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

[Starie]

Listen to your fans, listen to your buyers
Give them what they want at a cost reasonable for company, worker AND buyer
Do it in a timely manner, and to all interested areas

This is the iTunes philosophy, and you have only to look at its phenomenal success to see that it works remarkably well for everyone involved.


Can you imagine if Hasbro offered people the opportunity to design their own custom ponies?  Upload your marking artwork, choose your colors, 4-6 weeks later it arrives at your door?  They'd make a killing.

I know this is really late but omg I love that idea *___* Too bad it'll never happen x3

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Listen to your fans, listen to your buyers
Give them what they want at a cost reasonable for company, worker AND buyer
Do it in a timely manner, and to all interested areas

I disagree with Apple's policy here...  First off, when is the cost of human suffering and lives worth ANY material object we might want to own?  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*

I only partially agree with the statement that if Hasbro chooses to outsource its labor, it "Deserves what happens".  NO!  I think we should make it very clear to companies that its target markets, its shoppers, the consumers are NOT going to accept mistreatment of others so that someone else can have a shiny new gadget. 

I know that it's nearly impossible to change the manufacturing since the infrastructure has relocated but we can make it very clear that we want our products being made fairly and NOT at the expense of the workers.    The more money Hasbro loses to black and grey market goods (like Taobao), and often the handmade market (because they didn't license), they simply use marketing tactics to ramp up sales and continue to wring what they can out of the production line. 

I'm all with Hasbro cracking down on piracy if it helps them move towards goals of improving the lives of their manufacturing team - they are MAKING our PONIES, after all!  It's not very fair if MeiMei works at the factory, making ponies for 12 hour shifts and then her coworkers Wong, Yuo, and Ping "screw up" the machine and make some "factory errors" to sell on Taobao for extra money, while MeiMei gets only her wages and her lodging.   Even if they are doing this with the manager's permission ($$$ or some form of graft involved - maybe a few rounds of drinks after work?), it isn't fair to ALL the workers in the factory, so I find it very questionable to support.

Maybe that last example makes more sense - or absolutely none....

[Starie]

Listen to your fans, listen to your buyers
Give them what they want at a cost reasonable for company, worker AND buyer
Do it in a timely manner, and to all interested areas

I disagree with Apple's policy here...  First off, when is the cost of human suffering and lives worth ANY material object we might want to own?  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*

I only partially agree with the statement that if Hasbro chooses to outsource its labor, it "Deserves what happens".  NO!  I think we should make it very clear to companies that its target markets, its shoppers, the consumers are NOT going to accept mistreatment of others so that someone else can have a shiny new gadget. 

I know that it's nearly impossible to change the manufacturing since the infrastructure has relocated but we can make it very clear that we want our products being made fairly and NOT at the expense of the workers.    The more money Hasbro loses to black and grey market goods (like Taobao), and often the handmade market (because they didn't license), they simply use marketing tactics to ramp up sales and continue to wring what they can out of the production line. 

I'm all with Hasbro cracking down on piracy if it helps them move towards goals of improving the lives of their manufacturing team - they are MAKING our PONIES, after all!  It's not very fair if MeiMei works at the factory, making ponies for 12 hour shifts and then her coworkers Wong, Yuo, and Ping "screw up" the machine and make some "factory errors" to sell on Taobao for extra money, while MeiMei gets only her wages and her lodging.   Even if they are doing this with the manager's permission ($$$ or some form of graft involved - maybe a few rounds of drinks after work?), it isn't fair to ALL the workers in the factory, so I find it very questionable to support.

Maybe that last example makes more sense - or absolutely none....

I understood it and I think it's an excellent point to bring up, one that I don't think anyone has brought up before. It's hard to justify helping only a few people in need who have connections rather than a whole company of maltreated people, but is there a solution? Chinese factories work under different laws and different wages. Hasbro is obviously not going to just give them a better working environment and better wages since that would cut into their profit margins.




That being said, my opinion on this whole issue is that while it would be a bummer to not see any new upcoming toys before they are released, Hasbro has the right to crack down on early released goods if they wish. Now, on the other hand if what the blogger says is true (and it does seem true I'm not sure why someone would fabricate a story like that) then Hasbro used underhanded measures and almost scare-tactics on a third party who isn't even related to the production and online selling of early products. That is just not right in my opinion (especially that whole scheme/ e-mail to get their address? I mean ridiculous if the two are connected, and my gut instinct is telling me that they are)

[sabathamk]

The only thing I have to add is that we cannot conclusively know that hasbro's legal team obtained his address from the person offering him free items. They could legitimately be unconnected. Sure the timing is very coincidental, but that's a heck of a stretch for someone to go to to get an address.

THIS.

I am not saying the guy is making things up, but so far we only have one side of the story, his. We only have his viewpoint of how things are happening. The situation from the other viewpoint might be quite different indeed. What if Hasbro really was wanting to send him some free product for his blog?

The blogger himself states that Hasbro sent him another email asking for his mailing address a second time, after he had already received the lawyer letter. This to me implies that the two instances are not connected, like he assumes they are. Like NoDivision says, that's a pretty lengthy stretch to go to get someone's mailing address.

My final say: Don't believe everything you read in a blog or other website as if it were straight up 100% fact. At least think about it a bit to see if it makes sense.

I agree 100% 

[StoryDreamer]

Regarding Apple, a lot of Mike Daisey's claims of conditions in the Apple factories were made-up. (If you're going off those)

Maybe they are "error" ponies taken from factories in the middle of production/errors/samples. But I also have a feeling that the factory workers are actually selling these to a middleman who brokers the deals. Possibly because they wouldn't want their name associated with them.  Who's to say the factory worker isn't getting taken either by a broker?

And I don't think bad about Hasbro for trying to crack down on somebody making money off their legal property. I liken these 'leaks' to anything like a song, book, etc, being sold early. There's heavy penalties (if you sold Harry Potter books early you'd have to  pay fines of $250,000).  Yeah sure Hasbro is a multimillion dollar corporation, but the designers, marketers, etc, aren't making millions. They worked on those toys too, just like the factory workers.  And it's their ideas and content that is being sold on a black market.


Analogy time:  There's a copy of Avengers right now. On Ebay. I can buy it! Yay (this is all hypothetical). I'm going to review it on my website. I'll show images from the movie - unreleased images - etc.  Yeah, Marvel/Disney/etc will be at my door in a heartbeat if I did that.


Just because it's available online doesn't mean he had to buy it.
 

[michelle53]

I'd like to add my thoughts on this.  Hasbro Italy asked to borrow ponies from SoSilvers personal collection.  They invited him to their facility, offered him some merchandise and gave him some inside information about upcoming releases.  They trusted him with company info.  To me, that shows me that they respect him as a collector and MLP fan.  To SoSilver's credit, he did not once disclose anything that Hasbro told him in confidence.  A relationship between company and collector based off mutual respect is a beautiful thing.

Hasbro, we love you.  We love your ponies.  We will always be around to buy your products.  Please respect us enough to offer international releases and bonus ponies on your official website for purchase.  What is there to lose?  I mean it's not like you're getting a piece of the eBay action either?!  In turn Hasbro, we will respect your product releases and buy official releases!

[RedheadedBeauty]

I would love to see those exclusives made easy to buy using Hasbro's site. Even if they sold them for a few dollars more fine. They get the money I get the pony it's a win win. Come on Hasbro you know this would be a huge financial gain for you. Not only from collectors buy from parents buying something they haven't seen in stores for their little pony crazed child.

[Gingerbread]

Not even just the exclusives but if Hasbro sold the factory 'rejects' they would still make money! Rejects to Hasbro are sought-after ponies for collectors.

Of course for this to work Hasbro would have to ship to other countries, not just the USA. *grumbles*

[Dyzarktarzk]

I'd like to add my thoughts on this.  Hasbro Italy asked to borrow ponies from SoSilvers personal collection.  They invited him to their facility, offered him some merchandise and gave him some inside information about upcoming releases.  They trusted him with company info.  To me, that shows me that they respect him as a collector and MLP fan.  To SoSilver's credit, he did not once disclose anything that Hasbro told him in confidence.  A relationship between company and collector based off mutual respect is a beautiful thing.

Hasbro, we love you.  We love your ponies.  We will always be around to buy your products.  Please respect us enough to offer international releases and bonus ponies on your official website for purchase.  What is there to lose?  I mean it's not like you're getting a piece of the eBay action either?!  In turn Hasbro, we will respect your product releases and buy official releases!

And please, don't forget Hasbro SELLING internationally... not only to USA.

[LadyMoondancer]

I'd like to add my thoughts on this.  Hasbro Italy asked to borrow ponies from SoSilvers personal collection.  They invited him to their facility, offered him some merchandise and gave him some inside information about upcoming releases.  They trusted him with company info.  To me, that shows me that they respect him as a collector and MLP fan.  To SoSilver's credit, he did not once disclose anything that Hasbro told him in confidence.  A relationship between company and collector based off mutual respect is a beautiful thing.

Hasbro, we love you.  We love your ponies.  We will always be around to buy your products.  Please respect us enough to offer international releases and bonus ponies on your official website for purchase.  What is there to lose?  I mean it's not like you're getting a piece of the eBay action either?!  In turn Hasbro, we will respect your product releases and buy official releases!

That was beautiful . . . Well said.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I'd like to add my thoughts on this.  Hasbro Italy asked to borrow ponies from SoSilvers personal collection.  They invited him to their facility, offered him some merchandise and gave him some inside information about upcoming releases.  They trusted him with company info.  To me, that shows me that they respect him as a collector and MLP fan.  To SoSilver's credit, he did not once disclose anything that Hasbro told him in confidence.  A relationship between company and collector based off mutual respect is a beautiful thing.

Hasbro, we love you.  We love your ponies.  We will always be around to buy your products.  Please respect us enough to offer international releases and bonus ponies on your official website for purchase.  What is there to lose?  I mean it's not like you're getting a piece of the eBay action either?!  In turn Hasbro, we will respect your product releases and buy official releases!

I was thinking of Hasbro Italy as a great example of WHY we shouldn't hate ALL THE TIME. 

[nullcherri]

Lego is on the forefront of this, because their product is all 1 plastic, and can easily be 3D modeled.
As 3D printers pricedrop, Lego is going to have to deal with people replicating the bricks at home.

That's still pretty far in the future. Color 3D printing, and at high resolution, is still very expensive.

Your lego bricks wouldn't fit together right if it had the jaggy edges of typical printed objects. :]

But I sure can't wait to have my very own 3D printer! :D

[SheRa-dude]

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 !

[Lon-san]

And please, don't forget Hasbro SELLING internationally... not only to USA.

Indeed!

I wish there was a way to limit purchases and keep out scalpers with something like that without it being a problem for groups of friends just trying to save a little money by shipping together.

[StarFaerie]

And we have a response by Hasbro to Kotaku:

"We appreciate the opportunity to provide the following statement concerning Hasbro's investigation into "leaked" IP information regarding its NERF brand products. As with anything, there are two sides to every story. While we cannot comment on the details of any ongoing investigation, Hasbro takes all circumstances of its stolen and leaked IP very seriously and will continue to investigate sources of unauthorized information and products as it relates to its brands. We would like to clarify one of the inaccuracies that has been reported. While a local Hasbro Australia marketing team did reach out to the Urban Taggers website to engage in promotional activity for which it required its address, it was completely unrelated to the confidential global investigation being conducted on Hasbro's behalf by independent investigators looking into sources of leaked IP information. Hasbro greatly values and appreciates its fan communities and is very proud of its strong relationships with many bloggers and sites that cover our brands and products."

So it was Hasbro USA with the lawyers and Hired Goons and Hasbro Australia were unaware of it so still trying to do their marketing. Big companies just don't talk internally sometimes, silly things.