I (Miriam) have contacted Mr. Savirimuthu and received a most useful reply to our questions. See full reply:
Dear Miriam
You raise some pertinent points and am pleased by the group's approach to the Project. Here are my thoughts on the various queries:
Problem
"However, this is hard to put in practice and solutions have not yet been found. To fight against brand piracy, innovative solutions are needed."
Indeed. The premise here is important: brand piracy continues to challenge business models which rely on Trade Mark to leverage businesss identity relating to quality of source or products/services.
Why is the issue of brand identity particularly problematic in the age of the Internet?
The economic costs of 'protection' v costs of 'not protecting' is worth considering
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.
Yes.
Yes - to both the research question(s)
1. Create a group blog http://ec32-13.blogspot.com/
We have started this blog. However, it is more about project management and the group work. Would you like us to start a blog exclusively for news and research findings as well?
Yes please - blogging will provide the group/me an opportunity to evaluate the level of understanding, facilitate reflective practice and provide 'quality' control (NB I will send you some material on "Reflective Practice" in due course (this is only for use of the Group and for purposes of the Project).
Your additional questions:
Furthermore, we would like to ask you some questions, so as to know exactly what is expected from us. Below you can find a list of questions we came up with and of which we hope you could provide an answer to.
1. Is the main question you want us to answer correctly defined like this?
How should owners of well-known brands seek to preserve value (i.e. to preserve profit) in these assets (i.e. the trademark identity of the brand(s)) in virtual worlds?
The definition of ‘preserving value’ and ‘these assets’ is very important is this question, so we would like to know whether we got it right.
Yes - unauthorised exploitation of brands can lead to 'dilution' of value, reduce marketability/licensing and in certain circumstances may 'harm' the brand.
2. To what extent should our research and analysis include aspects of law and/or do we have to think about other solutions?
This is where you need to read Yochai Benkler's chapters.
Brand identity and even trade mark law originated at a time when the economy and society were differently constituted. The Internet, the emergence of the new economy in Virtual Worlds and the convergence of multimedia platforms provides us with an opportunity to re-think 'brand identity' and the role of Trade Mark Law in this context.
You will discover that what is need is a hybrid approach to Brand Identity - law is only solution (some may say that it is the only solution)
3. Is it particularly from legal and/or illegal perspective?
Do consider the legal framework which defines the rules for brand identity
4. Are there any specific well known brands we have to explore?
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)
5. Do we have to look at global brands or concentrate on, for example, Europe or a specific country?
Europe would be more than sufficient - or if you prefer, UK, Holland and US?
6. What is the scope of the research; World, Europe, specific country?
[see above]
7. What laws apply; European, International, National.
[see above]
8. Are there any other specific points we have to know before we begin?
Engage in a group reflection on each of the following [Will send you a reflective exercise for each]:
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)
9. The research methods we want to include :
> Desk research - books, journals, internet etc.
> Field research - interviews with specialists in the field
Have you got any recommendations for particular research methods and/or sources?
Start with Desk/Web Research - and then, for Appendix: You could draft a questionaire sent to Specialists?
10. Can we arrange a specific week day in which we can correspond with you?
Most certaintly - why don't we set up a Private Group on Facebook and we can use IM via Skype? I will need to come back to you days and times, if that is acceptable? What is the time differential between Holland and UK?
Excellent questions and thinking - am extremely pleased by the progress thus far.
Yours sincerely
Joseph
I also set up an agenda for the meeting tomorrow, with the help of the summaries of Liga and Marloes of the lecture on Project Management.
See the full agenda:
Agenda
Chair: Miriam van der Starre
Secretary:
Presentation of group members-Introduce yourself however you like
-Tell what kind of HEBO-student you are (Dutch stream, English stream, exchange student)
-Present your competencies, which ones your good at, your strong/weak points in projects, your personal view on the project so far, etc.
Order of presentation:
Marta
Liga
Miriam
Marloes
Points of discussion
1. Assigning parts
A chair, treasurer and secretary are needed. I suggest to also appoint a ‘bibliographer’, a group member whom will make the Bibliography and lists the sources.
Chair: project manager.
Treasurer: the groups’ ‘accountant’; keeps track of expenses and manages the budget
Secretary: responsible for organizing, recording, storage and retrieval of all project communications, data and archives (includes making back-ups!). The secretary can build up the European Calling File of the group (see Europe Calling 32 Students’ Handbook for explanation) during the project. Also the secretary has to make notes of the meetings, publish them on the blog and store them for the EC-File.
2. Assigning sub assignments
In order to answer the Research Question, we firstly need to gain knowledge and expertise and thereby gain insights and opinions on the subject. Therefore, sub assignments are given to structure and clarify the research. The sub assignments should be done on three different virtual worlds.
What Liga suggested is that we divide the assignments as 1 for each group member.
This in order to each of us specialize on one topic and being able to do deep and extensive research. We can plan a date on which we all will finish these individual researches and share all knowledge and answers to the assignments with each other. Then, we can discuss possible solutions to the Research Question with the help of our obtained knowledge of the sub assignments and, finally, write a comprehensive conclusion.
The sub assignments to be divided:
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.
We should also set a date on which to have finished the sub assignments, present the findings to each other and start working on the conclusion.
Liga has typed a research plan (see Appendix). This is about the structure of our research. If you look at it, you can see we’ll have to work like this: first search information, then organize and manage the information, select the most relevant information, write a chapter about it and draw conclusions, then communicate the findings with the rest of the group, etc.
3. Set dates for tasks of this week
We’ve got some specific tasks to do this week:
- Decide on three virtual worlds to make case studies of (to be investigated with the sub assignments). One is Second Life, the other ones we don’t know yet. We can look at an overview of the worlds at http://www.virtualworldsreview.com/info/categories.shtml
Who will look at this and pick 2 other worlds?
- Do a group reflection on these sources:
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)
Mr. Savirimuthu will send a reflection exercise for each of these sources.
We have to establish a date in which we have read and watched this and when we are going to do the reflection exercises.
- Make a Plan of Action (to be finished 27 October). A concept of the Plan must be finished on Friday 17 October.
For a description of the Plan of Action, see the Appendix.
We have to define ALL the activities that are required in order to achieve the assignment.
I came up with a list of activities, and now we have to arrange them in a weekly schedule, with details on the persons who does the activity and whom are involved, a time plan and costs.
The list of activities I came up with to arrange in the Plan of Action:
• Arrange weekly meetings with the supervisor
• Maintain weekly correspondence with the assignment provider
• Review and discuss reading material given by Mr. Savirimuthu with help of the exercises which he will send in due course
• Start and maintain a blog with daily reports of the group progress
Monday: Miriam
Tuesday: Liga
Wednesday: Marloes
Thursday: Marta
Friday: Miriam
Saturday: Liga
Sunday: Marloes
And Marta can put the daily reports together as a Weekly Interim Report every week and send these to the supervisor and assignment provider?
• Start and maintain a blog with news and research findings on the assignment subject
• Make a Bibliography of Brand Identity and Virtual Worlds
• Arrange weekly meetings for ourselves to discuss progress and divide tasks
• Do research (in accordance with the research plan) on the specific objects/sub assignments of the project (a, b, c and d; see point 2, Dividing sub assignments above)
• Share the research findings of the sub assignments with each other when finished (set a date!)
• Arrange the sub assignment research findings in the Research Report (final product)
• Arrange a meeting to give each other feedback on the research findings of the sub assignments
• Arrange a meeting to form insights, opinions and suggestions to the Research Question with help of the research findings of the sub assignments
• Decide and type a conclusion with solutions to the Research Question and arrange it in the Research Report
• Do final editing, printing and disk copy of the Research Report
• Hand in the Research Report (12 December)
• Defend the Research Report in a presentation (17 December)
• Calculate the estimated costs of these activities
Speak if you’ve got some activities to add to this list, or if you have any remarks or questions on the list.
Who will make the concept of the Plan of Action and send it around by Friday 17 October?
4. Individual speaking time
If you’ve got something to state, ask, say, shout, share, or discuss. Think of this BEFORE the meeting.
Speaking order:
Liga
Marta
Marloes
Miriam
5. Summary of the meeting
Repetition of the decisions, dates set, tasks for the week, etc.
6. Questions and final remarks
7. Closure by the chair
-Miriam-
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