I will not wear Firefly as if it were a Nike symbol on my chest.

POSTED BY: 6ixStringJack
UPDATED: Wednesday, November 1, 2006 22:15
VIEWED: 12867
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6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 7:14 AM

I for one, will never purchase anything from Universal again. I am not telling anyone else to do this, but this issue is much deeper with me than Firefly.

I agree there needed to be some sort of copyright protection established in our history and that copyrights themselves are inherently good. They were originally created with the intent to protect the inventor/creator for a limited period to have exclusive rights to the sales and royalties of a product before it became public domain. This was a good thing. Not only did it foster imagination and creativity and innovation and gave financial incentive to those of us with the will, desire and vision to create something new, but when the copyrights ran their course these works were given to the public to improve upon. It spawned new ideas and creativity from different sources who could expand upon it and make it better than before. If we didn't have a system of protection like this in place, we would never have invented anything. What would be the point if you couldn't pad your bank account a little bit with the earnings from your time and effort?

Copyrights done any other way, particularly at the hands of large studios or government entities with unlimited funds and legal resources will eventually lead to the end of creativity among the poor and middle class and we will find ourselves singing hot-dog jingles all day long like they did on Demolition Man.

This is why I am against what copyright laws have become today.

Forget the legalspeak we've had drilled into our heads for years. Forget the rhetoric about "The artist getting screwed". What we have witnessed with copyright suits and c&d letters in the last few months is fundamentally wrong on the most basic and human of levels. You know it, and I know it. That somebody or some entity could be allowed legally to destroy something so beautiful as what the Firefly fans have made of the 'verse is a travesty. This is all of ours. This is our community. This is our 'verse! This is more than just some copyrights or Joss's creation. I'm sure he's proud of the world he's made and he loves seeing how his fans have expanded the universe he created. But his silence in these events does nothing but prove that either he is in agreement with Universal or Fox, or that even he is owned and not allowed to intervine. I will not take part in anything more Firefly if it will have corporate labels and trademarks blatently attached. That is not what Firefly is about.

Universal came in and pretended to be a savior when it was a Judas all along. I will not be a walking advertisement for them.

People. It's time for a change. If you can't see that this is wrong in every way then you are not a Browncoat....

Or maybe it is I who is not a Browncoat. Maybe I was mistaken at what a Browncoat truly was in the first place and I don't belong here. I'm sick to my stomach about this and I can't talk about it anymore right now. Ball's in your court Browncoats.

"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack

6IXSTRINGJACK

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 10:23 AM

44 reads and no comments. That's what I figured. To those of you that I've met in here and speak to elsewhere, we'll be keeping in touch. For everyone else, this just ain't what I thought it was and I'm takin off. I hope they don't completely destroy the show for you like they've already done for me.

"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack

DHOFFRYNN

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 10:28 AM

dude......lighten up.
it's a tv show

CHRISMOORHEAD

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 11:19 AM

C'mon man, you just posted this thing fairly recently. Wait for some replies before you go and do something rash.

Personally I've been tempted to leave this site several times due to the narrow mindedness of people here. I don't have a problem with anyone disagreeing with me, but you wouldn't beleive how quickly some of these people resort to name calling and accusations.

But to the point of your topic; I very much agree with you. Coperate America is a large, evil monster, and I go through extreme lengths to sever myself from it. Some people call me an extremist, but in my opinion, if you don't know how to procure food, shelter, clothing, water and protection for yourself, then you are dependent on government and corperations, and that in turn makes you a helpless leech. It is our dependence on them for the neccesities that gives them the power to lord everything else over us, including artistic property.

I haven't been keeping up to date with this whole Universal getting down on people for copyright infringement, but I've seen it happen with other things. I never understood how any organization could be so cruel to the fans that made it what it is, from Pro-Wrestling to Metallica to StarWars.

I boycotted FOX a long time ago for doing stupid shit. I'm still boycotting them today. And I think I'm gonna add Universal to that list as well.

All revolution has to start somewhere.

[IMG]
"Pain is your friend, it is your ally. It will keep you awake, and angry, and remind you to finish the mission and get the hell home. But you know the best thing about pain? It let's you know that you're not dead yet."

BROWNCOAT1

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 11:38 AM

6ixStringJack,

I must say that was one passionate rant, but you neglected to mention what it is that Universal has supposedly done. You mentioned copyright law and their coming down on fans & fan made material, but I don't see any specifics. Care to elaborate?

I don't care for big corporations or what they are doing to the economic landscape today. Small businesses are being plowed under by the likes of Wal Mart and the communities of the world are poorer for their loss. People want bargains and lower prices, and with the economy being in the poor shape it is in the US means that most middle & lower class families need those bargains just to stay afloat. I HATE Wal Mart and their ilk for what they are doing to communities and small mom & pop businesses. I do my best not to shop there and to give my patronage to the small businesses that so desperately need it. Ranting against them I am okay with.

Why Universal? What have they done to the browncoat community or browncoat run businesses? To my knowledge Universal has been nothing but supportive of us and the property. Joss and the cast praise them for the chance to make the movie and their hands off handling of the movie. If not for Universal we would not have gotten the BDM and the merchandise that followed. So what is it they have done that has set you off?

I'll give you a little piece of advise my friend, you want people to follow you or understand your position you need to make clear, rational points. Passion is great, as are ideals, but rants with no clear indication of what it is you are raging against are just plain confusing. Hence the many reads and few comments.

Care to give it another go?

__________________________________________
Holding the line since December '02!

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondbrowncoats/

http://www.richmondbrowncoats.org

MRBEN

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 11:44 AM

While I agree with most of your comments about copyright, and have very strong feelings about things like DRM, there are a couple of things I would disagree on:

1. We just gave a Big Damn Thankyou to Universal, and for good reason. They gave us something to hope for.

2. The dust hasn't yet settled on what's been happening - I don't want to make any rash decisions until after it does.

3. I, for one, don't have huge amounts of money to spend on merchandise, and am quite happy to spend what little I have on licensed merchandise, because I know that some of the money goes back to Universal, and that makes a difference, IMHO. This is not to say that some of the non-licensed stuff isn't brilliant. But it's a different type of purchase in my eyes.

4. As I've mentioned in other threads, the silver lining to this dark cloud is that Universal obviously still consider this a viable property. The possibility of a sequel is still there.

mrben

"Carpe Aptenodytes"
http://www.jedimoose.org

SHINYHAPPYKLIN

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 12:51 PM

Dude, don't leave. You say the truth. It's just that we're all a bit in shock right now, and would like to try to regroup and plan before we lash out like the wounded beast we are.

We ARE horribly upset by this change in attitude, although it is not totally unexpected, as this happens to most fandoms at some point. I guess we just hoped that with Joss's more or less formal support of fan products, and the "corporate booty call" we all participated in with the promotion of Serenity, that we'd get a little lighter touch from the legal dept., and they'd leave all but the most blatant thieves alone.

Most of the commentary has been going on on other lists, so by the time people get here, well, they're pretty emotionally drained.

I did have on a corporate shirt yesterday (under my fanmade sweatshirt), but that was before I knew what was happening (I've been offline a lot lately). I will also not wear anything but fanmade for now. It really won't make a difference, but it is a silent protest.

I'm a fan vendor myself, so I have been hyperventillating since yesterday. So far, they've skirted me, but doesn't mean they won't deal with me eventally. They nailed Blue Sun last month, and now 11th Hour. They seem to (other than the Cafepress mess) be doing it slow and steady, putting the fear of proscecution into us all. I just don't understand why now, and why target 11th Hour. There's no call for it, and no finesse whatsoever.

They've woken up those who are mighty...it will come back to bite them if they're not careful, but we have to be careful too. Stay in touch, you have intelligent views on the copyright situation (may I quote you in a project I'm working on?), and as long as we stay indignant, but measured in our response, we will take the upper hand.

This fandom has been through far too much to fold easily. Browncoats are made of much sterner stuff. Hold with us, and we will be stronger. You'll see.

"We gotta go to that crappy town where I'M a hero..."
_______________________________
Shiny stuff for Browncoats at:
http://www.cafepress.com/outtotheblack
http://www.outtotheblack.com

TPAGE

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:06 PM

I'd agree with most of the comments here, I just wanted to add that technically this is exactly what Firefly is about: the big stomping on the small.

We have the Blue Sun Corporation (you could replace that with Fox here) controling a lot (ok, a lot more in the 'verse) and doing what they want. We rise up against them, they push back.

They have the might to fight us, while we are reduced to Guerilla warfare... this story has been replayed throughout history. Let's make our fight worth remembering!

SHINYTRINKET

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:28 PM

I, too, understand the need and the reason for copyright law, but in this case I think Universal is truly biting a loyal fan base in the butt. The fan-made products do nothing but promote the franchise of Serenity/Firefly, and ultimately help Universal sell more of its own product. And it's not like they're offering a plethora of product to the fan base in the first place. If there was more licensed merchandise out there the fans would obviously buy it, but the lack thereof has created the need for a hungry fan base to create our own.

Shortsighted corporate lawyers, anyway...!!

*************************************************
The 3 rules of aging:
1. Never bypass a bathroom
2. Never waste an erection
3. Never trust a fart

ARBAS

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:33 PM

I'm a recent convert to the Browncoat fraternity and part of the attraction was the family feeling that started on the sets, you see the atmosphere from the stories in the documentaries on the dvds etc, when the series was canned you see the family extend to the fans whose refusal to give in helped convince Universal to give the BDM a chance then the rescuer turns into a money grabbing, bullying tyrant. That's killed the attraction for me, I have the series to watch, I have the movie to watch, I have the Done the impossible dvd to watch and as a first for me - in 48 years of genre fandom - I started planning to buy merchandise (well drop hints for Xmas) now the magic has gone. It's just a tv show now - make a sequel I'll probably watch it. Will I buy your merchandise? - no - will I buy multiple copies of the dvds to spread the word? - no - Will I go out of my way to help (in however small a way) Universal make money because dammit they believed in Firefly enough to make the film - no.

It's just a tv show now and they come and go all the time.

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