Sulake cracking down on VIP

[FlyingJesus]

FJ it doesn't really work like that, RuneScape is alowed to shut down sites as the idea is someone is making money as a result of using their images.

We aren't making profit as a result of their images though, it would be different if you got a free picture of a Habbo with your VIP but it's completely different and non-related.

Yes, Habbox is not for profit, but it makes revenues through VIP donations. Therefore, Habbo has the right to take us down, even if we really haven't done anything wrong. If we post a message about L_Ws mother, they can yank our right to use their images and content, so that's what they'll do if we run a competition.

Hence having the "competition" on another domain - VIP manager could easily own it and still not have it as an official part of the site, and there would seriously be no legal action they could bring against us. Also as you mentioned, we are non-profit, so we aren't actually making any business off their name.

[Yonder]

http://www.habbo.co.uk/groups/87930/id Join the group more information coming soon.

[brandon]

What no!! I'll be made redundant!!

Yes, Habbox has been ordered to remove its VIP services.

FJ it doesn't really work like that, RuneScape is alowed to shut down sites as the idea is someone is making money as a result of using their images. Yes, Habbox is not for profit, but it makes revenues through VIP donations. Therefore, Habbo has the right to take us down, even if we really haven't done anything wrong. If we post a message about L_Ws mother, they can yank our right to use their images and content, so that's what they'll do if we run a competition.

We were going to announce this seperately but I guess cat's out of the bag. VIP will be leaving end of November however we will continue to honor any VIP payments through their end, so if you really wanted you could buy VIP for two years and have it.

[GommeInc]

What no!! I'll be made redundant!!

Think about his children!

! I have a cunning idea... You pretend to be a dad, I'd be a son and nvrspk4 could be the mum. We shall give them a guilt trip when they see our muddy little faces!

[FlyingJesus]

Thinking of charity here we're gonna rock these fools haha

[jrh2002]

Yes, Habbox has been ordered to remove its VIP services.

FJ it doesn't really work like that, RuneScape is alowed to shut down sites as the idea is someone is making money as a result of using their images. Yes, Habbox is not for profit, but it makes revenues through VIP donations. Therefore, Habbo has the right to take us down, even if we really haven't done anything wrong. If we post a message about L_Ws mother, they can yank our right to use their images and content, so that's what they'll do if we run a competition.

We were going to announce this seperately but I guess cat's out of the bag. VIP will be leaving end of November however we will continue to honor any VIP payments through their end, so if you really wanted you could buy VIP for two years and have it.

Its a very sad day if you dont FIGHT this bullying bunch of scum bags.
I really thought Sierk would relish getting stuck into them over this. I have always found Sierk a very strong character who has always fought for whats right
Habbox has got a great fanbase now who would stop with them whatever get in touch with some other games to see if they would have a problem with VIP and promote their site? imagine all the lost revenue to habbo then and then change from being habbo related and then just minor habbo news etc.

@ NVR
Has any explanation been offered from habbo?


If you dont have any fight I might as well log back out and not come back.

[Ostinato]

Would it be possible to register as a charity?

People will not be paying for VIP features, but will simply be donating towards the charities main goal - to raise money for a specified charity. And if management choose to, these people may just by chance receive features others don't. They can't complain for that surely - as admins, mods etc. have different features from normal users so why not just make those who donate to charity coincidently get something extra.

That way, we could give the donations towards a charity, but in the UK the company is actually allowed to keep a percentage for the upkeep of the company.

The charity could even be interchangable, with users getting to vote each month which charity the donations go to?

Another quick thought of a loop hole... People who decide to 'donate' for the upkeep of the website happen to become 'Staff'.
We could invent a new role that includes all the features of vip, but maybe some element of optional 'work' that could be done and it could just be a coincidence that those who donate generally appear to be the main people with this 'job'. They can't criticise us for hiring staff with extra features than others to run the site.

[Supersam]

Its a very sad day if you dont FIGHT this bullying bunch of scum bags.
I really thought Sierk would relish getting stuck into them over this. I have always found Sierk a very strong character who has always fought for whats right
Habbox has got a great fanbase now who would stop with them whatever get in touch with some other games to see if they would have a problem with VIP and promote their site? imagine all the lost revenue to habbo then and then change from being habbo related and then just minor habbo news etc.

@ NVR
Has any explanation been offered from habbo?


If you dont have any fight I might as well log back out and not come back.

I agree. Why not fight it?

Its easy to see that Habbo are just taking... where's the give? There should be a comprimise and we should demand it.

[jrh2002]

Would it be possible to register as a charity?

People will not be paying for VIP features, but will simply be donating towards the charities main goal - to raise money for a specified charity. And if management choose to, these people may just by chance receive features others don't. They can't complain for that surely - as admins, mods etc. have different features from normal users so why not just make those who donate to charity coincidently get something extra.

That way, we could give the donations towards a charity, but in the UK the company is actually allowed to keep a percentage for the upkeep of the company.

The charity could even be interchangable, with users getting to vote each month which charity the donations go to?

Another quick thought of a loop hole... People who decide to 'donate' for the upkeep of the website happen to become 'Staff'.
We could invent a new role that includes all the features of vip, but maybe some element of optional 'work' that could be done and it could just be a coincidence that those who donate generally appear to be the main people with this 'job'. They can't criticise us for hiring staff with extra features than others to run the site.

Great idea

not many will know this but its eitherr 90 or 95% of charity donations can be used as expenses and only 10 or 5% needs to go to the cause
And with hx donating any profits at xmas they have a tack record of doing this before this stupid rule existed. would make a great story for the papers if sulake were trying to close a site down that donated any profits to a childrens charity like child line etc.

+ rep if i can.

[Mint]

Will there be different ways to get VIP or the same as VIP but obviously not called VIP a different way, nvr? If so, I will buy a few years of VIP now before it vanishes forever. I already have VIP until late 2010 lol.