WotC may have sent the Pinkertons to a magic leakers home. Update: WotC confirms it and has a response.

[CommodoreKong]

Actually, I covered this earlier and this isn't correct. The FTC is explaining what to do because of the increase in scams. This is nothing more than an extrapolation of the general principle regarding gifts.

This DOES NOT APPLY to other situations. For example, if you get shipped something with the wrong name. Or if you ordered a Taco Bell sauce and were given a flat-screen TV by mistake. Or any other number of situation when the person sending the item did not mean to provide you something for free.

Moreover, this does not protect you from any other laws regarding the merchandise.

PLEASE, IF YOU ONLY TAKE ONE THING FROM ALL OF THIS, IT'S THIS- DO NOT, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE OR RELY ON THINGS FROM THE INTERNET YOU DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND.

This is a weird concept for many, but the law usually (if not always) follows general equitable principles. The idea that someone would send you something unsolicited (a gift) and demand payment for it ... seems wrong because it is wrong. The idea that you knowingly profit from the mistakes of others? Also seems wrong because it is wrong.

I could certainly be wrong and it may only apply to unsolicited things sent to you but do you have a source on that?
And even if that is the case I don't see Wizards being the ones who should be sending people to this guy's house to attempt to get the cards back. I'm sure physical copies of Legend of Zelda Tears of The Kingdom will be making it's way into peoples hands in the next week or two, before it's release date and Nintendo wont be sending Pinkertons to the houses of people who get early copies of the game to steal their copies.

Is there something in copyright law that lets you share others artwork online by default? (Can I open a new book and show all the pages one at a time?).

One thing I would say about this is Wizards clearly doesn't care about this when someone is opening boxes of Magic cards on Youtube post release. They only care because it's disrupting their marketing cycle. Sorry to the marketing people at WotC, sometimes things are going to happen outside their control and I don't believe the correct way to deal with it isn't to send Pinkertons to this guy's place. Roll with the punches and start the official marketing cycle.

 

[Dausuul]

Still taking, allegedly.

The headline, as is so often the case, is not backed up by the article.

"The documents say Pinkerton operatives were inserted into an Amazon warehouse in Wroclaw, Poland, to investigate an allegation that warehouse workers were circumventing sort of the application process for applying to warehouse jobs."

This is the same claim as in Wikipedia. The linked article covers a) Amazon hiring Pinkerton to investigate whether people are bypassing the application process, and b) Amazon itself surveilling its workers on social media. Nothing indicates the Pinkertons are involved in b), and frankly I can't imagine why they would be. Amazon certainly doesn't need anybody's help to scrape a social media feed.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Your own wording here: the police. Actual law enforcement backed by government. The Pinkertons are not that. Very different scenario in your hypothetical.

Would you have been less bothered if WoTC had the police show up to this guy's house to get the cards?

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

The Pinkertons went door to door harassing his neighbors, some elderly, and telling them they had an “appointment” with the YouTuber. And grilled them for information.

According to the YouTuber words, fyi.

2:18 mark, "This is no ones business but mine and Wizards of The Coat," and everyone else watching this video. Lol.

 

[Umbran]

If this was legally purchased by the Youtuber from a distributor who legally purchased the product from WotC and the distributor sent him the wrong product ...

Does anyone have any confirmation that the product was "sent"? Because this whole line of argument dies if he went to the retailer and was physically present receiving the product.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

I was unable to find many stories about the Pinkertons from researching via Google. There may be better places to search.

I did find this story:

Pinkerton Security Guards Coming Back to Denver

Did you read the entire article you linked? It gives some basic information, though lacking in important details, about the incident. I would suggest you look up the actual incident they are referring to. It's a complicated incident, which I'd rather not start a discussion about here, but do suggest you, or anyone interested in gaining clarity on what actually happened. It's not so simple as, "Pinkerton thug shoots innocent bystander." Actually, it's a bit of a stretch to even call him a Pinkerton employee. He was hired by a Pinkerton subcontractor, so it's like technically Pinkerton because Pinkerton is paying the bill, but not really hired by Pinkerton.

 

[CommodoreKong]

Does anyone have any confirmation that the product was "sent"? Because this whole line of argument dies if he went to the retailer and was physically present receiving the product.

Even if it was purchased in person from a retailer it's not the Youtuber's responsibility to police the retailer breaking street date and they can spoil the set if they aren't under NDA from WotC. That sort of thing happens a lot, for example the upcoming Star Wars videogame has already been spoiled from people who bought copies early. It's just something that happens when you send out street dated product to retailers. Some retailers will break that date, either accidentally or intentionally.

WotC is fully within their rights to pursue the retailer who broke their agreement to not sell before the street date based on the terms of the contract. There's likely very clear terms saying what happens if that retailerbreaks the street date. I still can't see where they have the right to take back purchased products from someone.

 

[darjr]

Even if it was purchased in person from a retailer it's not the Youtuber's responsibility to police the retailer breaking street date and they can spoil the set if they aren't under NDA from WotC. That sort of thing happens a lot, for example the upcoming Star Wars videogame has already been spoiled from people who bought copies early. It's just something that happens when you send out street dated product to retailers. Some retailers will break that date, either accidentally or intentionally.

WotC is fully within their rights to pursue the retailer who broke their agreement to not sell before the street date based on the terms of the contract. There's likely very clear terms saying what happens if that retailerbreaks the street date. I still can't see where they have the right to take back purchased products from someone.

Or have some private "security" firm force entry to someones home.

 

[ReshiIRE]

Did you read the entire article you linked? It gives some basic information, though lacking in important details, about the incident. I would suggest you look up the actual incident they are referring to. It's a complicated incident, which I'd rather not start a discussion about here, but do suggest you, or anyone interested in gaining clarity on what actually happened. It's not so simple as, "Pinkerton thug shoots innocent bystander." Actually, it's a bit of a stretch to even call him a Pinkerton employee. He was hired by a Pinkerton subcontractor, so it's like technically Pinkerton because Pinkerton is paying the bill, but not really hired by Pinkerton.

I did read the story. The entirity of it, and other places within the story.

You will note I didn't comment on either stories I linked or the Pinkertons' actions. So I'm not sure why you're implying I did and made a factional error. I stated, quite closely, that these were the only major stories I could find involving the Pinkertons from a Google search.

But now I will comment on said story.

He may have been a subcontractor, but he wasn't licensed to do the job he did. That is pretty appauling when said job involves security and potential lethal force.

The man who was shot and killed was not 'innocent' due to his aggressive actions and use of a spray, but outside looking in, shooting and killing him was an escalation that is extremely disproportionate. Why were things not de-escalated - why was the immediate response from this subcontractor - who is STILL HIRED BY THE PINKERTONS, AND SO THEREFORE THE PINKERTONS DO CARRY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTIONS OF THE PEOPLE THEY HIRE IN THIS CONTEXT - to kill him? I can see why the contractor in question was charged with murder, though the charges were dropped, and Pinkerton is now - after a few years - allowed to operate in the area again.

These actions are pretty murky, whether legal or not, morally. From an Irish perspective, this would be very explosive and damning.

Honestly - if you wanted people to have clarity, why didn't you write out the facts of the case yourself, and demanded I did?

 

[Cadence]

Assuming they happened, checking in with all the neighbors feels gross to me. Putting a foot in the door to keep it open feels gross, and makes me wonder about legality (about both doing it and interaction with castle doctrine laws in some places)

Now I really do wish he had a doorbell camera system or the like.