TLS Store...Actually...Maybe?

[trash panda]

So I came across this while looking for ways to waste my money and it made me think of the TLS shop idea. The TLS shop thing has been mentioned in passing before, but as GRRM would say “farts in the wind”. Or was it “words are farts”. Nonono, it was “words are wind”.

Granted, this Redbubble website that I used as an example is full of stolen artwork and unlawfully used copyrighted material so if TLS did such a thing, we'd need original content or derivative works.

Anyway, I still think a TLS shop is a nifty idea. It could raise funds for the forum in general, for forum events and for giveaways n’ such. *Imagines having forum competitions such as Jason’s Hang-Man game with prizes for the winners*.

Then again, I’m just the sort of person who’s full of brain farts. I won’t be offended if no one is on board with this.

 

[Geostigma]

http://thelifestream.net/forums/showpost.php?p=603447&postcount=128

http://thelifestream.net/forums/showpost.php?p=603512&postcount=140

My take on storefronts like redbubble. As you pointed out the overwhelming majority of stuff like that is actually illegally sold.

Imo keep things legit and gun for stuff thats more grey area like the actual spell names (Meteorain, ultima etc.) But as you can imagine that leads to more boring design options.

Straight up selling a shirt with a chocobo on it or a vincent silhouette etc. is a no go.

 

[trash panda]

Well then I 100% agree with you about keeping it strictly original. I mean, I'd buy a TLS shirt that had the words "TLS written on it" just 'cause.

Are the smilies here copyrighted material, because I'd sport some of our smilies on my shirt any day.

Just brainstorming here. 8]

 

[Flintlock]

Well then I 100% agree with you about keeping it strictly original. I mean, I'd buy a TLS shirt that had the words "TLS written on it" just 'cause.

You and about a dozen other people, tops. If that's our entire market, why not just get someone to make a design that everyone can send to their local t-shirt printing company? It'd save a lot of shopping, too.

 

[Geostigma]

Cookie Monster is 100% a TLS original idea

 

[Jason Tandro]

It would be fun, but it also seems problematic. I think the only thing that we could legally profit on would be fair use stuff on youtube through AdSense, maybe sell mp3 versions of fanfiction audiobooks, etc etc. All grey area stuff which understandably limits us.

We tried this on TE (not to constantly mention my old forums, but I'm presently working on encapsulating the entire history of the forums in a "Yearbook" to celebrate 15 years so it's on the brain a lot) and it didn't go over well mainly because there was not enough original content. All they could sell if I recall was like stuff with the TE logo and that only lasted about a year.

One thought though; the boards also had an in-post monetary system called "Gems" which users could trade for various products / services (get your head out of the gutter). It was only implemented in a very minor way and was something of a joke, but it could be interesting. Essentially you earned a small number of gems based on posts and there were anti-spamming algorithms in place. We pretty much just used them to buy things of no true value like custom sig plates made by members or as ways to buy gear for the D&D thing I ran there.

 

[Pixel]

I could do pixelart stuff for tshirts

There's also simple stuff like this

 

[Jason Tandro]

Okay, that would be a hilarious shirt. I'd like to order one for my wife and stand beside her. XD

 

[Carlie]

Pixel I would buy that in a heart beat. We could do shirts with the TLS design, I would totally get one of "Pixel Porn".

 

[Geostigma]

That pixelart is genius.

 

[Lex]

The site banner would look good on t-shirts. I've been wanting a TLS hoodie for years. Sad? Who cares. Comfy? Definitely.

I'd wear it with pride

Yeah this guy are sick shirts are for sure win.

 

[Pixel]

Also, some sort of Please be excited shirt, with either a logo, or a plushie style Cloud with his back to you, like in the trailer.

If you could have semi transparency in the printing we could have the logo with the light behind it. Also, I link you'd probably be limited to the amount of colours in a design

 

[Jason Tandro]

I'm sure I'm not clever enough to have made this up on my own, but something like this comes to mind. Forgive me, it's a touch on the rough and hasty side:

 

[X-SOLDIER]

So, in strangely related stuff - our Amazon Associate stuff came up for renewal LITERALLY yesterday, and Yop & I were discussing putting that version of the store back, since with the remake happening, there's a possibility of it actually being a thing again. Either way, this makes for a good discussion about that and expanding upon that.




X

 

[Channy]

The site banner would look good on t-shirts. I've been wanting a TLS hoodie for years. Sad? Who cares. Comfy? Definitely.

I'd wear it with pride

Yeah this guy are sick shirts are for sure win.

See, and that's exactly whatI pictured too. You do a black shirt with a few faded teal lifestream threads and falling Aerith in the middle with a couple rays of sunlight/water ripples

....and maybe yay or nay on a TLS below it but I'd vote nay.

Also, giant cookie monster on a shirt would be good

Also Pixel and Jason's ideas are awesome as shite.

 

[Pixel]

So, in strangely related stuff - our Amazon Associate stuff came up for renewal LITERALLY yesterday, and Yop & I were discussing putting that version of the store back, since with the remake happening, there's a possibility of it actually being a thing again. Either way, this makes for a good discussion about that and expanding upon that.




X

Oh, I was going to ask about that yesterday, but wasn't sure if that was what Yop was talking about.

 

[trash panda]

So, if this idea gets a green light, perhaps we can all decide together which items/designs are 'safe' per se to sell without er...infringing.

 

[Jason Tandro]

Agreed. Do we have somebody who happens to be a legal expert? A C&D from Squeenix would probably not be a good way to get attention to the site, lol.

 

[trash panda]

While Pixel is being incredibly humble right now by offering to create pix-arts for the site, I do believe that arteests should be paid for their work. And Pixel is a wonderful, highly deserving arteest. Just saying. % of profits and such.

 

[Flare]

Well, the line "This guy are sick" is well-known, but originally a mistranslation. Does that mean it's fair game for a shirt without being copyright?

Also, what about this as a t-shirt design?

That's original..... Right?

 

[Channy]

From what I gather, fanart has some semblence of free-reign to it, as long as it's original fanart, no?

 

[Pixel]

While Pixel is being incredibly humble right now by offering to create pix-arts for the site, I do believe that arteests should be paid for their work. And Pixel is a wonderful, highly deserving arteest. Just saying. % of profits and such.

I don't care about that personally. I'll do stuff if we can get the LPs going again. I think the Youtube channel is a really big way to draw people here, and we can only grow it by creating content.

 

[Geostigma]

Agreed. Do we have somebody who happens to be a legal expert? A C&D from Squeenix would probably not be a good way to get attention to the site, lol.

I'm no lawyer but I spent a year being a youtuber under a MCN that (which was backed by BBTV and later Maker iirc) was very strict regarding copyright claims and working 100% under Fair Use.
After that I worked with Friendswho I met through youtube who were with TGN and was basically the guy who told them it was ok to air something as is or not etc.

If it was ok to pass on Youtube of all places its definitely ok to sell

So I could double check stuff if you guys want.


edit:

From what I gather, fanart has some semblence of free-reign to it, as long as it's original fanart, no?

No. Just because you drew a picture of Cloud doesn't mean you own the rights to sell a picture of Cloud. Those rights still belong to SE. You're 100% welcome to share that picture with people for free but the second you start trying to profit on the property of another person its no longer legal.


Think of it this way. If Will.I.Am samples Daft Punk for his next song unless he has explicit permission from Daft Punk he owes them royalty fees/ goes to court. Sure Will recreated the beat on his own but Daft Punk originally created it so its theirs.


Also see Vanilla Ice vs Queen.
Clearly I'm very bad at explaining the legalese of it but the TL;DR is you drawing something =/= owning rights to it.

 

[Channy]

Which is why I ask, because I wasn't sure. When you go to a couple cons and you got artists selling their fanart (some of which is pretty famous online) up the wazoo, you start to second guess things.

 

[Geostigma]

Yeah I think i said it in one of the posts I linked earlier but its essentially the same idea as selling knock off purses on the street. Not entirely legal but no on really gives a damn for awhile. The question is do you want to associate your site with stuff like that.

You can do it and maybe never get a C&D, you could do it and get the letter your first week in. It's all RNG lol. That said though some of the ideas that have already been tossed around in this thread seem pretty safe to sell and are clever.

The mistranslations *should* be ok but I'll double check later to be sure. And the general meme stuff like "please be excited" etc. is definitely fine as well.