Official Monster High Thread

[cloverofmist]

Hey gang

Anyone wanting to buy anything or in need of help finding a MH doll there is a post here...

http://mlparena.com/mlp/index.php/board,173.0.html

Yeah i guess the question was is anyone still seeing them in stores in the  US?? i have it listed on the thread in my wishlist/wantlist

[Icecrystalline]

Hey gang

Anyone wanting to buy anything or in need of help finding a MH doll there is a post here...

http://mlparena.com/mlp/index.php/board,173.0.html

Yeah i guess the question was is anyone still seeing them in stores in the  US?? i have it listed on the thread in my wishlist/wantlist

Same here, since people are picking things up, we're just checking if anyone actively online could help out

[Rhini]

The MH FB page just posted an interesting status.

"Vacations with the whole Wolf pack can be tough! Clawd and Howleen are seriously on my last nerve. I would much rather be scratching out a trip to Scaris with Draculaura than howling at our lake cabin. At least the beautiful mountain scenery has inspired my next fashion line: “Outdoor Monsterista, by Clawdeen.” See you all back at MH. -Clawdeen"

Did they officially announce the Scaris line at SDCC or is this the first official nod to the line? I know they showed Jinafire and Skelita, but they'll technically just be signature dolls right?

[SunnieBunny]

Jinafire and Skelita are Deluxe Scaris Dolls I Believe

[pukunui]

Poo. Just got an e-mail from Mattel's "Commercial Permissions" department stating that they are denying me permission to sell prints of my Monster High photos. 

[CasseminaPie]

Just a heads up for Aussie collectors - I emailed Mattel about Robecca/Venus and the ST dolls and they said there were no plans to release Robecca and Venus here but the ST will be coming to Target only - no date yet.

[Rococo]

Just a heads up for Aussie collectors - I emailed Mattel about Robecca/Venus and the ST dolls and they said there were no plans to release Robecca and Venus here but the ST will be coming to Target only - no date yet.

Ehhh? Is it safe to assume that the rep meant Mattel had no plans to release Venus and Robecca in Australia currently or had no plans to ever release them there? Because the latter would just be a bit odd... and sucky.

[eristell_neko]

pukunui- Are your dolls customized? Still seems kind of odd to me that you can't sell pics that you've taken of items you own... >.>

[CasseminaPie]

Just a heads up for Aussie collectors - I emailed Mattel about Robecca/Venus and the ST dolls and they said there were no plans to release Robecca and Venus here but the ST will be coming to Target only - no date yet.

Ehhh? Is it safe to assume that the rep meant Mattel had no plans to release Venus and Robecca in Australia currently or had no plans to ever release them there? Because the latter would just be a bit odd... and sucky.

sorry to clarify - no plans at this stage!

[pukunui]

pukunui- Are your dolls customized? Still seems kind of odd to me that you can't sell pics that you've taken of items you own... >.>

No, they're not customized. The thing is, even though I own the dolls, they're still Mattel's intellectual property, so I have to have their permission to profit off them.

Hasbro was happy enough to give me permission to sell my MLP photos (although that contract is still working it's way through Hasbro's legal dept).

I'm a bit miffed by Mattel's response, and frankly disappointed that it's so brief too. This is all the e-mail says: "We are in receipt of your permission request, however, we must deny your request to sell prints of your photographs of our intellectual property."

I wrote back to say that I was disappointed and was there any particular reason why.

[NoDivision]

pukunui- Are your dolls customized? Still seems kind of odd to me that you can't sell pics that you've taken of items you own... >.>

Doesn't really seem odd to me. Mattell owns the rights to the characters so they have a right to deny people making profit off of their intellectual property. Of course there are a lot of people who do it (I see MH photography for sale on etsy a lot) but I'm guessing they didn't bother to do the honorable thing like Puku by asking first.

[eristell_neko]

Would you still have to go through that if the dolls were customized? I just find it a little bit weird. Theoretically, under that whole 'intellectual property' thing, you'd have to get permission from the makers of any product that's in any photo ever, from the clothes your model is wearing to the desk she's sitting on. Seems a little absurd to me.

I mean, the doll may be Mattel's intelectual property, but the photo isn't. Mattel didn't sit there and decide how to compose the photo, or how to edit it, or how to style the doll (if there's been styling done to it). All they did was make the doll. I could understand not wanting someone to go 'oh hey. I MADE THIS DOLL and here is a picture of it that you can have for $50' or something when that person didn't make the doll.

I dunno.... I just have very very mixed feelings about copyright... I feel some people take it too far, and others don't take it far enough. Does that make sense?

[pukunui]

Doesn't really seem odd to me. Mattell owns the rights to the characters so they have a right to deny people making profit off of their intellectual property. Of course there are a lot of people who do it (I see MH photography for sale on etsy a lot) but I'm guessing they didn't bother to do the honorable thing like Puku by asking first.

Yes, exactly. I'm not begrudging them the right to say no. I'm just disappointed that they did, especially since their main rival, Hasbro, said yes.

The main reason I asked in the first place, though, was because the lady that runs that Monster High Parents site asked if she could print off my fake movie poster with Cleo and Nefera and display it at her booth at a convention (I assume she meant SDCC, but I'm not sure). I was worried that Mattel might see it and object and I didn't want either her or myself to get into any legal trouble over it, so I said no but that I would look into getting permission from Mattel for that sort of thing in the future. So it's a bit sad they've said no, and it would've been nice if they'd said why, but whatever. At least they didn't tell me I had to remove all my photos from the internet or anything silly like that.

Post Merge: July 17, 2012, 05:31:31 PM

Would you still have to go through that if the dolls were customized?

I don't know.

Theoretically, under that whole 'intellectual property' thing, you'd have to get permission from the makers of any product that's in any photo ever, from the clothes your model is wearing to the desk she's sitting on. Seems a little absurd to me.

Quite possibly, especially if there's profit involved.

I mean, the doll may be Mattel's intelectual property, but the photo isn't.

Yes, but if you're going to profit from the sale of the photo, then there might be some legal issues over IP there.

[Rhini]

In a way I can understand. For instance if I made a custom, sold it and then people sold prints of her I don't think I'd be all too happy. And yes Mattel is a company not an individual, but the reasoning still applies.

Another thing I thought of is that while it's unlikely you'll "misrepresent" Hasbro with ponies, it's a lot easier to do so with highly posable dolls. Not saying that's your intention at all, but I think it's probably a concern for them. What if they grant permission to someone to use them and then that person makes prints of their dolls doing lude things etc or doing something to "misrepresent" the MH brand? That's the kind of legal repercussions large companies have to take into account when talking about brand and copyright. Plus Hasbro has been historically lax about people when it comes to this kind of thing.

It is a shame though, because I love your photos and would love to see prints of some of them. Just one of those things 

[pukunui]

In a way I can understand. For instance if I made a custom, sold it and then people sold prints of her I don't think I'd be all too happy.

What if that person asked your permission first, though?

Another thing I thought of is that while it's unlikely you'll "misrepresent" Hasbro with ponies, it's a lot easier to do so with highly posable dolls. Not saying that's your intention at all, but I think it's probably a concern for them. What if they grant permission to someone to use them and then that person makes prints of their dolls doing lude things etc or doing something to "misrepresent" the MH brand? That's the kind of legal repercussions large companies have to take into account when talking about brand and copyright. Plus Hasbro has been historically lax about people when it comes to this kind of thing.

Yeah, I can see that. However, one stipulation of Hasbro's agreeing was to look at my photos first to see if it was the sort of thing they would approve of and part of the contract gives them the right to review my photos (and the selling of prints) on a regular basis. I don't see why Mattel couldn't do something similar. If they were to give someone permission and then that person abused that permission, Mattel could always revoke it (and they could put a clause in the agreement to the effect that the dolls aren't used for pornographic purposes or whatever).

Based on the response I got, it just makes me wonder if they even really considered it or if they just declined my request automatically.

It is a shame though, because I love your photos and would love to see prints of some of them. Just one of those things 

Thanks.