Transformers Unlicensed Products News on Seibertron.com

Hasbro wins legal battle against bootlegs in China

Date: Sunday, December 30th 2018 4:12am CST
Categories: Toy News, Press Releases, Company News, Knock Offs, Unlicensed Products News
Posted by: Emerje | Credit(s): Hasbro

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Fans of "third party not-Transformers", bootlegs, and over sized knockoff products tend to defend them by saying such things as, "if Hasbro cared they would do something about them" or "they're legal in China, things are more relaxed there". But that's never been entirely true. We've seen Hasbro do things like ban their sale (and attempted to do so with fan art) at BotCon and once requested the removal of their coverage from news sites while China has protected three dimensional trademarks (like toys) since 2001. They even introduced the administrative raid system for speedy resolutions and special "well-known" trademark protections based on consumer knowledge.

And that brings us to the current topic. Hasbro has announced on their corporate site that they've successfully defended their Transformers trademark in a criminal counterfeit case in a Chinese court based on an administrative raid from 2017. Hasbro claims this is only the latest in a string of cases with more to come. In this case three defendants were found guilty including two unnamed people that have been jailed and fined and an unidentified corporation that has been fined as well.

Hasbro's full press release can be found below (it isn't very long or detailed). We realize this is a hotly debated topic so we ask for some civility when discussing this in the Energon Pub.

Hasbro Trademark Rights Upheld in Criminal Case Involving Counterfeit TRANSFORMERS Products in China

December 20, 2018

PAWTUCKET, R.I.—December 20, 2018-- The Chinese court in Dongguan city of Guangdong Province has issued a judgment favorable to Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) in a criminal case involving counterfeit TRANSFORMERS products.

Hasbro initiated an administrative raid action in 2017, which was transferred to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) due to the volume of counterfeit product and seriousness of the case. After a thorough investigation, three separate defendants, including two individuals and one corporate defendant, were found guilty of counterfeiting Hasbro’s trademarks and fined by the court, and the two individuals were sentenced to jail time. Thousands of counterfeit TRANSFORMERS products were confiscated and destroyed.

With strong support from various Chinese authorities, Hasbro has initiated many actions to enforce its intellectual property rights in China, and this is the latest of several criminal judgments involving counterfeit Hasbro products issued by Chinese courts in recent years.

“We take the protection of our intellectual property very seriously, and we will continue to investigate and pursue those who infringe on our rights,” said Tarrant Sibley, Hasbro’s Chief Legal Officer. “We are pleased with the ruling in this case, and will continue to vigorously enforce our intellectual property rights to combat the manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit products.”

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World's Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. Through its entertainment labels, Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation, the Company is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for children and their families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked No. 5 on the 2018 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine, and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past seven years. Learn more at http://www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

Peter Alexander Transformers Themed Nightwear, Homewear, Boxers

Date: Monday, February 12th 2018 6:21am CST
Category: Unlicensed Products News
Posted by: Va'al | Credit(s): Peter Alexander

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Views: 192,993

Coming to us from fellow Seibertronian Sunstar today, we have another addition to the ever-growing list of fashion accessories and clothing that feature a Transformers theme. This time, we're looking at Peter Alexander, an Australian night and housewear (and dog wear) designer, and the brand's online shop, which you can visit here.

The items in the catalogue include boxers, sleeping shorts, pajamas, lounge-wear, all featuring G1 style artwork and patterns, with Megatron, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee taking the main stage, and some Autobot and Decepticon symbols to boot. The clothing is mostly marketed for male customers, of various age brackets, but can easily be worn by anyone. Check a sample out below!