In an odd mood today

**Vermin_King** · #1 09-15-2014, 01:47 PM

When I was researching models for my On this Date post, there were all those stinking Alice listings to sort through AGAIN.

Something perverse crossed my mind.

If someone designed a model and posted an Alice logo on it with a tag line of 'Fine Purveyor of Stolen Designs Since 2001', do you think they would steal it and sell it without any changes?

**airdave** · #2 09-15-2014, 02:09 PM

I doubt they would even understand.

Pirates are dumb.

**whulsey** · #3 09-15-2014, 02:28 PM

Isn't Alibaba their parent corporation? They've been all over the business news the last week for doing a IP on the stock exchange. All the big investors and such are falling all over themselves for it. I'm sure Alice is a tiny part of the overall, but still if they allow it to continue without cleaning it up doesn't say much for their morals (for lack of a better term).

**elliott** · #4 09-15-2014, 02:45 PM

Can't say if it would work or not but - pirates have done some really stupid things in the past. Who knows??

**JohnM** · #5 09-15-2014, 03:30 PM

Simple fact is .... International copyright stealing and commercial piracy isn't against Chinese (or Korean) law. Like the Japanese back in the '50s, who passed the ideas on to Hong Kong (under British rule), graft and commercial espionage are the founding principles of their industries.

The Government backed Alibaba group are already bigger than Google and Amazon rolled together, and now they are floating shares on the World markets, there's nothing standing in their way. Putting the blinkers on to their methods, they are probably quite a good investment.

Just have a look at their prices, and guess where Pound-land, The Pound Shop, etc, get their supplies. As do countless Amazon and Ebay traders. AliExpress is the main trade outlet for individual items, and Alibaba is where all the bulk trade contacts are to be found. You'll find Alice in both.

TomTop is another similar Chinese setup worth exploring, but you may run into language difficulties as they are independent of the Alibaba group and away from the Hong Kong / Shanghai trade areas. Good, cheap suppliers though, if you can make the connections.

Yes, I've successfully traded with them all in the past, but I've retired from 95% of my commercial enterprises now. Just enjoying the 'Residual Profits' from a few pyramid sales schemes that wiil continue to pay me and my heirs for many years to come.

As regards to Capitalist circles, I decided long ago to adopt the 'If you can't beat them - JOIN 'EM' stance. Workin' smart is much more lucrative than workin' hard. I did the same in the Army. "Always remember son - You can't beat the system!" So I set off up the promotion ladder 'til I reached the stage where the squaddies called me 'Boss'
... and I became the system.

Keep on snippin' ... Johnny.