Games Workshop: "No fanfilms."

[Feil]

GW has amended their IP policy to forbid "MOVIES

The video games that our licensing partners have created have done an incredible job of bringing the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 games to life, and we appreciate that hobbyists may even want to make movies based upon our intellectual property. Unfortunately, due to the nuances of the law in some territories, we cannot allow any unlicensed movies to be created which are based upon our intellectual property. "

This decision was precipitated by the development of the movie Damnatus. Information about the proceedings can be found at Lexicanum, which has an article up about the subject.

[General Zod]

I hope they have fun attempting to enforce that.

[Duckie]

Like slashdot says, I hope DAMNATUS hoists the Jolly Roger and accidentally torrents it. This is, in fact, the 21st century. Fan-created material is a bit hard to suppress.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

They'll be about as successful at restricting it as the rest of their maddening IP restrictions.

The trouble with Games Workshop, besides their complete and total fear of the Internet, is that they're running a multinational corporation as if it was still just a single tiny game shop in London.

[Azazal]

GW, fucking over its fance base like no one else since 1995

bastards

[Falkenhayn]

This shouldn't suprise anybody. GW runs on a bussiness model that says the best way to increase profits and market share is the raise prices, as if they were the Wal-Mart of the wargaming universe.

But somebody forgot to tell them about E-bay.

[Invictus ChiKen]

Is there any competition for Games Workshop at all?

I've heard of Warmachine and it looks like a blast. But trying to find where to buy the models is very difficult. Most I can find is parts for them most places.

[white_rabbit]

Is there any competition for Games Workshop at all?

I've heard of Warmachine and it looks like a blast. But trying to find where to buy the models is very difficult. Most I can find is parts for them most places.

There should be serious competition eventually, but the large store network of GW does give them a lot more exposure to younger demographic.

The older you get, the more you are willing and able to cast your eye over a wider range.

[Tanasinn]

The legion of fans who actually buy your stuff have also enacted a policy, GW: try and stop us.

Attempts at enforcing such arbitrary things on the internet almost never work.

[Molyneux]

Fair Use, GW. Suck it up and maybe try to NOT piss off the people who like giving you money.

[General Zod]

This shouldn't suprise anybody. GW runs on a bussiness model that says the best way to increase profits and market share is the raise prices, as if they were the Wal-Mart of the wargaming universe.

But somebody forgot to tell them about E-bay.

Doesn't seem like a very accurate comparison. Wal-Mart lowers prices to the point where other businesses can't keep up so they're forced to close down, then raises them up again when the competition's gone. This is more like monopolizing on a given market corner and then gouging the customer for all they're worth. Kinda like Microsoft.

[Falkenhayn]

This shouldn't suprise anybody. GW runs on a bussiness model that says the best way to increase profits and market share is the raise prices, as if they were the Wal-Mart of the wargaming universe.

But somebody forgot to tell them about E-bay.

Doesn't seem like a very accurate comparison. Wal-Mart lowers prices to the point where other businesses can't keep up so they're forced to close down, then raises them up again when the competition's gone. This is more like monopolizing on a given market corner and then gouging the customer for all they're worth. Kinda like Microsoft.

True enough. But the comparison isn't so much meant to evoke Wal-Mart's exact strategy as Wal-Mart's appreciation of its power in the marketplace. You are right, though, its a clumsy analogy and Microsoft would have been a better fit.

Moving on, my E-bay line wasn't just a joke; I don't think they fully recognize the amount of their product that they've sold, and how much of it is currently up for bid. People went to E-bay for cheaper prices, and continue to do so, while Rogue Trader stores wholesale their overstock on E-bay as well. It's a massive marketplace for GW's products, generally at lower prices than GW itself mandates. The company is practically competing with itself, and its response is to continually raise the price of merchandise.

It makes me wonder if they've had so much as HS level economics.

[Vendetta]

The trouble with Games Workshop, besides their complete and total fear of the Internet, is that they're running a multinational corporation as if it was still just a single tiny game shop in London.

Actually, they're running the place much the same way they ran Boots. (Much of GW's management is comprised of ex Boots managers, one got in and hired all his mates).

It's a product shop, not a games company.

Is there any competition for Games Workshop at all?

There's some. Corvus Belli, Rackham, Warmachine, Anima Tactics, and a host of other model and game companies.

[Stormbringer]

Is there any competition for Games Workshop at all?

Few that are quite as big right now, twenty years jump will do that. But there are plenty of companies in the miniature wargaming market. As you've noticed, Privateer Press is a good one that's capture a good chunk of the market for a start up.

I've heard of Warmachine and it looks like a blast. But trying to find where to buy the models is very difficult. Most I can find is parts for them most places.

Warmachine is only a few years old, naturally coverage is going to be a bit patchy.

But if you're looking, I've done most of my online shopping at CortexSmuggler.com and theWarStore.com and they both carry Warmachine. I personally prefer Cortex Smuggler for the discounts but both sites are well worth checking into.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Who says no to free advertising? What the hell is wrong with GW.

And yes, I know the German copyright laws are trickier than ours are, but it's not like the company would suddenly die if they let people celebrate their enjoyment of the 40k-verse via costumes and cameras. That's just silly.

[Duckie]

According to replies on slashdot (which obviously means we need a good utah worth of salt to be taken here) the only part of German Copyright Law that was a sticker for GW was Urh-something or other, which states that basically "I made this, so I retain rights to things which (besides those not mine under someone else's rights being used by fair use) I create". GW apparantly wanted them to sign everything, including the "I made this" sign, to them.

Could any German users (Dahak, perhaps?) shed some light on your copyright laws and see if that's at least plausible?

[chitoryu12]

Unfortunately, due to the nuances of the law in some territories, we cannot allow any unlicensed movies to be created which are based upon our intellectual property.

Exactly which places on Earth consider fan films a violation of the law?

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Yeah, it seemed pretty lame to me. The interpretation I heard was that GW would have to have the maker's permission in order to sell or print (or reprint) the fan film, even though he had signed away all rights to the movie. But then, I'm not sure if that's accurate.

In either case, the film would do GW a whole lot more good on youtube where it can drum up enthusiasm for 40k.

[GuppyShark]

Or, if it sucked, hurt the brand.

[chitoryu12]

Or, if it sucked, hurt the brand.

Wouldn't matter, considering that fans of the brand would promptly decry the film for being bad or not a proper representation of the source.

[Stormbringer]

Who says no to free advertising? What the hell is wrong with GW.

Corporate insanity.

But more specifically, over the years they've had people create works and then take them with them when they left. Now with the bean-counters in care they're down right paranoid about it. I mean they'll send legal threats to sites like TheWarstore or eBay stores for using GW merchandise pictures to sell GW products. It's a certain absurd paranoia about intellectual property rights which has developed over a good while.

[PeZook]

Wow. I thought marketing was well understood in England, what with them starting the Industrial Revolution and trading goods with the entire world up to this day.

I guess not.

Nobody seems to have told them that they could've shoved a very small (relatively) amount of money into this fan-movie project, help promote it a bit, organize some events around it and get their money back tenfold in increased sales.

But what do I know, right?

[M]

According to replies on slashdot (which obviously means we need a good utah worth of salt to be taken here) the only part of German Copyright Law that was a sticker for GW was Urh-something or other, which states that basically "I made this, so I retain rights to things which (besides those not mine under someone else's rights being used by fair use) I create". GW apparantly wanted them to sign everything, including the "I made this" sign, to them.

There is no direct analogue to US Copyright in German Law. German Law distinguishes between "Urheberrecht" ("Creator's Rights") and "Verwertungsrecht" (usage rights). Holder of the Creator's Rights is always the actual creator, in this case the makers of "Damnatus". As part of his Creator's Rights, the Creator can sign away exclusive usage rights, and these are what are of practical interest to GW: the right to publish the movie in any venue, to sell it on DVD etc.

However, the creator cannot sign away his Creator's Rights in their entirety as apparently US Copyright Laws allows (more to the point, he can do it but it would be legally void). For instance, the creator will always have the (theoretical) option of exercising § 42 UrhG, which allows a creator to demand a recall of artwork he feels no longer "corresponds to his convictions." In practice, this paragraph will rarely (read: never) be invoked because it also requires the creator to recompense the usage rights holder, and the typical artist, especially some low budget filmmaker, simply doesn't have that kind of money.

GW is just looking for an excuse to ban fan films. German "Copyright" laws are more complicated than their American counterpart, but they nevertheless allow for the same kind of legal security GW would have with an American fan film; otherwise, the entire German movie industry would have a huge problem. And even if it wouldn't, that would be no reason to ban all fan films, including those made in the US under US Copyright Law.

[Solauren]

Amazing, simply amazing.

Most places actually incourage fan films and such. It's a way to pay back support of a brand.

Hell, some companies have fan-film contests.
For example, going with minatures, Wizards of the Coast has held several miniture film contensts. I wouldn't be surprised if Iron Wind Metals were to start doing that once they get there footing back to there former Ral Partha glory days.

However, Games Workshop? The overpriced metal barons? "Don't make fan films! We'll sue! WAAAH"

Yeah, real effective.

Excuse me while I walk by the local Warhammer shop, point and laugh now

[General Zod]

According to replies on slashdot (which obviously means we need a good utah worth of salt to be taken here) the only part of German Copyright Law that was a sticker for GW was Urh-something or other, which states that basically "I made this, so I retain rights to things which (besides those not mine under someone else's rights being used by fair use) I create". GW apparantly wanted them to sign everything, including the "I made this" sign, to them.

There is no direct analogue to US Copyright in German Law. German Law distinguishes between "Urheberrecht" ("Creator's Rights") and "Verwertungsrecht" (usage rights). Holder of the Creator's Rights is always the actual creator, in this case the makers of "Damnatus". As part of his Creator's Rights, the Creator can sign away exclusive usage rights, and these are what are of practical interest to GW: the right to publish the movie in any venue, to sell it on DVD etc.

However, the creator cannot sign away his Creator's Rights in their entirety as apparently US Copyright Laws allows (more to the point, he can do it but it would be legally void). For instance, the creator will always have the (theoretical) option of exercising § 42 UrhG, which allows a creator to demand a recall of artwork he feels no longer "corresponds to his convictions." In practice, this paragraph will rarely (read: never) be invoked because it also requires the creator to recompense the usage rights holder, and the typical artist, especially some low budget filmmaker, simply doesn't have that kind of money.

GW is just looking for an excuse to ban fan films. German "Copyright" laws are more complicated than their American counterpart, but they nevertheless allow for the same kind of legal security GW would have with an American fan film; otherwise, the entire German movie industry would have a huge problem. And even if it wouldn't, that would be no reason to ban all fan films, including those made in the US under US Copyright Law.

They'd be very hard pressed to enforce their laws outside of Germany anyways. Especially if the servers the films are hosted on are not within German borders.