Hasbro getting tough on prototypes on fan sites - Hasbro response page 7

[Baby Sugarberry]

And we're going to swallow that hook, line and sinker?


Let me direct your attention to exhibits A and B, the "no white Celestia" and "no Blind Bags for the US" claims by Hasbro... at this point of *course* they are going to cover ass and say it wasn't related, even if it was.  (And it might be the truth, but don't believe it just because that's what they've said "officially".)

[Taxel]

Yeah, what Baby Sugarberry said.

I don't believe a word of that. They'd never admit it if they tricked someone into giving out personal info with the promise of freebies, and honestly I don't doubt for a minute that they'd do that. I may like MLP but that doesn't mean I trust or like Hasbro in any way.

[moonflower]

I second what Baby Sugarberry and Taxel said.

[LadyMoondancer]

I'm sorry, I don't believe a word of it.

Note how the first part of their response is "There are two sides to every story, but we're not going to tell you our side.  JUST TRUST US, OKAY??"   When has a company ever turned away from positive publicity?  Why would they keep silent if "their side of the story" was soooo compelling?

I still can't get over the fact that Hasbro was too dumb to Google for the images before they started harassing that poor guy.   Is Hasbro Australia really that stupid?   Are they over there pecking away at typewriters, longingly wishing they understood how the mysterious Interwebs work?

[lovesbabysquirmy]

We've all read the studies in the factories -it's no secret that these businesses have anti-suicide clauses in their employment contracts.   WHAT?!  And the nets...  *shudders*

Please elaborate, 'cause that's just plain freaky...
Want to read more on this !

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/02/ff_joelinchina/all/1

To answer your question, the anti-suicide clauses came about because employees were killing themselves due to the stress and their families were receiving the wages as payout from an industrial accident.  But now if you kill yourself, your family doesn't get any of the money you had earned because it's "not an industrial accident". 

[Wardah]

I actually do believe it but not because I think Hasbro (or any big company for that matter) is all about sunshine and rainbows. I think it is entirely possible for divisions of a company not to know what the other is doing. I also don't think a legal team is that internet illiterate that they can't find out his address themselves. Especially since communications from lawyers are one of the few types of mail that doesn't require permission. Hasbro Australia might be required to verbally get permission before they can send things to someone.

I don't think Hasbro would be so dumb as to intentionally risk the bad press. Companies like Hasbro try to avoid bad press as much as possible. They have been very supportive of the pony community and if they really were all that bad they would not have supported us so much. The worst thing I could think of is they were not aware of the tactics their lawyers were using and don't want to admit their mistake. Anyways what kind of evidence can they use to prove that it was just a coincidence? I really can't think of any.

[lunar_scythe]

*shrugs* large companies like Hasbro don't always keep the best track of what is going on, we know that.  Last year, at the Hasbro Toy Shop, they weren't even aware that the stock they had on the shelves was not yet available, and didn't even stock up extra ponies for the tours they gave us *knowing* we were collectors...it's not such a stretch to me that the lawyers are doing one thing when the market analysis people are doing the opposite.

In my area, a good sized company, on advice from their lawyers, change the font and size of their name on delivery truck to the smallest allowed, to avoid people deliberately wrecking then trying to sue...at the same time, the marketing department *increased* the size of the name and logo to the biggest they could fit on the sides of the trucks, to increase product awareness.  So currently, there are trucks with the company name small, and trailers with the name as large as possible, and neither the marketing nor the legal department are happy, hehe!

[StoryDreamer]

 :mad:All the Hasbro lawyers would've had to do is use a legal database for the bloggers name and address. If his first name or last name was anywhere on that website/online, that's all they would've had to do.

And legal as in for lawyers/civil proceedings/etc. Those same databases can also identify your neighbors, relatives and years worth of previous addresses.

[NoDivision]

I have to say that for people who buy and love habro products, there's an awful lot of people who seem to completely hate hasbro here. How many examples do we have all over this board of Hasbro giving people free products? They do it all the time. And yet you're all convinced there is no possible way that an australian hasbro rep could be capable of actually trying to do a nice thing for this guy by wanting to give him free stuff, and that it could be unrelated. The conspiracy theories are getting a bit much, seriously.

[Bronley]

:mad:All the Hasbro lawyers would've had to do is use a legal database for the bloggers name and address. If his first name or last name was anywhere on that website/online, that's all they would've had to do.

And legal as in for lawyers/civil proceedings/etc. Those same databases can also identify your neighbors, relatives and years worth of previous addresses.

But they DID use normal legal methods to get the blogger's address! Go read the blogger's posts on the blog itself! They believe Hasbro's statement that the 2 incidents were unrelated.

It looks like they are trying to look into this issue.  From the statement it does seem to be a horrible case of poor internal communication among all the parties concerned - maybe me, too because there have been heaps of people telling me that sending investigators to your door on a Sunday afternoon thing is very normal for enforcement investigations even in Australia. They've also explained to me why people do it.  If I'd known that before, maybe I wouldn't have been so freaked out.
 
 Before any one asks, no I have not received the pinpoints and it's just a shame that the timing of the letters (all of them) seems to have been so unlucky.  Thanks all for your support.

[TokiBear]

I have to say that for people who buy and love habro products, there's an awful lot of people who seem to completely hate hasbro here. How many examples do we have all over this board of Hasbro giving people free products? They do it all the time. And yet you're all convinced there is no possible way that an australian hasbro rep could be capable of actually trying to do a nice thing for this guy by wanting to give him free stuff, and that it could be unrelated. The conspiracy theories are getting a bit much, seriously.

Very well said NoDivision!  I couldn't agree with you more.  While the whole situation seems a bit shady... I don't see anything connecting what the lawyers did with Hasbro wanting to give the blogger free stuff.  We see it here all the time... Hasbro has kept very good relations with us and is very supportive of the community.  What I'm starting to think is that the way the shake down happened was all on the law firm.  I'm sure Hasbro wanted to know where he was getting his info but after that, Hasbro most likely had nothing to do with how the law firm went about obtaining that information.  I believe Hasbro has every right to protect their products from piracy and early leaking if they so choose.  I know its really nice to see what we may be seeing in the future and even being able to get those things before they are released via taobao but if Hasbro wants it to stop, they have every right to make sure that it does stop.  Its one thing for people to make custom ponies its another thing entirely when you're dealing with goods that Hasbro doesn't want released yet.

[StoryDreamer]

How did that mad smiley get in my post? Stupi phone. I work with publishers as a blogger and sometimes the publicists forget who they send pitch emails to or send duplicate merchandise to bloggers etc. It happens. Ii think it was a coincidence. And I love Hasbro.

[Pangel]

I'd accept it was 'coincidence' if the blogger actually received the promotional products.

[Wardah]

They probably aren't going to send them now that they know he was in trouble with the main branch. Maybe the Australia branch wouldn't have known about the issue  if he hadn't mentioned it on his blog but now they do.

I think some people just love to rag on big companies that manufacture things in China since the job market here is so awful. But I really don't blame companies for moving the jobs over seas. I don't blame the workers either. I blame the fact that our system has been broken for so long for it. If doctors didn't have to pay back such huge loans for their education, they wouldn't have to charge so much. If they didn't charge so much, employers wouldn't need to pay so much for medical coverage. If medical coverage didn't cost so much jobs could have stayed here.

And that isn't counting how much the banks have skewed everything else.

[Taxel]

Just because you like a toy doesn't mean you have to like the company that makes it. Liking a 30 year old toy doesn't mean you like the new toys, how the company handles itself currently, etc. XP And heck I used to collect G4 but Hasbro's horrid quality and shade from a G4 playset destroying my ponies forced me to trade away the ones I own and stop collecting them. I realize some people don't care about poor quality and will keep buying them and supporting Hasbro and whatnot, but I sure won't. Collecting G1-3.5 does not mean I have to like Hasbro in its current form or support it in any way. I'm an MLP fan, not a Hasbro fan.

And just because a company has done nice things in the past doesn't mean it won't do/hasn't done terrible things and we should trust everything they tell us 100% of the time and that they wouldn't lie.