[Passed] World Assembly Official Merchandise

[Goobergunchia]

Important: obviously this is an in game and in character resolution and has nothing to do with the commercial aspects of NationStates.

Update: this resolution lost quorum when the quorum count went up from 62 to 64 and I missed the window to re-campaign. Re-submitted.

This is now a serious post, since I note that the United Nations does sell plenty of merchandise (shop.un.org) and the United Nations Development Programme (which relies on voluntary donations) is particularly aggressive (shop.undp.org).


I am sure a plush doll of the Simone Republic Bear will sell really well and better than the stuff from Hello Kitty that the UN is selling right now. And all the Roman gifts from IA will beat all the UNDP stuff.

Here's an example for TNP: (I am not using actual WA logos in my examples due to - you guessed it - trademark reasons)



I changed the resolution from a light-hearted post to a serious one, although I am aware that this is not a particularly important issue, so it could loiter for quite sometime before I submit it. I do not acknowledge it explicitly, but GAR#8 already specifies retailers within the World Assembly HQ, so no reason this cannot also involve hawking official merchandise.

And, as an aside, NationStates is supposed to be a web site to help Max Barry sell his books, so no reason not to have an IC retailer to raise some money to help the WA General Fund.


Draft 3

Category: free trade/mild

The World Assembly (WA),

Noting the WA's popularity across member states throughout the multiverse;

Dismayed that such popularity has not been leveraged to help fund the initiatives of the WA by selling merchandise to citizens of member states and fans of the WA across the multiverse;

Hereby defines:

"WA merchandise" as products of all kinds carrying WA IP and authorized for sale by WATCH;

"WA IP" as all intellectual property associated with the World Assembly and its constituent committees, including their names, logos, mascots, and other symbols deemed as such by WATCH;

"WATCH" to mean the WA Trust for Cultural Heritage;

1. Hereby requires WATCH to:
   
   
   
   1. Authorize businesses within member states to produce and ship WA merchandise in a fair and transparent process;
      
   2. Encourage individual member states to license (for valuable consideration) their own national symbols, important books and works of art, and other items deemed significant to their culture for use as WA merchandise;
      
   3. Ensure that all WA merchandise meet quality, environmental protection, safety, reliability and other requirements applicable;
      
   4. Ensure that all WA merchandise sold in an individual member state meet the technological, cultural, social, and other requirements, norms and practices of the said individual member state;
      
   5. Promote exports of WA merchandise to non member states;
      
   6. Arrange for retailing of WA merchandise in such manner as WATCH deems appropriate across all member states, tailored to the customary methods of retailing of each member state across the multiverse;
2. Hereby requires the WA General Accounting Office to monitor the profits generated from WA merchandise, and further specifies that such profits be used:
   
   
   
   1. Firstly, to fund the humanitarian activities of the WA;
      
   2. Secondly, if any funds remain, for the benefit of the WA General Fund;
3. Hereby encourages member states' government agencies (including sub-national governments and agencies) to purchase WA merchandise for their use as well as for the benefit of its citizens.

Draft 2

The World Assembly,

Noting its popularity across member states throughout the multiverse;

Dismayed that such popularity has not been leveraged to help fund the initiatives of the World Assembly (WA) by selling merchandise to citizens of member states and fans of the WA across the multiverse;

Hereby defines:

"WA merchandise" as products of all kinds carrying WA IP and authorized for sale by WATCH;

"WA IP" as all intellectual property associated with the World Assembly and its constituent committees, including their names, logos, mascots, and other symbols deemed as such by WATCH;

"WATCH" to mean the WA Trust for Cultural Heritage;

1. Hereby requires WATCH to:
   
   
   
   1. Authorize businesses within member states to produce and ship WA merchandise in a fair and transparent process;
      
   2. Encourage individual member states to license (for valuable consideration) their own national symbols, important books and works of art, and other items deemed significant to their culture for use as WA merchandise;
      
   3. Ensuring that all WA merchandise meet quality, environmental protection, safety, reliability and other requirements applicable to such WA merchandise;
      
   4. Ensuring that all WA merchandise sold in an individual member state meet the technological, cultural, social, and other requirements, norms and practices of the said individual member state;
      
   5. Promote and encourage exports of WA merchandise to non member states;
      
   6. Arrange for retailing of WA merchandise in such manner as WATCH deems appropriate across all member states, tailored to the customary methods of retailing of each member states across the multiverse;
2. Hereby requires the WA General Accounting Office to monitor the profits generated from WA merchandise, and further specifies that such profits to be used:
   
   
   
   1. Firstly, to fund the humanitarian activities of the WA;
      
   2. Secondly, if any funds remain, for the benefit of the WA General Fund;
3. Hereby requires that:
   
   
   1. A member state encourages its government agencies (including sub-national governments and agencies) to purchase WA merchandise for its use as well as for the benefit of its citizens;
      
   2. A member state may not impose duties or sales taxes (or other analogous taxes) on WA merchandise, or import and export restrictions, that it does not impose on similar products not carrying WA IP;
      
   3. A member state makes the counterfeiting (and the abetting thereof) of WA merchandise an offence under their own laws and subject to such penalties as the said member state may determine in accordance with its own laws.

Draft 1

The World Assembly,

Noting its efforts to protect sites with cultural significance within member nations through GAR#287, "Cultural Site Preservation" and the establishment of the World Assembly Trust for Cultural Heritage (WATCH);

Disappointed that WATCH does not have an explicit mandate to exploit sites with cultural significance for commercial profit, especially from gullible tourists;

Hereby requires:

1. WATCH to officially license manufacturers within member states to produce tacky merchandise (including T-shirts, plush dolls of various sapient species across the multiverse, and other collectibles, as well as seasonal items to exploit "holiday shopping" trends) carrying the logos and mascots of the World Assembly, the World Assembly Trust for Cultural Heritage, and other intellectual property that the World Assembly owns;
   
2. WATCH to establish, where physically possible, shops at sites with cultural significance within member states for sales of the said merchandise, with profits to be split 50:50 between the member states and the World Assembly, and further specifies that the World Assembly's share of the profits to be used:
   
   
   1. Firstly, to fund additional benefits for current and/or previous ambassadors to the World Assembly, to be spent at the discretion of the World Assembly Office of Building Management;
      
   2. Secondly, in the unlikely event of any funds remaining, for the benefit of the World Assembly General Fund;
3. Member states may not prohibit the WAOBM from operating physical retail locations within member states or to prohibit selling to its citizens through other channels, unless the said member state also prohibits all forms of retail transactions for profit;
   
4. Member states may not prohibit its citizens from purchasing licensed merchandise, nor to impose restrictions for imports and exports of such merchandise unless in contravention of other resolutions of the World Assembly.

[Second Sovereignty]

OOC:
You know what, full support. This is the kind of legislation we so dearly need.

[Simone Republic]

OOC:
You know what, full support. This is the kind of legislation we so dearly need.

Great. Note that I have turned this into a serious resolution (and effectively a fundraising tool for the General Fund on top of the mandatory "donations") so in a way supplementing the income from GA#17.

[Imperium Anglorum]

Full support.

[Desmosthenes and Burke]

Opposed due to the inclusion of 3c. This assembly continues its shameful efforts to undermine critical protections of intellectual property and free and yet this resolution would seek to establish special protection for the intellectual property of this assembly and only this assembly and special trading rights to its products. We cannot countenance such blatant hypocrisy.

[Namwenia]

"I am not opposed to the World Assembly creating merchandise on principle; however, I am opposed to almost the entirety of Clause 3. Requiring member states to purchase branded material per 3.a. is a gross overreach of individual sovereignty. Further, I echo concerns on 3.c as Desmosthenes and Burke has spoken to. However, pseudo-international patent law language inserted into a proposal on the mere sales of WA-Branded Merchandise is far beyond the scope of such a proposal and I do not believe the GA is the place for patent protections.

3.b is okay...I guess.

All said, as currently written, I am opposed to this legislation. If Section 3 merely comprised of b, I would not be opposed to it.

Thank you for your time."
-World Assembly Representative from the United Socialist States of Namwenia, Pat McDonald.

[Lidstev]

"Though we have to quarrel with the existence of official WA merchandise, we are concerned with the effects that Section 3a will have on nations that do not posess conventional governmental structures. For example, I know that are some (non-capitalist) anarchist nations within the World Assembly whose governments are essentially non-existent, but still send an ambassador to the WA. As a result, it would be impossible for the governments of those nations to purchase and distribute merchandise to their citizenry, even if there is demand for it, without vastly increasing their size and scope. I am sure this is not the intent behind this otherwise well-intentioned proposal, and we would have no quarrels with it if clarification is provided on the issues that I have outlined."

[Simone Republic]

"Though we have to quarrel with the existence of official WA merchandise, we are concerned with the effects that Section 3a will have on nations that do not posess conventional governmental structures. For example, I know that are some (non-capitalist) anarchist nations within the World Assembly whose governments are essentially non-existent, but still send an ambassador to the WA. As a result, it would be impossible for the governments of those nations to purchase and distribute merchandise to their citizenry, even if there is demand for it, without vastly increasing their size and scope. I am sure this is not the intent behind this otherwise well-intentioned proposal, and we would have no quarrels with it if clarification is provided on the issues that I have outlined."

I was thinking RNT plus trying to accommodate Communist countries, but I may take that out in the next draft. I don't expect IRL to be selling WA branded replicas of Roman statues to Somalia or Afghanistan.

[Heidgaudr]

"This takes me back to when I was an exchange student at Boktor University," Asgeir began to muse. "Those were simpler times, like when I tried to form a Socialist Party for student government but wasn't even able to get even enough signatures for the petition. It was a very different world from the Associated Communities. Some of the kids with yuppie parents would come to campus wearing hoodies with the trendiest fashion brand's name written in plain font and encircled by a bright red rectangle. Their backpacks were littered with buttons and pins from all the foreign locations their families had visited on vacations. They even had miniature radiation counters - which I don't know even if they worked at such a small scale - strapped to their shoelaces because that was the fashion at the time. Oh and before exams, they'd all huddle behind the building and huff bottles of purified air - to clear their heads from the horrific smog, you see - which were prohibited by the Administration as they considered it a form of academic doping. Oh good times..." His voice began to trail off.

"Where was I again? Oh yeah, the kids with the tacky fashion sense. Needless to say, I've seen first-hand what licensing merchandise eventually leads to, and the World Assembly has far more dignity than to stoop to that level! At least until Janus recovers from his surgery, that is."

Dismayed that such popularity has not been exploited to help fund the initiatives of the World Assembly (WA) by selling merchandise across the multiverse to citizens of member states and fans of the WA across the multiverse;

"Exploited? I'm a good little Marxist, so when I see that it makes me want to run for the hills!" He rises from his chair and sprints out of the debate chamber, all the while shouting at the top of his lungs: "I'm a good little Marxist! I'm a good little Marxist!"

[Barfleur]

"Full support. I humbly proposed that the committee name be changed to World Assembly Department for Reciprocity in Intellectual Property, or 'WA DRIP' for short."

OOC: In clause 3, you use "official merchandise" and "licensed merchandise" instead of the previously used and defined term "WA merchandise." For consistency's sake, I recommend you change it.

[United States of Dictators]

Full support, We need this ASAP

[Chipoli]

Full support.

[Tinhampton]

The joke version was better.

[Free Algerstonia]

"The globalists in the General Assembly are now engaging in an offensive against our heritage. They come for our morals, they come for our values, now they come for our flags. When will it end? Imagine a nationless world, a world of immorality, of degeneracy, of atheism, of communism. This is where we are going, the provisions for nationless entities bigoted against Algerstonia to mass-produce our national symbolism is the first step in the NWO's attack on individuality."

~Popular post by centrist media personality John Jordan on FreeState.alg, circa February 18, 2023; reposted by the Algerstonican Department of Cultural Defense approximately twenty minutes later.

[Anne of Cleves in TNP]

1. Promote and encourage exports of WA merchandise to non member states;

1. A member state may not prohibit its citizens from purchasing licensed merchandise unless it also prohibits all forms of commercial transactions by its citizens, in which case the said member state is required to purchase such amounts of official merchandise as the said member state deems necessary for distribution to its citizens to meet their demand for official merchandise;
   

[/box][/box][/spoiler]

“But, non-member nations can opt out of WA merchandise exports, right? Also, as other delegates have stated, I believe that forcing member nations to purchase additional merchandise is an over-reach. Her Highness, Anne of Cleves III, should be the one deciding how much merchandise to purchase!”

Lady Charlotte Schafer, Minister of WA Affairs for the Clevesian Empire

[Simone Republic]

Again, all subsequent answers in a single message.

1. Promote and encourage exports of WA merchandise to non member states;

1. A member state may not prohibit its citizens from purchasing licensed merchandise unless it also prohibits all forms of commercial transactions by its citizens, in which case the said member state is required to purchase such amounts of official merchandise as the said member state deems necessary for distribution to its citizens to meet their demand for official merchandise;

“But, non-member nations can opt out of WA merchandise exports, right?

WATCH is tasked to promote sales of WA merchandise, not forcing anyone to buy them.

Also, as other delegates have stated, I believe that forcing member nations to purchase additional merchandise is an over-reach. Her Highness, Anne of Cleves III, should be the one deciding how much merchandise to purchase!”

"I am not opposed to the World Assembly creating merchandise on principle; however, I am opposed to almost the entirety of Clause 3. Requiring member states to purchase branded material per 3.a. is a gross overreach of individual sovereignty. Further, I echo concerns on 3.c as Desmosthenes and Burke has spoken to. However, pseudo-international patent law language inserted into a proposal on the mere sales of WA-Branded Merchandise is far beyond the scope of such a proposal and I do not believe the GA is the place for patent protections.

I'd give up on 3(a) on the next draft. It's now "A member state is encouraged to purchase WA merchandise for the use of its governments as well as for the benefit of its citizens".

The joke version was better.

Well... the jokes didn't seem to get much traction, I might use that the next time I write issues.

3.b is okay...I guess.

That's more standard language to avoid any issues with (1)(a) because the WA is authorizing member states to produce the merchandise. Technically I can rely on GA#531 (Tariffs and Trade Convention) and take 3(b) out as well.

"Full support. I humbly proposed that the committee name be changed to World Assembly Department for Reciprocity in Intellectual Property, or 'WA DRIP' for short."

OOC: In clause 3, you use "official merchandise" and "licensed merchandise" instead of the previously used and defined term "WA merchandise." For consistency's sake, I recommend you change it.

The language issues have been fixed. I am re-using committees here - WATCH was defined in GA#287 ("Cultural Site Preservation") and re-used in GA#434. I have so far not actually created a new committee in my resolutions.

"Exploited? I'm a good little Marxist, so when I see that it makes me want to run for the hills!" He rises from his chair and sprints out of the debate chamber, all the while shouting at the top of his lungs: "I'm a good little Marxist! I'm a good little Marxist!"

I changed it to "leveraged" if that makes you feel better.

"The globalists in the General Assembly are now engaging in an offensive against our heritage. They come for our morals, they come for our values, now they come for our flags. When will it end? Imagine a nationless world, a world of immorality, of degeneracy, of atheism, of communism. This is where we are going, the provisions for nationless entities bigoted against Algerstonia to mass-produce our national symbolism is the first step in the NWO's attack on individuality."

*snip*.

Opposed due to the inclusion of 3c. This assembly continues its shameful efforts to undermine critical protections of intellectual property and free and yet this resolution would seek to establish special protection for the intellectual property of this assembly and only this assembly and special trading rights to its products. We cannot countenance such blatant hypocrisy.

Actually I am pro patents and copyright, just haven't got around to reintroducing those laws yet. Anyway you are only "encouraged" to license your national symbols for commercial gain. Whether your nation wants to or not is up to you.

Comment in relation to the World Assembly Act

And to cross-post the comment I made on NSWA Discord regarding the comparison with the failed World Assembly Website Act here:

GA#8 only specified that the Office of Building Management to engage in "selling contracts to vendors, retailers and other service providers to offer products or services, or operate local chapters, offices or franchises, within WA-controlled territory" (so presumably, various bars including the Three Walled Bar, the Strangers' Bar, the Discordant Bar and the Diogenes Club), but doesn't actually specify what kind of shops, whereas the web site act indirectly was referenced by GA#78 and GA#442 so there was more duplication.

[Kenmoria]

(OOC: The combination of clause 3 and clause 3a sounds odd: it is required to be encouraged. Some more elegant wording would be better. Otherwise, this has my full support.)

[Republic of Mesque]

Opposed due to the inclusion of 3c. This assembly continues its shameful efforts to undermine critical protections of intellectual property and free and yet this resolution would seek to establish special protection for the intellectual property of this assembly and only this assembly and special trading rights to its products. We cannot countenance such blatant hypocrisy.

Unanswered claims of hypocrisy in the WA? Shocking!

[The Orwell Society]

I have no opposition to this in principle. The WA logo would look exceptionally snazzy on a nice green coffee mug.

[Simone Republic]

I have no opposition to this in principle. The WA logo would look exceptionally snazzy on a nice green coffee mug.

Thanks.

This is now on draft 3 and 3b and 3c have been cut from the resolution. As above, I'd rely on GA#531 for 3b and RNT for 3c.

[Maowi]

"I can already tell collecting books that member states have licensed for WA merchandise is going to be my next fixation, so support from me! Although perhaps it would be best if this didn't pass, for the sake of my personal finances ... regarding feedback, I only have a few suggestions to streamline the grammar."

Ensuring that all WA merchandise meet quality, environmental protection, safety, reliability and other requirements applicable to such WA merchandise;

Ensuring that all WA merchandise sold in an individual member state meet the technological, cultural, social, and other requirements, norms and practices of the said individual member state;

Both instances of "Ensuring" would make more sense as "Ensure" given that they are continuations of "Hereby requires WATCH to ..."

Arrange for retailing of WA merchandise in such manner as WATCH deems appropriate across all member states, tailored to the customary methods of retailing of each member states across the multiverse;

"Each member states" should be "each member state".

Hereby requires the WA General Accounting Office to monitor the profits generated from WA merchandise, and further specifies that such profits to be used:

"Such profits to be used" seems incomplete, perhaps it should read "such profits be used" or "such profits are to be used".

[Simone Republic]

"I can already tell collecting books that member states have licensed for WA merchandise is going to be my next fixation, so support from me! Although perhaps it would be best if this didn't pass, for the sake of my personal finances ... regarding feedback, I only have a few suggestions to streamline the grammar."

Here's a nice mug featuring the Simone Republic Bear.

The grammatical errors have been fixed.

[Paldea]

We need Pacific Ocean-shaped keychains. SEND THIS TO MAX NOW

[Simone Republic]

*bump* (I am using the WA official bumper, soon to be available at WAHQ)

[Anne of Cleves in TNP]

“Seems that the bear has addressed my two issues that I stated previously. Also, I could use this merchandise to show the world how powerful the Clevesian Empire is…you know what, bear person, you have my full support.”

Lady Charlotte Schafer, Clevesian WA Minister

OOC: the italics in quotes are spoken in her mind