Hasbro Legal Team Strikes Down On Dangerous Unauthorized Apps

Around 1:30 AM this morning, a Reddit user posted a copy of what is presumed to be a DMCA notice from Hasbro Legal against multiple Windows Phone App store publishers, informing them of alleged infringement of multiple copyrights and intellectual properties. Horse News is on the scene trying to establish how Hasbro Legal found the apps in the first place, when Windows phones started to get apps, and who the hell even uses a Windows phone in the first place.


The poster is a developer of one of the accused apps, and had stated that his app was targeted by Hasbro for infringing on copyright along with many other apps with a focus on My Little Pony. Many of the accused apps had content relating to My Little Pony, with the bulk of it assumingly directly copied from the show itself, and marginally less originating from non-hasbro sources like deviant art and others.

Preliminary estimates put the current number of casualties included in the takedown at up to 19 apps. "My Little Soundboard," "My Little Pony Portal," and "Flappy Little Pony" were only some of the many apps struck down by the recent wave of DMCA notices. More soon may follow as Hasbro Legal writes memo's, warms up the fax machine, and starts the coffee pot for the day.

It is not a surprise that Hasbro would jump the gun and completely eliminate any trace of non profitable use of intellectual property outside of their control and Licensing Department, but what is surprising is the total accuracy and abruptness of the takedown. It targeted dozens of apps, though all small and unimportant, all still dealt with in a manner that conforms totally to the law of copyright. Each one is listed with dozens of instances of small fallible infringements, such as using the name of a pony. It was expected, as these developers knew they were acting well outside the confines of fair use, but the severity of punishment for such a small sliver of content is only a harbinger for what is to come.

In a typical, or rather "traditional" take down, Hasbro would only deal a small C&D to whatever company was possibly operating without paying tribute to the corporate overlords at Finances. This takedown, however, was dealt with swift and cunning accuracy against an atypical group of criminals, windows app developers, which have an obscure appeal to an even more obscure crowd, windows phone users - a much smaller scenario than an overarching plot meant to swindle profits away from under the nose of a mega corporation. In no way were the developer's intentions geared towards turning a profit over stolen property. But since copyright holders are held liable for acting upon instances of infringement, or risk losing the copyright, any form of infringement, whether innocent or spiteful, is susceptible to the grips of the American copyright system.

DJscootaloose stated that "[the takedown] was bound to happen sooner or later."

Of course this takedown did not come as a surprise to many a brony, as it only follows along with the trend set forth by Hasbro for a while now: scorched fandoms, total media domination across all mediums. This event, though insignificant in the grande scheme of the fandom's mechanism, is shadowed in comparison by what it signals for the future, a relentless campaign against all content creators using Hasbro property, regardless of medium and size, with no end in sight.

The war wages on, and the battles are only getting more intense. Tread carefully.



Backup transcript of notice and Reddit post: http://pastebin.com/AUVpz1hK

Comments (21)

  1. But what are the apps?

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    1. Thats a big piece of info isnt it? Shouldnt write articles at 230 in the morning then not proofread them, but thats why we have the edit button!

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    2. lel I have a windows phone, it's my teritiary mobile device after my android tablet and Iphone Touch. I'll bet all of ten users knew of these apps. Hasbro has some Celestiatier google-ing skills.

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  2. " In a typical, or rather "traditional" take down, Hasbro would only deal a small C&D to whatever company was possibly operating without paying tribute to the corporate overlords at Finances, but this takedown, however, was dealt with swift and cunning accuracy against an atypical criminal which has more of an obscure appeal to an even more obscure crowd than an overarching plot to swindle profits away under the nose of a mega corporation."

    Jim, could you explain the difference here? How is this an atypical criminal, etc?

    "a relentless campaign against all content creator with no end in sight."
    How is this NOT going to result in a total takedown of fancontent? Again, could you explain the difference? I think the article needs more detail.

    Either that or I'm a retard.

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  3. I think I get it a bit better now, having read it a couple of times --- that the intensity is increasing because they're now going after obscure shit (oh well, it was a windows phone, no big deal...)

    Seriously though fuck em.

    Also my questions I asked about above, I'm still uncertain about.

    Either that, or I'm still a retard

    Thanks Jim

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  4. Why has no one doxxed the Hasbro legal team at all? Seriously, why?

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  5. First, "veracity" means "truthfulness." Don't use words you can't spell.

    Second, using shit that doesn't belong to you is illegal. Sometimes you get caught.

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    1. Hasdrone, pls go.

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    2. to me it appears veracity is used correctly. And the article says that it was illegal.

      Did you even read it hasdrone?

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    3. I think OP meant "ferocity"

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  6. Jimjim, can you help me out? Donn't mean to be a hassle, but I'd appreciate it. If you can answer my questions above It'd be a real help

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    1. i think he reworded it. not sure tho.

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  7. Furthermore how is a "relentless campaign against all content creators regardless of medium" BIGGER THAN "a total takedown of all fan content"? I'd say that would be worse, wouldn't you?

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  8. businesses are still stupid to realize that these things are giving them FREE advertising
    striking down these apps strikes down that free advertisement

    Hasbro, like all big corporations, is fucking stupid

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  9. For the love of god, someone dox the Hasbro legal team already!

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  10. Not much of a hacker are you? Click the full link. The person who wrote the C and D, and their company, along with the rest of the warrant, is actually there.

    So for the love of God, WILL YOU PEOPLE JUST START LOOKING AROUND.

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  11. Aww, I liked the Flappy Pony thing. It was a fun time waster, but I had to delete it to make space. Oh well.

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  12. Well, now that we know the legal firm representing Hasbro, let's go take the fight to them. But let's be civil about this. Inform this lawyer of our grievances. Let's hope we can get them to step back from the brink. If we're to do this right, let's do this legally. This isn't doxing, as it's already in the link and on the screenshot, but a call to arms. A declaration of war against Hasbro. It started with John Joseco. It continued with Jan Animations. They even tried to go after FIMFiction. Let's make sure our first amendment rights, as well as fair use and parody laws be extinguished by this corporate lawyer.


    FIGHT THE POWER!
    YA GOTTA FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE!

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