The Glade 4.0

Let us address the issue of unlicensed merchandise, the stuff that is so obviously in violation of one or more copyrights, and yet is so appealing to the underground market. Today I give you an unlicensed rip-off of a boy wizard, a video game hero, a nationally recognized name, and a trucker rose decal.



Now, would you or your kid proudly wear this ridiculous backpack as a general protest? Or would your general sense of lawfulness prohibit your ownership of such merchandise and inspire you to report the vendors to the proper authorities?

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

fairly certain this would fall under the category of parody or satire in which case its totally legal.

No worse than the peeing or praying Calvins.

If they were roses, I'd be up in arms demanding change, but since they're tulips...meh.



fairly certain that US law doesn't matter to the purveyors of said backpack.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

I hate those fracking things. Bill Watterson has so much integrity he's fought tooth and nail to keep the characters from being merchandised, so as not to cheapen them.

I wish the purveyors of those decals would be permanently shut down, and slapped with several millions dollars of fines for copyright infringement, but I doubt that'll happen. I can hope, though.

On a side note, I've seen both of them, but I'd say the split is around 90/10, with the bulk of decals being the "peeing" Calvin.

Is there some symbolism in the fact that Peeing Calvin is peeing on Praying Calvin?

I've never actually seen the praying Calvin decal on a car.

OMG it's everywhere here. Especially if I go down to Colorado Springs where Focus on the Family is headquartered.

are you suggesting that cutting down on unlicensed merchandise is not a family value?

I'd rather say that educating people that unlicensed merchandise is theft of a person's property is a sin as well as a crime is a more moral stance. As individuals we cannot stop people from committing crimes or sinning, we can only let them know they are doing it and leave it to them to govern their own actions.

Reporting abuses of this kind are usually futile efforts unless you can locate the manufacturer and distributor. Even then you will usually run into a large wave of apathetic behavior from the authorities unless they get pressure from above. Best method is to alert the management of the intellectual property right owners and see if they care enough to take their own legal action.

As Vindi inferred above, US (and copyright/trademark) law is not a major concern to most manufacturers of unlicensed merchandise.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

ROFL~ that's so cute...!

I want one

Sometimes people just aren't aware or pay attention to the fact that the items were not merchandised.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

No, it's really not. Not at all. Copyright violations are not, never has been, and never will be, morally, legally, or in any way analogous to theft. As the USSC decided, the infringer treads upon rights exclusive to the copyright holder, but he does not deprive the holder of those rights or access to them, which is a requirement for "theft." It is against the law, but it is not "theft."



Best way to promote something as a good idea--slap a religious taboo on it.


Anyway, people who make unlicensed merchandise like this are actually violating one of the few elements of current copyright law I support -- only the copyright holder should be able to profit from (or at least, authorize who can profit from) copyrighted work. If someone makes this stuff themselves for their own use, or gives it away, without charging for it, then they are doing nothing wrong and my reaction is only governed by whether I found it entertaining.

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
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