Case Study: You're a large nat'l non-profit org who needs a puppet made for library gigs of your computer animated PBS character. A custom puppet will cost five thousand $$. But library gigs means low budget.
So you hold a contest with a month deadline. You offer four hundred $$ as a prize for the best puppet. Email it to Puppeteers’ groups & teachers’ groups. Promise to put a pic of the winner up & do a newsletter & website article about them.
You specify it exactly...stating that all puppets submitted must match those specs. Implying that this contest can't be won if the entries don't measure up. From your specs: the materials could run a hundred $$ or more. Time involved for an amateur = a min of 40 hrs
Thus:
-The winner gets reimbursed for materials & paid $7.50 an hour for labor requiring considerable skill
-All losers get nothing, loose $$ in materials/time & end up with a puppet they can't use or sell (copyrighted)
-You get a puppet for $4,500 off.
Ethical?
2007-05-11 08:59:53 · 8 answers · asked by elly_leaverton 3 in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
One of the answers made me go back and look--there are no provisions for returning the loosing puppets listed. Also, submitting the puppet is required...not just a picture.
I find the responses below facinating. Very different in fact from the responses on a list for professional puppeteers.
Here's a few quote from a puppeteer:
"…the blatant ways that "charitable" organizations think nothing of ripping off professional puppeteers "for the kids..." How many of us have faced that obnoxious person in our careers who didn't want to pay for a puppet show; something they considered frivolous, and instead of admitting that they didn't want to pay, asked you to work free, "for the kids..." As if you didn't care about the kids if you charged a living wage?"
"the sad thing is it only shows how little people think of puppeteers skills, value or intelligence..."
2007-05-13 16:44:36 · update #1
PBS is not a television network in the commercial sense of the term. If any local PBS station got wind of this happening, they would certainly cancel their subscription to the show, which they have the right to do. suppose a child in their town lost out in the contest, how would they explain the "ethics" to the parents?
the series would not be renewed by PBS for another season. and your 'free' puppets will probably cost hundreds of thousands in future production value.
2007-05-12 14:51:00 · answer #1 · answered by lare 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the material cost is significant, then the losing puppets should be returned(or at least available for pick-up) to their creators. If the puppet was created with the permission according to specs supplied by the non-profit, the creator should be free to sell it.
The losers were competing for a prize that is more valuable than the monetary prize/reimbursement. The possibility of winning has to be factored into evaluating the fairness of this situation.
2007-05-11 09:17:09 · answer #2 · answered by VATreasures 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it's ethical. Anyone entering the contest would know the rules, and be aware that they will most likely be out the cost of making the puppet and that it will take a certain amount of their time. In the hopes of winning and getting publicity, they would be willing to take the chance.
2007-05-11 09:19:36 · answer #3 · answered by Kathryn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The amateur might do it as a hobby and take pride in the fact what they have made will even be considered. Therefore, the 40 hours of labor could actually be considered enjoyment.
For some reason, this makes me think of "America's Funniest Home Video's". Amateurs compete for 10k but all of their "work" filming may be lost, as well as the cost of the tape and their rights to the content.
2007-05-11 09:10:29 · answer #4 · answered by logan j 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think as long as all rules and risks are known up front it is ethical. After all, are we promised any kind of reward or reibursement when we play the lottery? No, we know we're likely to lose our money. I don't see how this would be any different.
2007-05-11 09:17:22 · answer #5 · answered by Barbara M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes its ethical. Basically the people are donating time and money to the non-profit org that helping kids at libraries.
2007-05-11 09:05:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why do not you seek for suggestion from the appropriate path readings, then, in case you're nevertheless puzzled, clarify right here what you're puzzled approximately. the full factor is so you might think of those issues by way of.
2016-10-04 22:13:44 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
life is a big risk any contest at someones expense is their choice
2007-05-11 09:04:28 · answer #8 · answered by Agent99 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋