Scrabulous, Facebook's version of the word game, Scrabble, is among the most popular of the social network's applications that users can install.

But the app was created by two Indian developers without licensing from Scrabble's manufacturers, toy-making giant Hasbro.

Reluctant to alienate more than 100K Scrabulous users, Hasbro has held off pressuring Facebook to remove Scrabulous--at least until it had its own version as an alternative to offer Facebook members, under development by Electronic Arts.

That time has come, and now EA's official version of Scrabulous is available in Facebook. But adoption has been slow and Scrabulous remains vastly more popular. So will Hasbro defend its brand and force Facebook to remove Scrabulous? Or will it play safe and avoid angering avid users of Scrabulous which, after all, has many more people playing the word game than might have otherwise?

This prediction is that Hasbro will indeed require Facebook to remove the Scrabulous application. The prediction will be judged favorably if the Scrabulous application is no longer available on of before Facebook by October 31, 2008. (This date was chosen because Hasbro should most likely make a move, if they choose to do so, before the holiday shopping season picks up, enabling it to promote the manufactured version of the game.)