonable opportunities for me to hit a Botcon in the future? No.
Does this mean I hate the fandom for supporting those who have wronged us in the eyes of so many? Not a chance.

I'm just gonna keep riding it out, and see what happens.

This pretty much sums up how I feel perfectly

This is really is becoming insane. I mean I understand trying to protect your product, but at what costs? It's not like artists are mass producing TF comics for the 'con and people are buying them instead of official products ... it's just a drawing.

As far as third parties, well if you ask me as "IP infringing" as they may or may not be ... Hasbro has missed the boat so many times it's not even funny. We (as a fandom) have said what we want and we have shown we are willing to pay top dollar for it. I LOVE ever third party offering I have bought ... I can not say the same thing about every Hasbro product I have owned. Not to mention, the third parties are filling a need we adult collectors have. It's not like these are taking money away from Hasbro because there is no (real, 6 figure) Classics Devastator, non white Prime repaint of Classics Magnus, Classics Insecticons or Classics Reflector.

Instead of fighting (what will probably be) a losing battle (because Hasbro doesn't own the rights to transforming robot toys and I am fairly sure the third-parties will find a way to produce and sell them ... not to mention if we fans want them, we will find a way to buy them) why doesn't Hasbro offer a third-party licensing program like some other companies do? Make it cost effective for the third-parties to buy into (I don't know, something like 5-10% of sales go to Hasbro this way the cost of third-party figures doesn't go through the roof) and that allows the third-party company to use the Transformers name and call it an "Officially Licensed Adult Collectable." Hasbro gets paid, the third-party gets paid, the toys we WANT actually get made.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

The hell is the point of having a fan convention? Maybe they'll freak out when people start making their own characters in FOC.

I wonder if this will turn SDCC into a gong-show too?