Unauthorised products section created

[GoktimusPrime]

Legally both replicascounterfeits and 3rd Party Products are unauthorised IP infringements. However, as heroic_decepticon pointed out, not all IP infringements may be in breach of the law per se (re: de minimis non curat lex). Ethically speaking, well -- that greatly depends on one's personal values and opinions (e.g. deontology, consequentialism, utilitarianism, altruism etc.)

Classification - as always - is inherently arbitrary and subjective; just like any other system of classification, e.g. biology (do non-DNA based organisms (like a virus) count as living organisms?), astronomy (when Transformers first debuted Pluto was a planet!), geology (there's no consistent difference between what counts as a continent and what is an island) and of course, toys (e.g. counting methods).

So whether an ethical difference exists between the two entirely depends on one's own values and opinions - and there is no definitive 'right' or 'wrong' answer. For the purposes of what OTCA considers tolerable and intolerable unauthorised products - as far as I can see - appears to be based on counterfeits (KOs) being classified as intolerable, and 3rd party products being classified as tolerable.

Now I'm not saying that this classification is right or wrong, nor am I saying that your classification is right or wrong. They just come from different schools of ethical thought. But for the purposes of running the board, there needs to be a defined standard. And it's ultimately the admin's role to decide what that standard is.

[STL]

Legally both replicascounterfeits and 3rd Party Products are unauthorised IP infringements. However, as heroic_decepticon pointed out, not all IP infringements may be in breach of the law per se (re: de minimis non curat lex). Ethically speaking, well -- that greatly depends on one's personal values and opinions (e.g. deontology, consequentialism, utilitarianism, altruism etc.)

Classification - as always - is inherently arbitrary and subjective; just like any other system of classification, e.g. biology (do non-DNA based organisms (like a virus) count as living organisms?), astronomy (when Transformers first debuted Pluto was a planet!), geology (there's no consistent difference between what counts as a continent and what is an island) and of course, toys (e.g. counting methods).

So whether an ethical difference exists between the two entirely depends on one's own values and opinions - and there is no definitive 'right' or 'wrong' answer. For the purposes of what OTCA considers tolerable and intolerable unauthorised products - as far as I can see - appears to be based on counterfeits (KOs) being classified as intolerable, and 3rd party products being classified as tolerable.

Now I'm not saying that this classification is right or wrong, nor am I saying that your classification is right or wrong. They just come from different schools of ethical thought. But for the purposes of running the board, there needs to be a defined standard. And it's ultimately the admin's role to decide what that standard is.

Hey, you wanna talk about it? Try this thread here:
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=5212

Also, the subforum idea could work for the Members Feedback section as well if u place it under Members sales. I never even look at it personally but it just makes the board that much more cumbersome.

[jaydisc]

Looks like OTCA is not alone:

New Seibertron.com subforum: KO and 3rd Party toys forum!

[Bartrim]

Looks like OTCA is not alone:

New Seibertron.com subforum: KO and 3rd Party toys forum!

I noticed that too lol

[5FDP]

Looks like OTCA is once again setting the standard by which other forums are run

[dirge]

Since this thread exists to announce the changes to board, can we limit the discussion of the ethics etc in here? Thanks for trying to steer discussion over to the relevant thread, STL.

/board staff

[Cmdr Prime]

Hear, hear! (And well done with all the topic moving.)

I do agree with Griffin on this one there should be a seperate section for that sort of thing

[Cmdr Prime]

Now just hang on there Sam loi888, there should be a Ladies Forum. Afterall we have one over on TFW2005 and its a success

[GoktimusPrime]

Now just hang on there Sam loi888, there should be a Ladies Forum. Afterall we have one over on TFW2005 and its a success

Blackarachnia's Hideout

[5FDP]

Isn't it just showing no posts because we don't have access From the front of the board it shows 3 active threads with 13 posts in total. I say leave it be... it's not taking any functionality away from the board.