But Nintendo isn't the only one allowed to do anything and everything with them. People could throw them away, burn them, cut the pictures out and create new art, once it leaves Nintendo's hands the product is owned physically by someone else. Cutting out parts of cards and making flowers certainly doesn't ruin Nintendo's rights or property; At which case Nintendo still made their money on the cards, and if someone else happens to be a middle man and make money due to that isn't illegal, unless you somehow believe you have to pay Nintendo directly and drive up to their doorstep to buy the cards or product.

But let's be frank... copyright needs a huge overhaul... If not, then almost nothing will ever go into the public domain again (that wasn't put there immediately).

"Gotta sue 'em all!"

How $4000 is worth the legal fees and bad press?

Funny you mention that, since Jim Fucking Sterling Son's latest video tackles that, at least tangentially. It's at least nice to know it's not just me that's noticed the gaming market's apparent lack of memory when it comes to industry transgressions.

And Nintendo is a great example of that. They do, have done, and are doing a lot of good things, yeah. But their stance towards YouTubers and their reputation for being extremely foul towards fan-driven content is utterly abhorrent. Yet, seemingly, whenever they announce a new game or Amiibo from one of their prized IPs everyone announces their apparent undying and uncritical love for Nintendo. Even Jim Sterling (and at least he actually is self-aware enough to admit that). People either don't seem to remember or don't seem to care that Nintendo (and Sega as well) seem to view their fans with contempt if they're not paying them money for something.

I remember when some companies used to revel in the attention generated by fan communities and fan-created content, even when it verged into unexpected silliness. Now it almost seems like they really do want the benefits of a rabid fanbase with none of the consequences, as noted earlier. Just people blindly lining up to buy the latest Mario or Zelda game.

Which I sadly agree with, but honestly, I don't like the alternatives. (Apathy? Acquiescence? Whole-hearted embacing of it?)

Nintendo uses Copyright Strike!
...
It's super effective!
Fandom faints.

The title makes it sound like Nintendo cracked down on a kid's Pokemon-themed birthday party. This guy was using someone else's IP to promote his own business for years, I have no sympathy for that. Is jumping from zero to a 4000$ lawsuit assholish? Absolutely. I guess they just needed to make an example of one of those leeches and it just happened to be that guy.

The ain problem here is this:
"There was a $2 admission fee that went towards a DJ and the giveaways, but conflict between Jones and the Pokémon Company arose when he made posters for the event that prominently featured Pikachu and Snivy"
It may be a fan project, and it may be for good intentions, but as soon as he demanded admission monies and created advertisement for it using copyrighted material, then it is in a completely different ball-park. He would be in the clear if he kept it private.

edit - or what the handsome man with no face said...


edit 2: not to mention what happens to the people (read customers) when he have got them into his restaurant - is the rest of the party free? What about food and drinks when they are there?

While he did break the law, copyright helps large corporations to an unproportional degree so I hope they lose in court.

so the laws should not apply if you have a large enough company? good to know....

You know I used to be like this. If this was me back in say 2011-13 I would have denounced Nintendo outright. I would have been a blind sheep hating on Nintendo for shutting down a pokemon themed party as corporate bullying.

All the pro gamer consumer adovcate stuff.

But now well let's just say I got wiser and less Idealistic. Jim Sterling is only looking at this issue imo in the most idealistic typical anti capitalist/copyright law stance that seems to be popular among the young people.

what's that, pokemon??

I think some people are just resigned that Japanese companies like Nintendo live in a bubble, to the point where even their brethren in the West (Nintendo of America) are sometimes frustrated because they can see which way the wind is blowing. As much as people like to say this Western company or that Western company never listens, they do try. They’re just trying to figure out how.

I've mentioned this before, but a developer once had to smuggle Jim Sterling into their booth because the publisher Konami didn't like him. I'd like to think he wore this disguise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t_oTh6qXFs

so? the laws then should not apply to them? or they should have their own laws?

or - it is ok to break the laws along as only large corporations suffer?

Not exactly but perhaps exception laws (or whatever it's called) so that it doesn't favour them as much.