Lone Wolf sends Cease & Desist letters to anyone using the term 'Army Builder'

[Remus Lupin]

All corporation exists primarally to make money; the love of money is the root of all evil; Therefore, all corporations are inherently evil.

I'm saying it needn't be so. All corporations don't exist primarily to make money. Many incorporated entities are not-for-profit. Incorporation gives certain legal protections and produces certain obligations, but it doesn't require, as it's raison d'etre, that one put profit-making above the making of a good product. It requires both, and I'm arguing that making a good product is the morally primary obligation.

 

[Remus Lupin]

The world you two live in sounds really nice! I'd love to visit!

I've got good news for you then, you already live there. A pity so much Milton Friedman inspired cynicism exists here though (and I don't think Friedman, when being reflective, would really disagree with this).

Look, let me make this clear -- I'm not saying that a business doesn't need to turn a profit to be successful. I'm saying that, by changing the equation from "A business must make good products in order to make a profit, which is its goal," you say "a business must make a profit in order to make good products, which is its goal," you turn the attention to the quality of the product, its usefulness, and it's benefits, rather than to the profit, which can exist, as many products and companies have demonstrated, in the production of inferior, destructive, and objectionable products.

 

[Kafen]

There is always a choice on how aggressive one pursues such an endevor. For instance, I have done several D&D based peices of artwork which is technically a derrivitive work. Hasbro can send me a C&D to stop posting the artwork. They arn't going to because a. it is not worth the time and expense and b. fan works are generally considered free advertising.

However aggressive, the only real rule is that owners should not contact a forum admin directly. If you have a legal issue that needs resolving, the only safe way to do it generally revolves around letting your lawyer speak for you.

 

[Glade Riven]

Oh, I agree that everything pertaining to legalities such as this should be done through a lawyer, or at least ran past a lawyer before sending something that could make a company look stupid.

However, if I found out that someone, say, started posting my artwork on Enworld claiming that it was theirs, I would first contact the forum administration with an extremely polite letter voicing my concerns, either through a private message or through email. Most forums have rules against that sort of intellectual property theft, and I am capable of proving ownership by displaying a segment of the artwork at a much higher resolution. The incident would be resolved quickly, efficiantly, with nobody's feelings hurt except the violator's, as he/she ends up looking stupid.

A bit of professional politeness goes a long way, and can resolve issues outside of court.

 

[Morrus]

See, I'd say they exist to make good, useful, and beneficial products. "Making money" is the means to this end. It's necessary, but it's not why they exist.

Some do, sure - but I'd argue that they're the exception rather than the rule. In general, they're about the profits; and the products are the means to that end. Certainly there are non-profit organisations with different goals.

 

[Remus Lupin]

Agreed, but I'd suggest even for-profit companies would benefit from this way of looking at things. But, this is far afield from where we began, so I'll let the matter drop.

 

[pawsplay]

The world you two live in sounds really nice! I'd love to visit!

Yeah, reality is pretty awesome. I'm not sure what kind of fantasy world some people live in where a company can make lots of money without using up resources or extracting it from other, productive businesses.

 

[Xyxox]

I disagree. I'm not saying a busness doesn't need to make a profit. It does. It just doesn't need to say that the profit is the primary function of the business, above making a good product. I'd venture to say that a lot of gamers who go into the gaming business do it first and foremost because they want to share a cool product with the world. To do so. they need to make a profit, or they won't stay in business. But the point of going into business is to make and distribute the cool product.

The business of business is to turn a profit. Everything else comes after that single goal. Failure to be mindful of that fact results in the failure of the business.

 

[pawsplay]

The business of business is to turn a profit. Everything else comes after that single goal. Failure to be mindful of that fact results in the failure of the business.

The pursuit of profit, and only profit, by any means, is short-sighted corporate psychopathy.

 

[Xyxox]

The pursuit of profit, and only profit, by any means, is short-sighted corporate psychopathy.

Since this discussion is off topic, I will refrain from further responses.