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Approved Submission International Association of Advanced Companies for Inventor's Rights and Free Trade

Ethereal

Ethereal

Banned Member
Submission URL
https://stararmy.com/wiki/doku.php?id=corp:iaac
Submission Type: International Agreement?
Template Used: Business

Faction:
FM Approved Yet? No @Wes
Faction requires art? No

For Reviewers:
Contains Unapproved Sub-Articles? No
Contains New art? No
Previously Submitted? No

Notes:
1,000th post, woo!

This submission is to address an issue in the SARPiverse that has been left pretty unaddressed until now. While technology stealing is a really crappy thing to do from an OOC perspective, there's no IC barriers to this behaviour at all and there are going to be users who don't care how people think OOC.

Right now in setting, a nation or large company could decide one day to take the plans to a certain technology created through hard OOC work and steal them. In fact, this entity could steal all the plans from a company, or many companies. Suddenly, for example, an entity is producing millions of highly advanced warships created by a company and not paying respects or a single penny to the creator of that technology. They could even make an entire fleet overnight using all plans that company has, such as Origin, which they should have no right to do, then go out and conquer.

Essentially, we're putting copyright laws into IC, which they really should have been in the first place with the rate of tech submission. If you're a smaller company such as Galactic Horizon or KenTec and suddenly a nation is producing millions of your products without crediting you or paying royalties entirely for their own benefit there's nothing you can do with your size.

As with IRL copyright laws, international sanctions should be in place to deter this amoral behaviour. If you want to use something, buy it or make something that does the job yourself. If you breach copyright IRL there are fines and more. Here, we're using the combined political and economic presence of companies who don't want their stuff stolen to place sanctions on people who do steal what isn't theirs.

As an added extra, companies on the higher tier of membership can tap into a combined rainy day fund in case something awful happens. When companies struggle because of IC reasons and they're large companies, it can affect factions. Having that bailout fund is a backstop in case something like that happens again is good - having gloom and doom over a faction won't do at all.

Oh - also it's stated clearly that's all this is for, not anything else politically. I won't have that at all and I'm sure the companies wouldn't, unless some FM really wants to do RP with the IAAC. Stopping stealing, promoting free trade and promoting helping your fellow companies is all this should be used for.

Thanks to @Kai for discussing this with me in advance. I can envision mixed responses but we sort of need an IC barrier for there not to be a glaring hole, even if it is somehow patched OOC.
 
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Ethereal said:
Essentially, we're putting copyright laws into IC ... As with IRL copyright laws, international sanctions should be in place to deter this amoral behaviour.
Click to expand...
Doing this would require the ratification of in-character treaties by factions/countries, since governments are the only entities that can enforce economic sanctions.
 
That would be correct if it was going to be a full embargo by every nation, which would never survive the bureaucracy. This is more like however many companies refusing to trade any longer with that entity, which they are well within their rights to do so. Have enough influential bodies and it might cause enough of a drop to make them think it's not worth it. Especially if they get their trade mostly from one or two companies alone. Thank you for pointing that out though : )
 
What about the equivalent of space china that doesn't care and makes 0rlgln products, Bootleg D@taJuckeys and stuff like that. And just performs guerrilla marketting tactics and disolves and re-brands when they are called out on it?
 
So I've done a little research before I replied here to look at IRL methods this is reduced. Essentially what I found is that it's a big problem but customers normally care about getting the best for their money.

Ripoffs are of much poorer quality than their genuine counterparts, otherwise they wouldn't need to slum off the reputation of the other product and would have their own brand.

Evidently they're worse, given if you try and beat a TNC on production quality while having none of their connections or try to produce high quality components in some backstreet factory with a soldering iron rather than in a lab it isn't going to be a good product.

Pretty much it's down to the customer apparently. Most people are clever enough to look through official channels to buy products. Approved or reputable vendors rather than space Craigslist. It's pretty much their own fault if they think they're getting a product for half the price from some goofy looking advertisment. That's pretty much the best we can do IRL at least.
 
I took a look through and saw that there is only one member. I'm no expert but in order to create an embargo or things of that nature it would require a much greater deal of cooperation between governments rather than corporations. I think this idea may need some more time to cook, perhaps adding corporations to its membership would help. Better yet, having this develop IC would yield the best results as it would develop naturally.

But as it currently stands, this is not looking like a finished concept and only one corporation alone couldn't make a scratch on OI if they played dirty. Also, your article makes reference to theft of intellectual property being common, though I've yet to see that occur IC. It would be better to forego that reference or highlight a specific example.
 
I'd join with FSC as well, but here's the thing, they weren't invited. Really, no Corporation has been invited. That's why I think we should have an IC event, like an IRC for businesses. We can create a founding party ICly, and IC trumps OOC any day. I would really like for this idea to have the best start possible.
 
Rizzo said:
I'd join with FSC as well, but here's the thing, they weren't invited. Really, no Corporation has been invited. That's why I think we should have an IC event, like an IRC for businesses. We can create a founding party ICly, and IC trumps OOC any day. I would really like for this idea to have the best start possible.
Click to expand...
IIRC, this is currently already happening via the IRC discussion to regulate corporations; but we could probably organize a meeting of corporate conglomerates to do this. The main issue stems from the sheer width between many of them; the solution should be they come to Nepleslia to meet at Kennewes.

Why?

Because it's both one of the center-most systems in the entire sector and houses both Ken-TEC and Zen Armaments; not to mention it acts as an intellectual hotspot.

Prove me wrong that we should organize it in my faction's space.
IIS might have made the idea, but I'mma stick my foot in and get Nepleslians all over it. Mark my words, YOU NON-NEPPERS.
 
Lol. Yeah, I know the IRC is trying to wall corps in. Maybe all of the corporations should meet and talk about how they are going to regulate factions! :p
 
Rizzo said:
Lol. Yeah, I know the IRC is trying to wall corps in. Maybe all of the corporations should meet and talk about how they are going to regulate factions! :p
Click to expand...
Ken-TEC votes to regulate FSC on the grounds of not just letting us absorb you.

These are the grounds for negotiation.
 
Such interest, very promising. I'll say now that the location of such a meeting will need to be carefully thought out. This is an association of companies which operate in the interest of capitalism, undue national strong-arming by any nation would be counter to the idea. It's the same reason only companies are allowed in the IAAC and why all companies are permitted within reason, not preferring one nation over another.

Having a nation press some sort of vote through would likely make participating companies lose faith. That and there'd likely be some sort of backlash on the international stage for such action.

I didn't really expect anyone to be requesting to do IC RP in terms of wanting to join but if the people want it, the people will have it. I'll put some thought into where it should be and I'll send a JP link to whoever wants in. DM me if you're interested. I suppose any bridges between normally disconnected settings elements to interact and provide more RP should always be jumped upon.

Note: While only Partners may have votes on large decisions due to the sheer number of companies, almost any company can join as an Associate and have the IAAC's protection afforded to them no matter the size. They can also participate in dialogue for most things except the decisions that need the most unity.

Addressing the lack of IC vision of such stealing, this is a preventative measure just like the AMJ is, just in case someone decides to break the rules.
 
Ethereal said:
Such interest, very promising. I'll say now that the location of such a meeting will need to be carefully thought out. This is an association of companies which operate in the interest of capitalism, undue national strong-arming by any nation would be counter to the idea. It's the same reason only companies are allowed in the IAAC and why all companies are permitted within reason, not preferring one nation over another.

Having a nation press some sort of vote through would likely make participating companies lose faith. That and there'd likely be some sort of backlash on the international stage for such action.

I didn't really expect anyone to be requesting to do IC RP in terms of wanting to join but if the people want it, the people will have it. I'll put some thought into where it should be and I'll send a JP link to whoever wants in. DM me if you're interested. I suppose any bridges between normally disconnected settings elements to interact and provide more RP should always be jumped upon.

Note: While only Partners may have votes on large decisions due to the sheer number of companies, almost any company can join as an Associate and have the IAAC's protection afforded to them no matter the size. They can also participate in dialogue for most things except the decisions that need the most unity.

Addressing the lack of IC vision of such stealing, this is a preventative measure just like the AMJ is, just in case someone decides to break the rules.
Click to expand...
It wasn't really nation strong-arming; go look at the map of the Sector and you'll understand why Kennewes is actually pretty standard for the sort of deal we're looking at in terms of position. Not to mention it also houses one of the few specifically indicated universities; intellect is STRONK on that planet.

But I am a bit concerned that this could end up leading to corporate size-"standards" being set; the creation and usage of this as a power could very well have ramifications if not monitored that may harm the creation of new corporations or stop folks from making smaller corps because they'll feel powerless otherwise.
 
As it stands I think new companies need to start small anyway. I built FSC completely from the ground up using money and assets acquired ICly. That really should be the standard.
 
There's a strong possibility that Yamatai would start revoking business licenses for companies that attempt to use this against the YSE, which would devastate most of them financially, with the intent to discourage coporations from joining. That's not an obstacle to approval, I'm just pointing it out so no one is surprised by a massive and possibly violent pushback from governments if this organization is misused or acts against their interests. If you look at the history Yamatai has already sent the actual military (the Star Army) to destroy problematic corporations in the past, such as PNUgen and the Qel'noran Industrial Sector. So this is a warning to work with the factions and not against them, because in the Kikyo Sector it's the governments that hold the power, not the corporations like it is in the EVE universe, and this could go really badly if mismanaged.
 
Idk, it seems like Yamatai is really wanting to inhibit free trade lately. Look, the IRC is discussing the future of corporations without any corporate representationat all! Now the empire threatens to destroy a corporation simply for being "problematic"? How could a corporation even be aware of this if they have no say in their own future?!

The members that wish to create seem to gravitate toward corporations and now they are going to be dominated and controlled by means of an IC meeting none but the elite are invited to. How one sided! Tell me something, is personal freedom so valueless so as to justify a small group of privileged people determining the uniformity of IC corporations. HOW STUPID! This will accomplish nothing but the removal of the individuality and uniqueness of these creations and the alienation of the players that made them.

Here's a better idea.
laissez faire
EDIT: Even better idea, this needs its own thread.
 
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  • Yamatai is for free trade.
  • Yamatai hasn't threatened anyone "now" in the RP.
  • Yamatai is against lawless "independent" corporations.
  • Corporations don't get legal representation in Yamatai's senate or government because they are not people (their owners/members get the same rights and representation as any other citizen, of course)
  • Yamatai will use its power to discourage corporate efforts to coerce the government using this association
  • Things that disrupt Yamatai's economy are threats to national security and will be dealt with accordingly.
 
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