On Facebook, Scrabulous is Wordscraper

NEW YORK - A popular Scrabble knockoff is back on Facebook, with changes that could help it skirt legal trouble.

The return came less than two days after the creators of Scrabulous blocked their version of the word game from U.S. and Canadian users of Facebook, the online hangout. The Indian brothers behind Scrabulous had pulled it Tuesday after being sued in federal court by Hasbro Inc., the owner of Scrabble's North American rights.

Now, the game has reappeared with the name Wordscraper. The change could help it avoid any brand confusion with Scrabble, a key point in trademark disputes.

The game itself has also changed. Instead of Scrabble-like square tiles, for instance, Wordscraper has circles. The tiles earning double and triple points have been rearranged, and tiles for quadruple points have been added. *