I have to reblog this, if only for the fact that it illustrates how retardedly Nazi-like some companies can be about āprotectingā their IP.
Firstly, we have a fan base, outside of the ātargetā audience who have basically been feeding free money into a company known as Hasbro.
Secondly, we have a group of said fans, with some talent and drive, who are putting their effort, time, and money into making a game based on Hasbroās IP, which they will never see one cent for, will be given out freely to anyone who wants it, promotes and advertizes Hasbroās IP to a wide audience, and the only benefits these fans would ever get from this project is recognition amongst other fans and a way to showcase their talents for people to see.
Yet, from a legal stand point, these fans have committed a ācrimeā. This is a crime where nothing physical was taken, no income or wealth was lost (by the āvictimā that is), no persons were harmed, and the āvictimā actually benefits greatly from the actions of the āperpetratorsā.Ā
How does this make any sense?
Legal actions by companies like this boil down to nothing more than a ābecause we canā crime.
Do they actually loose anything by letting these fans finish their game? No.
Do they gain from the efforts of these fans? Yes.
The only reason for them to so something like this is because they can, because they are a company who has the backing to decide that people need to pay them to have any enjoyment of their IP at all. Iām sure, if they were able, they would find a way to charge you a fee each time you mentioned MLP.
So why do I still consider myself a brony? After all this crap (and a whole lot else) that Hasbro has done lately, why do I still bother being part of this fandom?
Thatās the reason right there. The fandom. I was never a āfanā of Hasbro (a company I honestly think is behind the times in a big way). I was honestly never that big of a fan of the show. But what got me involved was the fans themselves.
Few fandoms can boast as creative and as imaginative a community as the bronies. And I love creativeness. I love seeing what people with a little talent and a little time can do when inspired.
So it really pisses me off to no end to see a company like Hasbro shitting all over the fans who have been supporting them for the past three years. Lauren Faust herself (you know, the chick who wanted to make the show for everyone, not just little girls in pink dresses) has apparently even offered to work with these fans (Mane6) to create a game with a brand new IP. The woman who made MLP:FiM a success now wants to help make the development studio Hasbro tried to destroy a success. That right there should be a huge red flag to the executives at Hasbro that they did something wrong.
But apparently they think theyāre above the rest of humanity.
So ya know what? Fuck Hasbro. They want ratings? They will have to start including YouTube views and P2P downloads if they want me added to their ratings. Merchandise sales? Only if they count the sales of fan-made art. Games? Well, theyāve pretty much cut their own wrists with them right now.
And yeah, I can hear some of you whining,
āBut piracy is bad, and you should support the company!ā
So youāve never owned a tape recorder, VCR, CD or DVD writer/re-writer, or anything with digital memory, right?
Any company whoās products depend on the fan base they generate should know by now that anything that negatively reflects on the fans will hurt them in the long run. If Hasbro canāt realize that, then they donāt deserve anything from those fans.
Go sign the petition in the reblogged post above. If you have ever considered yourself a brony, or even just a fan of anything, itās worth the 30 second itāll take to add your name to the list of people displeased with now a big corporation thinks it can do what it wants and the people paying them will never call them out on it.
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theartofmadeline
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