How Universal treats you, its customers
POSTED BY: SebastianFelis
UPDATED: Friday, September 16, 2005 19:32
VIEWED: 24499
PAGE 5 of 11
I completely agree, Pizmobeach! The whole point of taping the Q/A session is to give us fans an extra feature on the DVD. If each audience member had to be paid SAG wages, then we wouldn't get special features like this. The memo was just a standard legal form to let the audience know they were going to be taped, and that's all. I personally would be delighted to be in a DVD feature of Serenity!
"I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care. Or indeed, why it should be necessary to prove it at all." -Kerr Avon
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Well, isn't this shiny!
Let me make sure I understand, responding particularly to the poster who is demanding royalties if any of the Q&A is used for the DVD.
You got to see the BDM movie early - I have not.
You got to see JW in person - I have not.
Universal put together a really cool event which you apparently enjoyed - good for YOU.
And now, Universal has the effrontery of thinking that they might want to share this very cool session with the rest of us, in an delayed DVD and no doubt for profit way.
And because they did not ask you nicely and in advance of your becoming a fan you want to stop this from happening.
You know, I realize we love our BDH's because of their independant nature and distrust of authority but this is the type of liberty for liberty's sake attitude that keeps one from enjoying the finer restaurants of the core planets and swimming in shiny pools.
Yes, I am all for pointing out to Universal how to handle things better.
But threatening them if they are planning for cool DVD extras is simply an example of how YOU are treating other fans who did not get the shiny chance you got.
See how I'm not hitting him, I think I've grown!
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I undertand the indignation, but it's not something Universal would be concerned enough about to have "a dozen" lawyers dealing with even if a lawsuit were viable. You'd have been better off voicing your displeasure at the Q & A.
"Yolanda?"
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Quote:
Originally posted by Hjermsted:
That kind of retro-active legal covering of one's ass has been going on for awhile here...
I apologize that our rampant lawyerism© has affected you negatively, or at all.
This whining about a piece of paper that warns you of the possibility of having your likeness or questions used by Universal and now threatening to sue them for it is EXACTLY why the US has the litigious society that it does, requiring folks like Universal to have a pro-active approach to things by making sure their backsides are covered JUST IN CASE someone else doesn't like something. It is truly ridiculous.
Unfortunately, legalize does not lend itself to polite phraseology. So what?! If you didn't like the little piece of paper, you had the option to leave. Why didn't you? By writing a nasty, albeit polite, letter to Universal you are simply encouraging the rampant layerism ;) we all hate so.
Sorry I'm being a bit harsh, but many of us here in the US are just fed up with this kind of stuff. As Hjermsted said, "wouldn't such a suit simply be feeding the legal beast more kibbles and bits again anyway?" You betcha.
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See, and here is thing that disturbs me. This letter could concieveably convince someone at Universal that perhaps these fans aren't worth pleasing any more. Kind of like how the one mean kid ruins the fun for everyone else.
Now, I'm not arguing about whether or not what the poster did was right or wrong. But is anyone else tempted to write to Universal pointing out that this guy's opinion does not reflect that of the average Browncoat?
Just my two cents.
EDIT: To clarify, I'm also talking about this, the Browncoat Rampage over the Comic debacle, and also the Poster Contest thing. If we're not careful, we might get a bad image.
"Just because I choose to wander, it doesn't mean that I am lost..."
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We don't want a bad image two weeks before the BDM comes out; nor do we want Universal rethinking their investment/marketing.
Sex and violence on the big screen, where it belongs.
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To put it another way, there's a difference between "Fighting the Man" and "Biting the hand that feeds you."
"Just because I choose to wander, it doesn't mean that I am lost..."
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Exactly what I wanted to say Retro.
Sex and violence on the big screen, where it belongs.
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Quote:
Unless Universal Pictures can provably obtain willing consent from all people whose likenesses would be used in any subsequent product, I request that any recordings of the event not be used for promotional, commercial or any other purpose.
Should my likeness be used in defiance of this communication, I will invoice Universal Pictures for royalties of one percent of gross revenue from sales of the infringing product. Use of my likeness will be taken as agreement to those terms. If this seems unreasonable, I invite you to re-read the release form.
You have got to be kidding me! Nothing says 'Thanks Universal for making our BDM' like a cease and desist letter.
Quote:
Unless Universal Pictures can provably obtain willing consent[...]
I only have a basic understanding of law (courtesy of an undergrad law class) but isn't your sheer presence and attendance at the event considered 'willing consent' (or at least implied consent)? Unless Universal barred you from leaving the Q&A you were free to leave. Also...
Quote:
However, _after_ we'd paid twice the normal ticket price, specifically for the added bonus of the Q&A, and handed over our tickets for admission, _some_ of us were given folded-up programmes for the show. Again, so far, so good. What wasn't so good was the letter tucked into the fold.
as others have already pointed out you were given the letter before the Q&A. You were responsible for reading it.
I'm not saying we should just accept everything Universal does 'cause they made the movie, but it doesn't look like you (or anyone else) were taken advantage of in this case.
It'll be a shame if the Q&A (and other events) aren't included on the DVD because of this. Not all of us were lucky enough to be able to attend an advanced screening (let alone one with Joss himself!)
If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do. -"Angel"
Browncoat? Canadian? Join us:
http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/canadianbrowncoats/
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Oh, and I forgot to mention - he wants ONE PERCENT of the gross of the DVD sales?!! So if the DVD sells 1 million copies at $20 apiece, he would be demanding $200,000 for his participation?
Frankly, I doubt that even the main cast members will get one percent of the DVD gross sales!!
"I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care. Or indeed, why it should be necessary to prove it at all." -Kerr Avon
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