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So I just got the latest edition of the Games Workshop US Webway newsletter in my emailbox.  I glanced through it, seeing nothing that I was not already aware of from visiting their website. Then I kept reading. The newsletter is reproduced below for your viewing pleasure....

(Apologies if I am violating any terms-of-use policies; mods, feel free to edit as needed)

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="580" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="right"></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="3" cellpadding="0" width="580" align="left" background="http://us.games-workshop.com/newsletter/images/background.jpg" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="420"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="410" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>

Welcome to the weekly Games Workshop Webway Newsletter. Here, you will find out about the latest news, releases, and events straight from Games Workshop US.

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td valign="top" width="160" rowspan="50"> <table cellspacing="2" cellpadding="0" width="150" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="140" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>NEW RELEASES
</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="150" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Codex: Dark Angels </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="150" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Dark Angels Battleforce </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="150" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Gaunt's Ghosts: The Founding </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="410" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="400" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">

THE LAS VEGAS GRAND TOURNAMENT IS COMING JUNE 1-3

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The first-ever GT in Vegas will be packed with amazing gaming, fantastic armies, and more! This GT will be a return to an “old school” feel of the GTs in the past. Expect tons of special events, guests, and more!

The tournaments being held at this GT will include Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, and The Lord of The Rings. The Las Vegas Warhammer 40,000 GT is already sold out! Make sure you secure your place for Warhammer and The Lord of The Rings soon. Click here for more information.

</td> <td align="center"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="410" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="400" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">

NEW SNEAK PEEKS ARE NOW ONLINE!

</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"></td> <td>

Our latest Sneak Peeks of upcoming miniatures for Warhammer and The Lord of The Rings Strategy Battle Game arrived on March 5, 2007. Among them is the awesome (and hungry-looking) Night Goblin Boss on Giant Squig shown on the left. Make sure you stop by the Sneak Peeks area of our website to check them out in all their 'Eavy Metal painted glory! Take me to the new Sneak Peeks now!!!

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="410" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td>

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="400" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2">

PATH TO THE CROWN ROADSHOW

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>

The Roadshow is a traveling event that features a Warhammer mega-battle, a precursor to the events of this summer’s Nemesis Crown campaign, as well as special games of Warhammer 40,000 and The Lord of The Rings. More information can be found here.

</td> <td align="center">

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td background="http://us.games-workshop.com/newsletter/images/mainback.jpg"> <table cellpadding="3" width="580" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top">

If you have any questions, concerns, problems, or just want to chew the fat with one of our Hobby Specialists, you can contact US Direct Services at 1-800-394-GAME or email us at Custserv@Games-Workshop.com.

LEGAL

Games Workshop America, Inc., 6711 Baymeadow Drive, Glen Burnie, MD  21060

Copyright (c) Games Workshop Limited 2007. Games Workshop, the Games Workshop logo, Warhammer, the Warhammer 40,000 device, the Double Headed/Imperial Eagle device, 40k, GW, 'Eavy Metal, Space Marine, the Space Marine Chapters, the Space Marine chapter insignia, Codex, White Dwarf, Citadel, Citadel Device, Khemri, Nurgle, Skaven, Slaanesh, Tomb Kings, Tzeentch, Chaos, the Chaos device, the Chaos logo, Ogre Kingdoms, Forge World, Khorne, the Khorne device, Kroot, Necron, Nurgle, the Nurgle device, Ork, Ork skull devices, Slaanesh, the Slaanesh device, Tau, the Tau caste designations, Tyranid, Tzeentch, the Tzeentch device and all associated products, marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/devices/logos/symbols, factions, vehicles, locations, weapons, units, characters, illustrations and images from the Warhammer World and Warhammer 40,000 Universe are either ®, TM and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2007, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © Games Workshop Limited 2007 excepting all materials pertaining to the New Line theatrical productions: The Watcher logo, The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; and The Return of The King which are © MMVI New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Lord of The Rings, The Fellowship of The Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of The King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. and Games Workshop Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Games Workshop, the Games Workshop logo, Warhammer and the Warhammer 40,000 device are either Æ, TM and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2007, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. All Rights Reserved.

If you have received this e-mail in error, please advise the sender immediately by return and delete this email and all copies along with any attachments from your workstations, networks and systems. This email is in no way intended to be a license or a waiver of any rights enjoyed by any company in the Games Workshop group of companies whatsoever. Games Workshop adopts anti-virus policies and best practice but, as far as permitted by law, disclaims, and in no way accepts, any liability for any damage whatsoever and howsoever caused including damage caused by any virus or similar program transmitted by this e-mail or any attachments hereto. If you have any queries regarding the above paragraph or Games Workshop's Intellectual Property policies, please e-mail Games Workshop Group's legal department at LegalQ@games-workshop.co.uk

You are currently subscribed to webway as:

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

 

... and it suddenly struck me that the legalese nonsense at the bottom of the email took up more space (and actually had more words in it) than the advert itself.  

While I applaud GW for using a font that can actually be read by humans for what is usually a fine-print disclosure, I have to ask what purpose is served by this giant block of text.  Is there, really, a risk that some unhappy recipient might a) sue GW for spamming or b) claim that by sending an email GW has granted them some form of copyright immunity?  Or have the lawyers just taken control of the company?

You never know. Theres all sorts of things to fear from individual people (i.e. boogeymen). When you're a big heartless corporation you need to fear the little guys. I wonder if I could sue GW for spilling a cup of scalding grots on my lap in a GW store? I bet they would pay me a big cash settlement to keep it from court. Its funny, I'm not sure where that human model comes from, but he sure looks like a lawyer to me.

"We have a witch, may we burn her??"

That's all pretty standard stuff. They just have a lot of IP to protect.

There's no harm in including it, and potential harm if they don't. It's a pretty easy choice.

I suppose, but it doesn't make it any less irritating getting it in the mail. I subscribe to the UK, US and CA newsletters and recently cancelled them. Due to the fact that its exactly the same crap I see plastered in my WDs and see on the websites and see in the stores. Its funny that half of the message is just the legalese. I wonder if anyone checked their mail and said, "Holy Sh*t DA have a new dex and model line!" No offense if you did, but its been shouted to the heavens for quite some time now.

The blurb about the LOTR IP (a full third of the legalese) is probably placed upon them. If that wasn't in there, it would be a pretty standard size legal disclaimer.

They do have an awful lot of IP to protect.

I don't see why anyone cares.

Chuck

Posted By WarsmithDave on 03/09/2007 9:26 PM
I wonder if anyone checked their mail and said, "Holy Sh*t DA have a new dex and model line!" No offense if you did, but its been shouted to the heavens for quite some time now.

It would be news to anyone who doesn't pay attention to internet forums. Probably 80% of the people getting the email.

Posted By WarsmithDave on 03/09/2007 9:26 PM
I suppose, but it doesn't make it any less irritating getting it in the mail. I subscribe to the UK, US and CA newsletters and recently cancelled them. Due to the fact that its exactly the same crap I see plastered in my WDs and see on the websites and see in the stores. Its funny that half of the message is just the legalese. I wonder if anyone checked their mail and said, "Holy Sh*t DA have a new dex and model line!" No offense if you did, but its been shouted to the heavens for quite some time now.

How did you cancel them. I can't find the button or whatever to cancel mine and they are driving me nuts.

The dude is the Law-hammer!

While I am not an expert in intellectual property law, based on what I do know most of that stuff serves no purpose. If someone wanted to sue them (or they wanted to sue somebody) over the tiny amount of damages that could be suffered by this flyer (or what ever it is) it would take them about 10 seconds to prove what the junk at the bottom of the flyer states.

Then again, most disclaimers that you see serve no purpose, but other companies use them too.

Posted By WarsmithDave on 03/09/2007 7:09 PM
You never know. Theres all sorts of things to fear from individual people (i.e. boogeymen). When you're a big heartless corporation you need to fear the little guys. I wonder if I could sue GW for spilling a cup of scalding grots on my lap in a GW store? I bet they would pay me a big cash settlement to keep it from court. Its funny, I'm not sure where that human model comes from, but he sure looks like a lawyer to me.

"We have a witch, may we burn her??"

Have you ever studied the McDonald's coffee lawsuit? Had they kept the coffee at the industry norm, it would not have caused horrific injuries to the woman. In fact, she only wanted compensation for the skin grafts she had to have in her inner thigh area, and they said no. Her ultimate award was reduced by her negligence, and she ended up making a deal for less money in the end anyway.

Sorry to get off topic.

 

 

"If you have received this e-mail in error, please advise the sender immediately by return and delete this email and all copies along with any attachments from your workstations, networks and systems. "

The above is kinda ironic because some  phishing techniques use this exact pitch to get you to respond to an email in order to misdirect you to a site that tries to infect your computer ... or at the very least verify that this is an active account and you'll start to get tons of spam.

I'm not saying this email is a phish, but it certainly could become one.....cut....paste....redirect.....bulk mailer. 

If you EVER see an unsolicited email (Which I know this one isn't, but it could easily become one) asking you to go to a site or notify the sender if sent in error....block the IP and delete the message.  Other hints...like the sender being EldarVixan0155...might be a good tip-off as well.  :mad:

Ever worked in financial services or pharmaceuticals? GW's disclosures read like Hemingway in comparison.