They took it away, let's get it back!

POSTED BY: Whimsicalnbrainpan
UPDATED: Saturday, October 28, 2006 04:08
VIEWED: 4841
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WHIMSICALNBRAINPAN

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 5:22 AM

Ok so Universal is behaving a bit F*X-like right now. I can not express my sadness strongly enough to the Browncoats who have had their sites shut down and are being harassed by the lawyers. So let's do what we Browncoats do naturally, rebel.

I propose that we start another writing campaign stating that since they took our shiny shirts and such away would they please start producing them because we love them so much. Show them that we as a community want our t-shirts and if they won't let others make them they should do it.

Below is a link to the Universal Studios contact page go to the Universal Studios Store link in the Shopping/merchandise section, the General and Miscellaneous link in the Corporate section and both the Character and Internet links in the Licensing section.

Also, I think we need to see what Haken needs to keep the site from crashing. I don't like it when my home goes missing.

http://www.universalstudios.com/homepage/html/contact_us/contact_links
.html

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." http://whimsicalnbrainpan.blogspot.c

PHOENIXROSE

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 5:33 AM

A franchise is nothing without the fans, and WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY!
Everything they're pulling, they'd better do something radical to make it up to us.
My heart goes out to 11th hour, the folk at Blackmarketbeagles, cafe press, Blue Sun Shirts, any and all stores and merch I'm missing, I think you're all getting a very raw deal. Maybe we should include something in our campaign to see if they'll lighten up a little on their demands of their greatest supporters? The people who have poured their heart and soul into marketing should not be treated as criminals, but as assets. Hell, I think if Universal was smart, they'd just hire each and every one of you.
I hope that all made sense... Little addlepated, not sure I'm going logically from subject to subject.

We will not go quietly into the night
We will not give in without a Big Damn Fight
We are Browncoats, and we know we are right
We will rage, rage against the dying of our engine light!

MCQ

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 5:51 AM

Damn right! I'm with ya on this one!! Stop the insanity (well, not all of it)!!

NICODEMUS

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 5:52 AM

Sign me up!

**************

(Thx to Desktop Hippie for the banner)
If you find yourself getting too worked up about stuff that isn't real (RP Threads etc), then go outside, breathe in some fresh air and try feeding the ducks. (Because ducks don't care about your politics, religion, skin colour, choice of music or even your haircut. They like everyone, provided you bring them food.)

JAYNESFUTUREEXWIFE

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 5:53 AM

I'm so in PR. And tomorrow, after I've had some sleep and time to think, I'll post a generic letter that can be copy/pasted to the link for those that are at a loss for words. It can also be a guideline for those that would want to add their own special touch. And everyone, feel free to email them whatever you want! I say we fill their mailboxes, any and all of the links on the site, and let them know just what we Browncoats are made of!

You'd think they would have learned from F*x's mistake... time to repeat the past!

Let's All Aim To Misbehave!

Shiny... Let's Be Bad Guys.

PHOENIXROSE

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 6:21 AM

I think we should have a few different 'forms' so they're not all identical. So I'll post one, too, 'K?

Dear Universal,
It has not escaped the attention of the Browncoats that your legal branch has been cracking down on our fan-made Serenity merchandise. The fan base appreciates that you are trying to protect your license and property, but we want you to understand that you are hurting us, and therefore yourselves, by making certain demands on the small outfitters who only tried to fill the void in their hearts and the hearts of fellow fans. No small number of Serenity and Firefly fans are angered by how the situation is being handled, feeling that you are turning against the most loyal support you have. Also, cutting off the flow of T-shirts, bags, pins, and similar items makes us very, very sad, and we hope that properly licensed, official, and easy to obtain products will be forthcoming to take their place in the very near future.
As evidenced by bigdamnthankyou.com, Universal made the Browncoats eternaly grateful when you gave us Serenity. I beg you to use that gratitude to your advantage by treating us as the fiercely loyal fanbase we are, ready to buy anything we can that will advertise or profit our beloved movie and series. Do not turn our gratitude bitter by ignoring us, and treating some of our most loyal members as criminals, because it only hurts your business to do so.
With hope and everlasting gratitude,
(your name here)

We will not go quietly into the night
We will not give in without a Big Damn Fight
We are Browncoats, and we know we are right
We will rage, rage against the dying of our engine light!

WHIMSICALNBRAINPAN

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 6:23 AM

Here is another shorter option, can't have too many.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to let you know about my dismay at your shutting down the 11th Hour and other sites. I completely understand your move to protect your copyrighted material but as a fan those were the only places to get Serenity merchandise that I so desperately wanted. So I have a request to make of you. If you are going to take away the sites that sell Serenity items would you please produce some? I would be very grateful as would other fans I'm sure.

Most Sincerely,
(your name)

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." http://whimsicalnbrainpan.blogspot.com/

JADEHAND

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 6:59 AM

just adding my thoughts from the other thread.... 6ixstringjack asked what I proposed... feel free to modify my drunken ramblings.

As I said, I'm no genius, and I'm overly emotional when it comes to bullies picking on good people. 11th hour is a brilliant artist, and I was as honored to have her autograph on the Serenity RPG, (for which she created the art) as I was our own BDHs. I just think that if Universal gets a few thousand letters saying something along the lines of: "We browncoats love Firefly and Serenity. We promoted it out of love, to bring the word to those who needed it told. You profited from that, and now it seems you want to turn on us. You turn on one of our crew, you turn on us all. If this position you are taking is due to interest in continuing our beloved story. Tell us now. We'll stand behind you and find a way through this so as no one gets hurt. If you've no plans to continue our story and this is all about the money.... You'll never see another penny from any of us, or our friends, or theirs. If this is about some moron that bought the merchandising rights.... they're done. None of us will ever buy a gorramn thing from them. Drop this crap, or watch us rise."

Let's be exceptionally! conservative. Let's say there's merely 200,000 of us, and we all tell our four closest friends that aren't browncoats, and each of them tells 3 others, and they tell 2, and they tell 1 more .... 24 million people never, ever, paying to see another film from Universal.... might hurt.

'course... I'm insane.

"But you sleep like a ghost with me
It's as simple as that
So tell me I'm mad
Roll me up and breathe me in
Come to my madness
My opium den
Come to my madness
Make sense of it again."
Goodbye to all that. III-The Opium Den (Brave)-Marillion
visit WWW.Marillion.com for a better way of life.

BABYWITHTHEPOWER

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 7:41 AM

Here's the letter I sent to Universal, I doubt they'll even read it:

Quote:
It has been brought to my attention that recently Universal Studios Licensing, LLLP (“Universal”) has taken legal action against 11th Hour Art for using copyrighted images from "Serenity" on merchandise they were selling. I understand, if not fully agree with, your claims against them for violation of copyright laws, but in the formal email they received from your representatives it was stated that by selling these shirts 11th Hour could give rise to "unfair competition", among other claims.

My question to you is where's the competition? Universal nor FOX offer us any alternatives. If you considered the intellectual property and copyrights for this material as "valuable" as you representation claims, than you would be doing something with it rather than sitting on it and doing nothing with it.

"Firefly" and "Serenity" have a very strong, very devoted following, something Universal and FOX should take great pride in. All of the independent shops that have sprung up on the internet selling themed items from the show and movie are doing so to fill a gap in the market, a gap that Universal has done nothing to fill. The fans of "Serenity" will buy the merchandise, and would gladly pay you if you would release some, but you don't, am I'm at a loss as to why.

I do not expect that you will respond to, let alone read, this message, and if by chance you do I expect the standard carbon copy dismissal that's become standard corporate fair. But if you did read this, I hope you take it to heart, or at least to your marketing department.

You can't take the sky from all of us.

Michael

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll be in my bunk.
http://www.myspace.com/babywiththepower
http://members17.clubphoto.com/michael809717/guest-1.phtml

MAGDALENA

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 9:02 AM

We are the browncoats... we recruit and we rebell when rebellion is required!

Count me in Whim!!

Oh - and PR... is that Dylan Thomas or the Presidents' speech from 'Independence Day'?

Magda rises to the challenge... to meet the... challenge... in a way that those who find themselves... er... challenged must respond!!

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