The Twitter posts and Facebook status updates were screaming this week when the end of the Scrabulous application became apparent. "Why..." was the theme of most of the posts. But, we all knew the hatchet was coming and it's just a matter of time.
As many application developers struggle to find ways to make their own applications work in the new Facebook design, other companies are using this opportunity to quash the renegade programs that run rampant across the platform.
Scrabulous is just one of those and Hasbro took control of the situation.
The toy company on last week filed a copyright and trademark lawsuit in New York against the creators of the ad-supported Facebook application, which boasts an astonishing half-million daily users.
Mark Blecher, general manager for Hasbro Digital Media, said in an interview with cnet.com that his employer's goal is to promote its authentic, legitimate Facebook application.
"This is theft of intellectual property. It's really no different from when the recording industry faced the issue of folks posting music on sites like Napster and letting them copy it for free."
Blecher said Hasbro waited, "in deference to the fans," until it launched its official Scrabble Facebook app earlier this month. That was created by Electronic Arts and is used by a mere 8,900 daily users.
As for the obsessed, they can still play the game at www.scrabulous.com. But, for the Facebook-Scrabulous junkies, it's just plain annoying to have to open the application in a new window.
In this battle over intellectual property, Hasbro has scored a win but has managed to alienate so many along the way. Hasbro and Electronic Arts recently released an official Scrabble application for Facebook in the hopes of grabbing the faithful. But, their version is very graphical, slow, clunky and just a poor user experience.
Scrabulous, rest in peace, the U.S. and Canada remember you. Sphere: Related Content
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