Monday, 13 October 2008

Monday 13 october

Today the project Europe Calling 32 has started.


Group 32.13 - Brand identity and virtual worlds

Marloes Koijen

Miriam van der Starre

Liga Kurpa

Marta Andrzejewska

Supervisor

Ms. Ariëns

Summary of the assignment

The problem:

Virtual world users think that well-known businesses have no right to determine by whom and how brands or trademarks are used. However, real world laws also apply to virtual worlds and businesses can just as well pose legitimate claims against avatars (virtual characters) as against real people. The challenge for the businesses is to eliminate unauthorised transactions of trade names and brands. However, this is hard to put in practice and solutions have not yet been found. To fight against brand piracy, innovative solutions are needed.

The project:

In short: provide answers to the way we could approach the problem of unauthorised brand exploitation in virtual worlds.
Longer version: provide an analysis of the challenges facing brand owners and the solutions available to the protection of value in their business models. Incorporate in your analysis case studies of at least 3 virtual world sites where issues of brand identity are relevant.

The research question:

How should owners of well-known brands seek to preserve value (=to preserve profit) in these assets (=the trademark identity of the brand(s)) in virtual worlds?

Subassignments to answer the research question:

a. Identify and discuss the relationship between brands and business models in generating value. In particular, explain both the business and legal conception of brand identity.

b. Explain the challenges posed by virtual worlds for the traditional business model.

c. Examine the role of Trade Mark Law and End of User Policies, as they are described on sites like Second Life.

d. Describe the types of unauthorised use of well-known marks and analyse their significance for the way brand identity is evolving.


Tasks

1. Create a group blog (tada!)

2. Prepare a Bibliography of Brand Identity and Virtual Worlds

3. Review the following reading material:

Overview of virtual worlds by category
http://www.virtualworldsreview.com/info/categories.shtml

Walker-Osborn, Charlotte. Very real legal issues exist in a virtual world. (August 2008).
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/analysis/2223422/very-real-legal-issues-exist-4152078

K. Lardi. Breathing a second life into synthetic worlds. (Deloitte, 2008).
http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/press_release/0,1014,sid%253D17973%2526cid%253D201595,00.html

Congressional Hearing on Online Virtual Worlds: Applications and Avatars in a User-Generated Medium. (1 April 2008).
http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ti-hrg.040108.VirtualWorlds.shtml (video)

Yochai Benkler, The Wealth of Networks. Chapter 1,2,11 and 12.
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/wealth_of_networks/Main_Page#Read_the_book
Chapter 1: http://www.benkler.org/Benkler_Wealth_Of_Networks_Chapter_1.pdf
Chapter 2: http://www.benkler.org/Benkler_Wealth_Of_Networks_Chapter_2.pdf
Chapter 11: http://www.benkler.org/Benkler_Wealth_Of_Networks_Chapter_11.pdf
Chapter 12: http://www.benkler.org/Benkler_Wealth_Of_Networks_Chapter_12.pdf


Other sites

Virtual World News
http://www.virtualworldnews.com/

Lawspot
Virtual Worlds Law Library
http://www.lawspotonline.com/lawspot/


Group progress

-Marta was absent because she was in Poland. She let us know in advance by e-mail.

-We (Marloes, Liga and Miriam) tried to call the assignment provider J. Savirimuthu, lecturer in law at the University of Liverpool and left a message on his answering machine. However, Miriam got a black-out in the middle of the message, so maybe he thinks we are weirdos now and does not want to work with us anymore! Nevertheless, she managed to tell him that we will e-mail him by Friday. This e-mail will contain questions we might have by then, a weekly interim report and a concept of our plan of action. We will also send this e-mail to our supervisor, Ms. Ariëns.

-We assigned Marloes the treasurer. She will pick up the budget on Tuesday 11.00 and keep track of our expenses.

-We agreed to attend the lecture on Project Management on Tuesday.

-We agreed to meet each other at Wednesday, 12.00 in the HEBO-canteen to talk about and divide tasks for the Plan of Action, of which we plan to have a concept finished by Friday.
We also said that we will explore the subject for ourselves and made sure we will have done our reading by Wednesday.

-Miriam would make a summary of the assignment, so as to get more insight to the matter and make it clear for everyone.

-Liga would contact the two absent girls, to inform them on our appointment for the meeting on Wednesday.

-Miriam-