[Hasbro] Fined by UK Office of Fair Trading

[Vaxalon]

Actually, I disagree, and I have an actual case point. There's a college bar here in Erie, Antlers, that Gannon U has been wanting to buy for years. Finally, the owners of Antlers put the property up for sale, with the restriction in the selling contract that it remain a bar and never be sold to Gannon. If any future owner failed in these terms, it would revert back to the first owners, or their estate. The property sold.

That's a different issue, and I'll tell you why...

It's not price-fixing.

Price-fixing is an attempt to close out competition. It's an attempt to create higher prices for a product by forbidding all distributors from competing on price. It's NOT consumer-friendly. It's something that companies who have a near monopoly do to make their monopoly profitable. You want Barbie? You have to go to Hasbro. Because of their heavy advertising, little Becky won't accept an imitation.

In this case, the bar, one can argue that this kind of contract ENCOURAGES competition, by keeping more bars in operation. In economic terms, it's consumer-friendly.

In the end, regulations against price-fixing are in place because it's one of the only way consumers can fight against monopolies.

 

[kingpaul]

As to whether the distributors can choose not to work with Hasbro, of course they can't. There are a number of key products that you need to carry if you want to stay a distributor, and the products built by Hasbro are obviously it. So what you're saying is, their choice is accept our conditions or get out of the business... Not much of a choice...

But that's the beauty of the OGL and d20SL, you can use WotC's engine to create material that is compatible with it. Granted, WotC is the big fish, but there are other fish.

 

[Tsyr]

But that's the beauty of the OGL and d20SL, you can use WotC's engine to create material that is compatible with it. Granted, WotC is the big fish, but there are other fish.

Except that doesn't really help distributors much. Carrying the WotC stuff is still important.

 

[kingpaul]

Price-fixing is an attempt to close out competition.

But WotC is not the only people who produce d20 game material. The core mechancis are available for free at WotC's SRD pages (standard and modern) and the Open Gaming Foundation's SRD page. For that matter, the Free Gaming Association has come up with their Prometheus Gaming System, which incorporates the SRD and uses character creation rules.

Competition will never go away, the OGL has seen to that, especially sections 4 and 9.

 

[Robbert Raets]

Actually, I disagree, and I have an actual case point. There's a college bar here in Erie, Antlers, that Gannon U has been wanting to buy for years. Finally, the owners of Antlers put the property up for sale, with the restriction in the selling contract that it remain a bar and never be sold to Gannon. If any future owner failed in these terms, it would revert back to the first owners, or their estate. The property sold.

And this is legal?! I'm sorry, but I just don't see how soemone can do this; there may be a point in the future where it just won't be viable to run said property as a bar.

Oh, and by the way, it's true. In Europe, the first thing you're asked in a hospital is "what's the matter?" In the U.S.A., it's "Have you got Inn-Sewer-Ants?"
(I wanted to put a smiley here, but I just can't bring myself to laugh over this)

 

[Alzrius]

OK, let's stay away from the pseudo-political remarks and implied insults, folks. As this thread is about Hasbro, who own the game these messageboards are about, it would be a real shame if a small minority were to prevent others from discussing the situation by getting it closed down.

Im going to voice my opinion, not for either side of whats rapidly becoming a socio-econo-political arguement, but with Morrus here. Im usually don't care to pay much attention to debates of "which country does it better," so when I started getting offended like I have been by some of the recent posts here, thats a big sign its time for that to be let go.

I wonder what a £5M (about $7,5M?) means to a multinational company such as Hasbro? Obviously, they'd rather not pay it if they can help it, but just how punitive is a fine of that size?

No contest, that $7.5 million probably won't phase them. Admittedly, I know zilch about economics, but huge multinational corporations probably spend more than that on just taking polls to see how their profits are doing. What I don't understand is why Hasbro saw fit to aid in the inquiries. Coming from big business, thats extremely surprising, although its a nice surprise. Might it have been an actual act of them trying to do something simply because it was the right thing to be done and not for profit? *Gasp* Careful, they could start a trend there.

 

[BryonD]

So it is your perception that people in America go without treatment?

In America, a common perception of most European medical treatment can be summed up in two words: Waiting Lists (add rationing if you want to go to three words)

Anyway,

Is there any evidence that Dungeons and Dragons materials are less expensive in the UK? What mechanism prevents these fines from ultimately being passed on to the consumer? What countries without these controls have higher prices on Monster Manual II? (Or any other Hasbro product)

 

[Ghostwind]

I'm not doubting you on this, but I have not heard of this happening. Do you have any citations?

Try Napoleon, Ohio for starters. They came in and killed 95% of the mom-pop operations and then left when the economy took a downturn. Lasr rime I passed through that area, nearly every store in that shopping center had been vacated including Wal-mart...

 

[JacktheRabbit]

250 million people with an average life expectancy in the late 70's can't be wrong.

In the spirit of your reply to me, hey, if you enjoy living in a society where only the wealthy have access to decent standards of health care, education and legal representation, then more power to you.

Just keep telling yourself that capitalism is great!

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Gee, all the times I have had to go to the hospital and the first words I have heard had nothing to do with insects or insurance.

Maybe you should base your comments on reality instead of on TV.

Oh, and by the way, it's true. In Europe, the first thing you're asked in a hospital is "what's the matter?" In the U.S.A., it's "Have you got Inn-Sewer-Ants?"
(I wanted to put a smiley here, but I just can't bring myself to laugh over this)