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Tonight May Be Game Over for Scrabulous

Creators scramble to make a deal as deadline looms

By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 22, 2008 2:44 PM CST
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(Newser) – Scrabulous—the wildly popular Facebook app based (without permission) on Scrabble—may have to fold up its board tonight. Hasbro and Mattel, which jointly own the rights to the board game, have set the deadline for the online game to either shut itself down or sell itself to Electronic Arts, which owns the online rights.

Scrabulous's creators would rather shop around for a better deal, but they aren't in much of a position to negotiate, reports TechCrunch. So the 46,000 members of the "Save Scrabulous" Facebook group may have to look for a new way to amuse themselves. Maybe some of them will even go outside.

Jay Bruns Director of Marketing for SCRABBLE, Hasbro Games, left, and John Williams, Jr., Executive Director of the National SCRABBLE Association, far right, present a check for $5,000 to Aune (pronounce Ow-na) Mitchell, 14, of Ridgefield, Conn., second from left, and Matthew Silver, 13, of Westport, Conn., after they...
Jay Bruns Director of Marketing for SCRABBLE, Hasbro Games, left, and John Williams, Jr., Executive Director of the National SCRABBLE Association, far right, present a check for $5,000 to Aune (pronounce...   (Associated Press)
Scrabulous, the unlicensed Facebook phenomenon patterned off of Hasbro's Scrabble is facing the deadline for either buy-out, or termination.
"Scrabulous," the unlicensed Facebook phenomenon patterned off of Hasbro's Scrabble is facing the deadline for either buy-out, or termination.   ((c) skampy)
A behind-the-scenes deal between Hasbro and Mattel, Electronic Arts and the makers of Scrabulous could keep the game afloat, as is hoped by members of the Save Scrabulous Facebook community.
A behind-the-scenes deal between Hasbro and Mattel, Electronic Arts and the makers of Scrabulous could keep the game afloat, as is hoped by members of the "Save Scrabulous" Facebook community.   (Public Domain)
Scrabulous might sell for a song to the company that could just as easily, and legally, shut it down for good.
Scrabulous might sell for a song to the company that could just as easily, and legally, shut it down for good.   (scrabulous.com)
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Previous Coverage from Newser

Everyone loves Scrabulous!
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Except Hasbro
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More on the Scrabbing Crisis

Meanwhile, cheating websites are booming
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Facebook • Scrabble • Scrabulous • copyright infringement

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Facebook Y-A-N-K-S Scrabulous

Hasbro Sues Scrabulous, Warns Facebook

End of Scrabulous Finally Near?

Sellers, Fans at Odds Over Scrabulous

Hasbro Attacks Fabulous Scrabble Clone
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