[ANSTHRLD] Odd question I'm unable to find the answer to.

wreath herald wreathherald at gmail.com
Fri Apr 15 20:01:14 PDT 2011


On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 2:22 PM, Emily Minier <adalia.nyx at gmail.com> wrote:
> Since we register specific arms to specific people, is there permission
> necessary for someone OTHER THAN the registree to cause those arms to be
> displayed?  If so, what permission is necessary and how is that permission
> documented.
>
> Let me give some background.
>
> There is a merchant at a war who will (for no fee) gladly accept and display
> the registered arms of any member of the SCA.  He has specific size rules
> and such on his acceptances, but that is neither here nor there.  Some
> members of the populace have asked that their arms be crafted in a form that
> complies with his rules so they can be displayed.  Do I need to have some
> form of written permission from the owner of the arms before I create and
> deliver said arms unto the vendor?
>
> --
> HL Adalia VonderBerg


We're a theater. A really big theater, with a really big troupe.
Laurel and the SCA College of Arms, are a bunch of people who are part
of the theater that the theater directors decided can keep track of
pretty pictures, and the acting troupe  has decided to play along.

Legally, in the real world, our registration has about as much
standing as a marshmallow.

Then, there's in-game. The troupe has all decided to play along, after
all. Technically, that merchant shouldn't be displaying the arms. Arms
says "THIS IS ME". Like the flag of the Admiral is only flown when the
admiral is in residence, and the standard of the Queen is only flown
when the queen is in residence, the arms should only technically be
displayed by the person who is saying "I'm here". It's cool that this
merchant is doing this, since heraldic display is good, but
functionally it's not the way it would have been done medievally.

If you're doing it at the behest of the owner, or with their
knowledge, or as a gift, I'd say you're probably clear.

 - Istvan
   Not speaking as Wreath, nor for the corporation, or for any
official platform.
   Speaking as someone who knows the SCA heraldic registration system
and the ins and outs of modern Intellectual Property law and practice
pretty good, for a layman.



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