[Suggestion] Custom Flags - A Million Dollar Idea

[Separatist Peoples]

I think this suggestion goes here, since it would involve a technical alteration to the site itself. Its been kicking in my head, and I don't think I'll get it out unless I actually pitch it.

I’ll go ahead and admit that I have very little small business experience, limited to building and selling mechanical pencil spitball shooters in grade school. However, I can’t help but think of something that would help put some extra cash in the site’s coffers: selling Custom Flags.

Here’s the scoop: The site contracts with a custom flag manufacturer. I know there are companies out there that will do this for a pretty reasonable fee. For ease, here are a few I looked up just now:

http://www.custom-flag-makers.com/

http://www.seattleflagmakers.com/photos.html

http://www.eclipseflags.com/

Blah blah blah. I don’t know about individual policy with international shipping, which is why I considered multiple contractors. Anyways, to the meat of it!

My thought is that the player can order, through the NS Store, their nation’s flag, customized in a few preset sizes:

Desk Flag – 3”-5” decorative desk flag with a plastic or wooden pole and perhaps a base. Depending on the profit margins, this could be a batch order of 3-4 only.

Miniature Flag – 1’x1.5’or rough equivalent, sort of a pennant-sized flag for walls and the like, not a full sized banner.

Large Flag – 3’x5’regular-size flag for hanging on a flagpole.

Maybe there would be an option to include a few doodads: grommets on the long side or short side, square vs. rectangular, the like. Options that would match up to the contractor’s requirements for an order. The contractor would be responsible for making and shipping the order, pursuant to their own/their locality’s regulations.

Nationstates could charge a little bit extra for the orders than players would going directly to the source, and in return the players get a flag with the Nationstates Logo on the tag, and maybe even a Site Supported badge. NationStates/Max Barry gets a little extra cash, a happy player, and most importantly, free advertising.

Think about it: You hang a custom flag on the porch or in your cubical, and people don’t recognize it? They’re going to ask or look it up on the internet. Either way, chances are good that they’ll stumble across NationStates, and maybe even start up a nation of their own! Max also gets even more people checking out his webpage, which means more exposure for his books.

I’d appreciate thoughts on the idea. I’m a GA’er, so I’m used to harsh criticism, so don’t hold back.

[New Kvenland]

I, personally, absolutely support this idea. I've wanted my IC flag in a physical format for months now, and I'd love having my current flag framed and on my wall. I'd be extremely surprised if [v] or Max OK'd this idea, though. It seems like it'd basically be pouring thousands of dollars of money for ink, and printers, and blank flags, all for the enjoyment of a few players, and the chance of some publicity. I'd love it, but I don't think it'll happen.

That's just my opinion, of course.

[Separatist Peoples]

I, personally, absolutely support this idea. I've wanted my IC flag in a physical format for months now, and I'd love having my current flag framed and on my wall. I'd be extremely surprised if [v] or Max OK'd this idea, though. It seems like it'd basically be pouring thousands of dollars of money for ink, and printers, and blank flags, all for the enjoyment of a few players, and the chance of some publicity. I'd love it, but I don't think it'll happen.

That's just my opinion, of course.

That's just it, Max wouldn't be making them. It'd be through a contract or association with a business that already does this sort of custom work. Theoretically, the only investment is in the time, through negotiating, implementing, and integrating the features into the site.

[Mousebumples]

Possible legal issue - what about people who use images they didn't create - i.e. the Calvin & Hobbes flag that New Kvenland is currently sporting. Nothing wrong with using that as your flag here; however, to have someone reprint it and make it into a flag likely violates various copyright laws and the like. (*note: totally not a lawyer, but that seems to be a distinct possibility)

[New Kvenland]

Possible legal issue - what about people who use images they didn't create - i.e. the Calvin & Hobbes flag that New Kvenland is currently sporting. Nothing wrong with using that as your flag here; however, to have someone reprint it and make it into a flag likely violates various copyright laws and the like. (*note: totally not a lawyer, but that seems to be a distinct possibility)

Ah, that is a possibility. Perhaps strict limits on what you can and cannot make a flag?

I, personally, absolutely support this idea. I've wanted my IC flag in a physical format for months now, and I'd love having my current flag framed and on my wall. I'd be extremely surprised if [v] or Max OK'd this idea, though. It seems like it'd basically be pouring thousands of dollars of money for ink, and printers, and blank flags, all for the enjoyment of a few players, and the chance of some publicity. I'd love it, but I don't think it'll happen.

That's just my opinion, of course.

That's just it, Max wouldn't be making them. It'd be through a contract or association with a business that already does this sort of custom work. Theoretically, the only investment is in the time, through negotiating, implementing, and integrating the features into the site.

I must have missed that in the OP. In that case, it sounds great! The main problem I can see is coordinating flag makers throughout the world, seeing as there are NSers around the world.

[Mousebumples]

Possible legal issue - what about people who use images they didn't create - i.e. the Calvin & Hobbes flag that New Kvenland is currently sporting. Nothing wrong with using that as your flag here; however, to have someone reprint it and make it into a flag likely violates various copyright laws and the like. (*note: totally not a lawyer, but that seems to be a distinct possibility)

Ah, that is a possibility. Perhaps strict limits on what you can and cannot make a flag?

Yeah, but who's going to judge that? And who's to say that whomever is in charge of determining that flag-x meets said limits doesn't realize that a given flag is a DevArt creation by a different (non-NS) individual or ... whatever?

It just seems like there's a whole bunch of possible liability issues, to me.

[Separatist Peoples]

Possible legal issue - what about people who use images they didn't create - i.e. the Calvin & Hobbes flag that New Kvenland is currently sporting. Nothing wrong with using that as your flag here; however, to have someone reprint it and make it into a flag likely violates various copyright laws and the like. (*note: totally not a lawyer, but that seems to be a distinct possibility)

I don't know about abroad, but in the US, having something copyrighted produced as a singular custom item is probably not a genuine issue. It would likely be in the same category as making your own T Shirt with Kim Kardashian on it. I also bet there's something in the fine print of the custom flagmaker's contract that helps for liability control in that regard.

Isn't there something in NS's user policy that covers use of copyrighted images for flags?

EDIT: Ok, here's my thinking, though I absolutely am not an expert:

The site has the following clause in its Terms of Use: Should you breach these terms and conditions you agree to indemnify NationStates, Max Barry, and any and all employees, agents, administrators, moderators, volunteers, and affiliates associated with NationStates.net from and against any and all third party claims, demands, liabilities, costs or expenses, including reasonable legal fees.

What if the TOS for using the flag option was the acquisition of any necessary permissions, with an inclusion of this clause? That way, any slip ups aren't on the site's dime.

Besides, from the research I've done, most custom works companies will have a human being look over the design to determine if it appears to be violating a Copyright or Trademark too significantly, to protect themselves. If an order or design does, they seem to bounce it back. Obviously, this would be something that NS and whoever the contractor is would need to work out, but I can't see it being any different than any of the other custom product services out there, personally.

[Jute]

It should be fine for simple flags that were made by scratch by the user, though. Like mine, for example?

[Separatist Peoples]

It should be fine for simple flags that were made by scratch by the user, though. Like mine, for example?

Well, if you made it, you own the rights to it, no questions asked. NationStates has the right to use it royalty-free, but it's yours.

[Jute]

It should be fine for simple flags that were made by scratch by the user, though. Like mine, for example?

Well, if you made it, you own the rights to it, no questions asked. NationStates has the right to use it royalty-free, but it's yours.

It would be cool to have it as an actual physical object, of course, but I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble.

[Separatist Peoples]

Well, if you made it, you own the rights to it, no questions asked. NationStates has the right to use it royalty-free, but it's yours.

It would be cool to have it as an actual physical object, of course, but I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble.

Neither am I. That's why I posted it here.

[Equalsun Empire]

I'm in complete support of this idea, and if someone could figure out what on earth liabilities would do to this, I would love it! I've always wanted to hang my nation's flag in my yard or on the wall, and I'm sure that I'm not alone You should create a poll in this thread, with a "Yes" and "No" option, so people can support it without having to comment and we'll have a specific number without counting up every "Me too!" on this thread. Just food for thought.

[Jute]

I'm in complete support of this idea, and if someone could figure out what on earth liabilities would do to this, I would love it! I've always wanted to hang my nation's flag in my yard or on the wall, and I'm sure that I'm not alone You should create a poll in this thread, with a "Yes" and "No" option, so people can support it without having to comment and we'll have a specific number without counting up every "Me too!" on this thread. Just food for thought.

If you made it yourself and didn't base it on any other flag, the liabilities shouldn't be a problem. Inspiration is a different thing. Obviously, mine is inspired by St. Kitts & Nevis' as well as Malawi's flag, but I'm willing to bet it would still count as original enough.

[Mousebumples]

I'm in complete support of this idea, and if someone could figure out what on earth liabilities would do to this, I would love it! I've always wanted to hang my nation's flag in my yard or on the wall, and I'm sure that I'm not alone You should create a poll in this thread, with a "Yes" and "No" option, so people can support it without having to comment and we'll have a specific number without counting up every "Me too!" on this thread. Just food for thought.

Don't create a poll. It'll just make me (or another mod) remove it. Technical suggestions are not subject to popular vote.

[Equalsun Empire]

I'm in complete support of this idea, and if someone could figure out what on earth liabilities would do to this, I would love it! I've always wanted to hang my nation's flag in my yard or on the wall, and I'm sure that I'm not alone You should create a poll in this thread, with a "Yes" and "No" option, so people can support it without having to comment and we'll have a specific number without counting up every "Me too!" on this thread. Just food for thought.

Don't create a poll. It'll just make me (or another mod) remove it. Technical suggestions are not subject to popular vote.

And I guess that's why it was just food for thought, sorry And Jute, I guess you're right, but some people don't have their own custom flags, like us. It takes time to make one in Paint or the like, and I'm sure someone is going to try flagging a copyrighted image.

[Jykku]

While I'd love to see it in physical form, my Jykku flag is a shopped version of a thing by EgoRaptor, and while Arin Hanson's generally a pretty chill dude, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate somebody stealing his content for use like that.

[Riemstagrad]

to add another thing: Most 5 to 250 kb jpeg, gif or png images that look good in a small size on the screen will look bad if scaled up to a larger size for printing. Scalable vector graphics are limited and can only be used for the less complex flags.

[Separatist Peoples]

to add another thing: Most 5 to 250 kb jpeg, gif or png images that look good in a small size on the screen will look bad if scaled up to a larger size for printing. Scalable vector graphics are limited and can only be used for the less complex flags.

A lot of places will deliberately adjust the image to fit appropriately. And again, there's nothing that says the company can't send back an order with a polite "sorry, not possible."

[Sedgistan]

The time and effort this would take to set up and maintain would likely outweigh any (minimal) financial income the site might get from it. If you want an actual flag of your nation's flag, you're better off sorting it directly with a company that does that, rather than via NS.

[Separatist Peoples]

The time and effort this would take to set up and maintain would likely outweigh any (minimal) financial income the site might get from it. If you want an actual flag of your nation's flag, you're better off sorting it directly with a company that does that, rather than via NS.

Whelp, there we go. Thanks for the info!