The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread

[Andrew May]

I'd love a redux of the rogue trader imperial army style. 

[Chico]

Cadia stands!

The gathering storm book mentions that 90% of the cadian guard were off world as is normal for them. So 90% of all cadian troops plus the inumerable regiments that use their gear and patterns means they will never disappear.

Nope GW doesn't like then any more so they'll all be fed to Tyranids then in 20 plus years will return in a promo vid to get anyone talking only to turn out to just be another Marine Ha!

[zemjw]

Not being sued for knockoffs, as that would be too ironic, but they're being sued - Spikey bits link

Moore alleges violations of the U.S. Law and RICO under 18 & 15 U.S. CODE, including but not limited to Fraud, Price Fixing, Tortious Interference, Breach of Contract, Unjust Enrichment, Restraint of Trade, Conspiracy and Antitrust Violations.

No idea how it will end, but could be fun while it lasts

[Andrew May]

Not being sued for knockoffs, as that would be too ironic, but they're being sued - Spikey bits link

No idea how it will end, but could be fun while it lasts

Wow, that reads like a bad joke.

[beefcake]

50,000% markup  I actually find myself wanting to defend GW on that. While it might cost 6c to produce one plastic miniature. Making a limited run of a plastic miniature may also cost 6c per miniature however tooling, advertising, paying for warehousing and labour etc would cost substantially more. $30 is a ridiculous price but a "1000% markup to 60c of the cost of the plastic involved in the miniature wouldn't cover all the extra costs.
Good luck in that court case buddy.
I would actually like to know what he would do with the 62.5m dollars (It may have said that but I didn't read the entire article)
I'm a bit sceptical whether this article is true or not.

[Andrew Rae]

Reads like the transcript of a Trump call to Nottingham.

[Belligerentparrot]

The plaintiff sounds like an absolute loon with too much time on his hands and no chance of winning. Like he's a few cups short of the miniatures version of the Boston Tea Party.  I'd not looked at Spikey Bitz before but the fact that that website is taking him seriously does not speak well of it.

[Mason]

Well, it has given us all a good laugh at least.
 

[Dolmot]

The plaintiff sounds like an absolute loon with too much time on his hands and no chance of winning.

Doesn't every club have at least one?

[beefcake]

Yep, a few grand spent on just that

[nic-e]

According to some sources around online the bloke is a known loon who runs a few con churches and has tried it on with several companies, including ringing up one supplier and pretending to be a woman in order to get free product. I have a feeling whoever told him this was good to go has never heard of games workshop and thought "hey, how hatd can a company that makes toy soldiers be?"
I almost feel sorry for the lawhammer he's about to get.

[Shamash-Bel]

Not being sued for knockoffs, as that would be too ironic, but they're being sued - Spikey bits link

No idea how it will end, but could be fun while it lasts

The thing is, he's not wrong on some of them:

Moore alleges violations of the U.S. Law and RICO under 18 & 15 U.S. CODE, including but not limited to Fraud, Price Fixing, Tortious Interference, Breach of Contract, Unjust Enrichment, Restraint of Trade, Conspiracy and Antitrust Violations.

Emphasis are mine. Bold are the ones they've definitely done and will be easy to find evidence for. Italic are the ones they've done but will be hard to find evidence for.

To break it down:
Price Fixing - GW require that American shops sell at a price THEY set, not allowing shops to set their own price. Easily viewable in any contract they've provided to an American Gaming Store.
Tortious Interference / Restraint of Trade - GW will have undoubtedly contacted shops and told them that they have to remove other people's goods or place GW's goods at pride of place. More 80s / 90s stuff, though, doubt they've done it in the past decade.
Unjust Enrichment - GW "uses" people's Intellectual Property (Dune, Michael Moorcock's books, Glorantha, Starship Troopers etc) to make their setting and then sues other individuals for "using" their intellectual property to create stuff. I say "use" but you can submit "inspired by" or whatever else.

Most of it sounds like waffle, but he might hit them with the price fixing one. GW in the USA are definitely price fixing.

EDIT: What GW are doing is definitely price fixing::

Vertical price fixing: It usually occurs between those in the supply chain, like an auto manufacturer and its dealers. For example, a manufacturer of a really popular doll might use its clout to force its retailers to follow the "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, " and not offer sales or discounts.

This type of price fixing has been illegal since 1911. That's thanks to the Supreme Court's decision in Miles vs Park when the Court said price fixing violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Some manufacturers get around this through vertical integration. For example, Apple has its own stores. That allows it to remain full-price without being accused of illegal price-fixing.

[Lovejoy]

GW in the USA are definitely price fixing.

Really? As I understand the law, price fixing has to occur between competitors. What GW have done is set a maximum level of discount a retailer can apply to their product; a perfectly legal move to maintain a perceived 'high-end' value of their products. It is simply part of their terms, and if a retailer wishes to stock GW, they'll sign it.
But it is not 'collusion between rival companies to sell a product, service, or commodity at a fixed price for mutual benefit.'

[Elbows]

Yep, it's douchey but not illegal.  Anyone can limit retailers of their product to prices...it's just no one else is really mad enough to try it. 

[Shamash-Bel]

Really? As I understand the law, price fixing has to occur between competitors. What GW have done is set a maximum level of discount a retailer can apply to their product; a perfectly legal move to maintain a perceived 'high-end' value of their products. It is simply part of their terms, and if a retailer wishes to stock GW, they'll sign it.
But it is not 'collusion between rival companies to sell a product, service, or commodity at a fixed price for mutual benefit.'

From Wikipedia:

Price fixing is an agreement between participants on the same side in a market to buy or sell a product, service, or commodity only at a fixed price, or maintain the market conditions such that the price is maintained at a given level by controlling supply and demand.

Apple were done for something similar in 2015 by colluding with publishers to push eBooks by manipulating prices, IIRC.

I won't deny the whole thing is pretty fuzzy and IANAL but he's definitely got something that a lawyer could sink their teeth into there.

EDIT: Found something that shows it's definitely illegal:

Vertical price fixing: It usually occurs between those in the supply chain, like an auto manufacturer and its dealers. For example, a manufacturer of a really popular doll might use its clout to force its retailers to follow the "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, " and not offer sales or discounts.

This type of price fixing has been illegal since 1911. That's thanks to the Supreme Court's decision in Miles vs Park when the Court said price fixing violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Some manufacturers get around this through vertical integration. For example, Apple has its own stores. That allows it to remain full-price without being accused of illegal price-fixing.

So yeah, GW is probably fucked on that front.