Comments on: Will someone please start a Facebook group to save Scrabulous?

By: Aurora Hanover n

Aurora Hanover n — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:20:42 +0000

If you liked scrabulous, you might like konstroo. It is a iphone/ipodtouch wordgame app available at the app store on iTunes. Plus it’s just 99 cents.

By: mandy mcalllum, cberdeen scotland, uk

mandy mcalllum, cberdeen scotland, uk — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:41:16 +0000

i miss the sie “scrbulous” soooo much!

By: some scrabble geek/pornstar

some scrabble geek/pornstar — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:16:27 +0000

“Why did they take this down. Take the porn down and give the homebound a chance to nourish their minds and meet people, good people, from all over the world. You aught to be ashamed of yourselves.
Posted By thelma, boca raton, florida : September 28, 2008 12:25 pm ”

Leave the porn alone, bring back scrabulous

By: Littlejohn,Gadsden, Alabama

Littlejohn,Gadsden, Alabama — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:19:34 +0000

I’m a scrabulous addict too. Just wanted to add that I miss scrabulous too. Pray they find resolution in this- great game!!!

By: debra, Nampa, ID

debra, Nampa, ID — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:24:32 +0000

pogo.com has scrabble for free

By: thelma, boca raton, florida

thelma, boca raton, florida — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:25:14 +0000

Why did they take this down. Take the porn down and give the homebound a chance to nourish their minds and meet people, good people, from all over the world. You aught to be ashamed of yourselves.

By: Kay N.C.

Kay N.C. — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 02:46:14 +0000

please keep Scrablous it is a great game.

By: David Woods, Stony Brook, NY

David Woods, Stony Brook, NY — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:46:08 +0000

GUT/TOE, Einstein’s whimsical way of describing the hundred year old search for a Grand Unified Theory/Theory of Everything, has made news frequently of late, in, for example, Fortune’s piece on a “Grand Unified Theory of AOL.” However, nobody is taking this the logical step forward. If there can be a “Theory of Everything” re AOL or even all of Physics, then surely there can and will some day be a Theory of Everything, everything literally.

Physicists and mathematicians hint that a GUT/TOE could explain everything but they never seem to look beyond their giant but narrow particle tunnels.

Who or what is God? Is there life after death? Could science and religion aid each other in a 21st century redux of humanity’s ancient search for spiritual answers?

Novelists, your turn at bat in the GUT/TOE quest may be at hand. For starters, take a look at how GUT/TOE transforms Buffalo, yes, Buffalo, in my “Buffalo Snow Day”: http://www/lulu.com/content/2556363.

By: S. Nelson Algonquin,IL

S. Nelson Algonquin,IL — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:19:44 +0000

OK well in my 50+ years on earth I have bought more than 6 traditional Scrabble games. I have also bought 2 PC versions. There is no fear of losing my dedicated dollars. I enjoy Scrabulous because I can play long distance with all of my family members, regardless of our crazy schedules, and lives. Save the game!!!

By: Mike S., Sioux Falls, S.D.

Mike S., Sioux Falls, S.D. — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:30:16 +0000

In response to Gordon Rae, Exeter, UK: A trademark owner is not at the mercy of a licensee to protect their property. That would be the equivalent to saying a car rental agency couldn’t press charges/ bring civil suit against a thief that stole the car from a renter. Further, a trademark owner is not required to give exclusive licenses, it depends on their license (contract). This is not unlike the English law on which the American law is based. Trademark is a “use it or loose it” right. The rationale is that trademark prevents confusion between products. There is definately room for confusion with a name like Scrabulous. Companies have to defend a trademark or they loose the rights. Now it is quite possible that Hasbro can work out a deal. As indicated by the passions stirred up on the net over this, there is more at stake than trademark for Hasbro. Goodwill is on the line.

By: Gordon Rae, Exeter, UK

Gordon Rae, Exeter, UK — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:15:48 +0000

Charles Brace Darrow – are you the guy that invented Monopoly? And died in 1967? Are you some troll put up by Hasbro to stir up rage in this group? Why don’t you put your employer’s side of the argument? Why don’t you even acknowledge that the Internet rights to Scrabble don’t belong to Hasbro – they are licensed to Electronic Arts?
C’mon… don’t be a sock puppet. licensedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darrow

By: Phil, St. Louis, Missouri

Phil, St. Louis, Missouri — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:25:44 +0000

People seem to keep forgetting something tremendously important to all of this. Games cannot be copyrighted (in the US at least)! Check out http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl108.html for the full skinny. So, this is not a copyright issue. It’s a TRADEMARK issue. The dead easy solution to all of this is change the name of Scrabulous to something that isn’t close to infringing. They have enough of a following now that changing the name shouldn’t bother many.

By: Darcy, Kingston, Ontario

Darcy, Kingston, Ontario — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:49:27 +0000

stealing is stealing… why not put every copyrighted game, book or material on Facebook and then form a “save this” groupssaying that the company should have provided an online version for free to justify the fact that the ideas and work of others are being stolen and used to profit someone else.

The people who are supporting this notion that this is okay, are probably the same people who say they are justified in downloading movies, songs and tv shows without paying for them.

By: Nick, Edmonton AB

Nick, Edmonton AB — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:05:48 +0000

As you say in your article, the ideal scenario is that Hasbro and/or Mattel settle with the Scrabulous developers in some fashion. The application stays in place, officially licensed, while the rights-owners get the money. There is considerable precedent for this: the Hasbro Scrabble CD-ROMs are all built around AIs that were originally developed independently by expert Scrabble players who also happened to be computing scientists. While Hasbro does stand to lose a lot of potential CD/download sales when a free alternative is doing so well (and already does so because of free services like ISC), I doubt their final intent is really for the game to have no Facebook presence whatsoever.

Link: http://www.nicholastam.ca/2008/01/16/absolutely-scrabulous/

By: Drew, Tokyo, Japan

Drew, Tokyo, Japan — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:45:59 +0000

@Charles Brace Darrow: Awesome! Are you speaking on Hasbro’s behalf here? Is it Hasbro’s official position that Scrabulous “is infringing copyright and intellectual property” and that other versions “were pure tripe”?

I am glad that Hasbro finally put their spokesman to work letting the world know their position!

By: Anonymous, New Jersey, US

Anonymous, New Jersey, US — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:11:23 +0000

Charles Brace Darrow sez: “As an employee of Hasbro it must be noted that this is an area of the market that interests Hasbro.”

Well it’s certainly taking you long enough. Virtual Mr. Spud Head was an(other) popular online app … until it apparently met with legal action from Hasbro.

The game was later modified and the name changed to Apple Corps. (No, Apple hasn’t come after them. Then again, Hasbro never made its own online version either.)

http://apple-corps.westnet.com/apple_corps.html

By: Jim, London, UK

Jim, London, UK — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:39:16 +0000

Join the fight comrades – Join the group!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4772916593&ref=mf

By: Charles Brace Darrow, Hasbro Rhode Island

Charles Brace Darrow, Hasbro Rhode Island — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:56:17 +0000

For all concerneced who think this is a typical fat cat company going out guns a blazing killing what little fun people have etc and being stupid in its decisions, it is indeed not the case.

Have you possibly considered that there might already be an existing Scrabble game in development? Have you thought that this particular Scrabble knock-off was so close to the real game that is is infringing copyright and intellectual property, while the other ‘versions’ available on the net were pure tripe and not even close?
Obviously it could have also been acted on further due to Social Networking sites popularity in this modern age.

As an employee of Hasbro it must be noted that this is an area of the market that interests Hasbro. Gaming in particular is now an area we are working with EA on and this is why we have tied in a deal with EA. We want to provide the same enjoyment people have playing the game at home, online, or on mobile computers.

Hasbro is one of the few companies that really try to help and work with communities, but this goes amiss when some free game is pulled from a site which should not have gone live in the first time.

Ask yourself this – Why did Facebook allow a product to be made so publicly available to millions, while not even checking legal matters.

By: Dottie, Seattle WA

Dottie, Seattle WA — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:45:32 +0000

I’m flabbergasted that Hasbro has never provided an online version (at least not one that I could find). It’s an obvious thing to do. So while they have the moral high ground on intellectual property, they get low points for intelligence.

Several folks have mentioned isc. It’s good for real time games, but Scrabulous has the nicest overall implementation I’ve found.

By: Kenya, Oakton, Va

Kenya, Oakton, Va — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:09:52 +0000

Hasbro might be able to get the game off of Facebook but I doubt they’d be able to get the original site taken down if it’s hosted in India. Does U.S. Copyright law extend to other countries?

A wise move for Hasbro would probably be to somehow buy Scrabulous and use it on their own site. It’s not like people are going out and buying the actual games these days. It would definitely be a way to increase revenue.