Judges Guild and the Wilderlands

[Alzrius]

If JG goes under due to people not wanting to give money to its owner, supporting a company which has bought the IP from JG's owner has the same effect, surely? So I'm not sure what the ethical route would be for a customer who (a) wants JG material and (b) doesn't want to support its current owner.

Wouldn't buying used JG products from resale vendors be the answer?

 

[Morrus]

Wouldn't buying used JG products from resale vendors be the answer?

I was thinking about new material (should a new licensee or owner produce it) rather than old second-hand stuff.

 

[Alzrius]

I was thinking about new material (should a new licensee or owner produce it) rather than old second-hand stuff.

In my experience, even new material ends up being available from resellers very quickly. It might take a little digging, and a little bit of time, but for the most part it doesn't seem like it'd be that difficult to buy such products from a third-party vendor who won't pass any of those profits back to the any of the parties that produced the work(s) in question.

Worse comes to worst, there's always eBay!

 

[Umbran]

If JG goes under due to people not wanting to give money to its owner, supporting a company which has bought the IP from JG's owner has the same effect, surely?

If JG goes under, and it sells the IP (as opposed to licensing it), then JG has already gotten its money. Your money is now going to a different entity, and the question is whether you want to do business with this new company that has the IP, seeing as it gave money to JG.

How far do you make the chain go? Is the only way to ethically use content from an unethical source to wait for it to drop into the public domain?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

This was just posted on Kickstarter a few hours ago, in response to a backer who no longer wants their copy of the Cthulhu Alphabet, based on the perceived relationship with the Bledsaws:

Hi (redacted), noted on your request to refund your pledge. I would like to clarify our relationship with Judges Guild. As noted in our recent video, we disagree with and condemn the bigotry and racism posted by Bob Bledsaw Jr. and his son. Goodman Games is no longer selling products by Judges Guild. Our one remaining project will involve no money paid to Judges Guild, and instead a donation to the Anti Defamation League and GLAD. Trust me, based on your note I suspect your opinion on their extremist views is very similar to ours. If you think we are somehow supporting them, then our messaging may have gone awry. We are as disgusted as you are. Either way, happy to honor your request for a refund. We will get that processed soon.

 

[Morrus]

How far do you make the chain go? Is the only way to ethically use content from an unethical source to wait for it to drop into the public domain?

That's an accurate summation of my question.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Considering that H.P. Lovecraft would've totally agreed with Bledsaw II, I'm not sure what to make of that response on a Cthulhu Alphabet book. I guess everyone has their lines in the sand, their spot on the chain beyond which they do not go.

This was just posted on Kickstarter a few hours ago, in response to a backer who no longer wants their copy of the Cthulhu Alphabet, based on the perceived relationship with the Bledsaws:

 

[Umbran]

Considering that H.P. Lovecraft would've totally agreed with Bledsaw II, I'm not sure what to make of that response on a Cthulhu Alphabet book. I guess everyone has their lines in the sand, their spot on the chain beyond which they do not go.

I think in most folks mind, the fact that Lovecraft is dead and his IP is (arguably) in the Public Domain makes a big difference here. He, and his estate, get no support from use of the IP.

 

[Nagol]

I think in most folks mind, the fact that Lovecraft is dead and his IP is (arguably) in the Public Domain makes a big difference here. He, and his estate, get no support from use of the IP.

I believe you are in North America. (If not, humour me for a second) Do you eat food grown there? All the land is effectively stolen. All the food grown is thus tainted.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I think in most folks mind, the fact that Lovecraft is dead and his IP is (arguably) in the Public Domain makes a big difference here. He, and his estate, get no support from use of the IP.

I'd say in most folks mind, there isnt any sort of inner moral struggle required to make a Cthulhu purchase, they just like the fiction.