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Politically In/Correct: Questionable Shop Partner Designs – Update

Yesterday we received a number of angry tweets, e-mails and phone calls about a design from one of our shop partner’s shops. They all, in one form or another, asked the same question: why/how could you allow such a design to be sold or printed.

Yes, we know about this design – it has been available since 2008. We now know the terrible events it indirectly references. But, we see ourselves as a (neutral) platform – a “technical service”. That means that we sometimes have to print designs and text that we personally don’t support and/or don’t approve of – but still have to tolerate. As stated in this shop, “The Shop Partner is exclusively and solely responsible for the design and content of this shop”.

Whenever there is a design that might cross a line (something that is very difficult to define), the Ethics Committee steps in. This committee is made up of 7 employees from a number of departments throughout our company. They discuss shops and designs that have come to our attention on a case to case basis. For example, a “clean” shop with a design that clearly violates our ethical guidelines will not be shut down – simply the design would be removed.

There are however (often) situations where a design doesn’t directly violate our guidelines, but is rather a subtle case which lands somewhere in the grey zone between freedom of speech and censorship.

The example referenced above: a design “Without Killing Anyone”, is seen by many to be offensive, tasteless and disrespectful (I count myself among those). However, we have not yet removed it because it is a case that we have to review whether it falls within the realm of freedom of speech. We see this freedom as a fundamental part our platform – and unless a design directly violates the law or our ethical guidelines, we will not play the role of censor.

We will, however, review this design in our Ethics Committee. In the meanwhile, we invite you to express your opinions and thoughts for discussion in the comments below.

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UPDATE: We understand your points in the comments below. We take this and other such inquiries about ethics very seriously. We also want you to understand that this process takes time. Our platform allows users to upload content expressing their opinions. In some cases it is very clear that a design “allude[s] to victims of catastrophes or attacks in a disrespectful manner”, in other cases, like this one, when taken out of context, the design does not clearly break our ethical guidelines. This is why it was approved over 2 years ago and has existed on our platform without much note until yesterday afternoon.

We cannot control the opinions expressed in every design uploaded to our platform. Nor do we want to censor the opinions of our partners. I hope you understand that wish. Imagine you uploaded a design to our platform expressing an opinion we don’t agree with and us censoring it. This is why we let all designs uploaded to shops appear, as long as they clearly do not break any law or violate our ethical guidelines. This design violates the latter – but our Ethics Committee is in place to deal with this once it comes to our attention.

The Ethics Committee has decided to remove this design from the shop. Please understand that this process takes time and that we can’t remove every design complained about without properly looking into the case and coming to the right conclusion according to our Ethical Guidelines. After reviewing this design and placing it into the context (which was unclear two years ago upon its approval), we found it does violate our ethics.

Thank you for all of your comments expressing your outrage. I took each and every one seriously, except for those that personally threatened me. Please continue to discuss or ask questions below.

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75 comments Write a comment

  2. Paul, we *have* removed the design. Once it came to our attention it was removed from his shop. The other designs in his shop do not violate our ethical guidelines, and as stated above, our goal is to offer people a platform to express their opinion. We are not censors, unless necessary with this one particular design. I hope you understand our position on this.

  3. I’m a Man Utd supporter and I’m totaly disgusted with this so called fan. What’s more I’m more disgusted that you have not removed, not only the t-shirt but also the shop from your web site. I for one will never buy any t-shirt from any shop or any one connected to your site. Disgracefull!!!!!!!

  4. Hello Potential Customer,

    Thank you for expressing your concerns. As stated above in the update on the blog, the design in question was removed from the shop partner’s shop last Friday after our Ethics Council reviewed it.

    Many confused our mention of Freedom of Speech as a direct reference to the design in question. That was a misunderstanding / poor way of communication on my part. We wanted to explain that our platform is there to give our partners a place to express their opinions (a.k.a. freedom of speech), **however**, if that opinion violates our ethical guidelines, then we will act accordingly and remove it, as we did in this case.

    If a shirt refers to any tragedy, be it British, American, Polish, Italian, etc., we take this seriously as a violation of our ethics and we will not sell nor print these designs. Once these designs and their backgrounds come to our attention (as Liverpool fans informed us here), we act swiftly to investigate the claims and decide whether it violates our ethical guidelines.

    I hope I was able to clear things up a bit so. Let me know if you have any questions!

  5. I just discovered you guys today and I was on the verge of ordering my first couple of t-shirts when I came across this dicussion. Interesting what you will do. If you keep hiding behind your freedom of speach hoola instead of taking responsibility (the default position of Americans it seems) I don’t think I’ll order anything. And I’m not even British! The thing is, if a shirt would refer to any American tragedy like Columbine or Virginia Tech (better comparisons than Nazis or 9/11 I think) you wouldn’t think twice. The seller is not voicing an opinion, he’s just being obnoxious and that has nothing to do with freedom of speech. Ban the shirt and warn the shop owner that if he puts it back on you’ll delete his account. The only way to go.

  6. Pingback: "Scott the red" Republik of Mancunia - Page 2 - The Liverpool Way

  8. Scouse Internet terrorists win again.

    Who will we boycott and threaten next? Don’t cross us or it could be you.

  11. Please have some respect for the 39 people who died. You cannot sell a t-shirt jeering at an appalling tragedy.

  13. I see the offensive shirt has been put back up (and make no mistake, it is offensive). Has it suddenly fallen within your ethical guidelines again?

  14. Dave. Your sick client has the t shirts back up and whilst before you just looked stupid he has proved you are as idiotic as he is sick in the head.

  15. Hmmmm. Will you be having T-shirts stating ‘Without Crashing Once, we won it 5 times?’.
    I doubt it and I hope not but then again, two wrongs don’t make a right.

    I am not angry about this, just pity you.

    I would love to see you in The Flattie with that T-Shirt on, you would get a warm welcome.

    Anyway, I won’t buy from you. You really are the Gerald Ratner of today.

  17. Care to explain how his site is still selling his filth?

    https://mancuniamerchandise.spreadshirt.com/without-killing-anyone-I2873475

    Only hours after you claim to have had the site taken down he is openly mocking Liverpool fans on twitter saying your site allowed them back up straight away

    https://www.twitter.com/#!/R_o_M

    But I guess as long as his freedom of speech isn’t compromised in any way everyone is happy.

    Suppose its a stupid question to ask how much money spreadshirt has made from him selling that filth since 2008?

    Wonder how much negative press/media stories like this will garner? The most popular Liverpool forums on the internet now know. You have already had complains on your twitter and facebook pages. We already have 6 Liverpool themed shops ready to take their stores off your website in protest.

    Also stupid to ask what you are going to do about this since you’ll just take it down and he’ll just put it back up. You’ll take his shop offline.

  21. Dave

    I do not accept that. Enough other people picked up on it very quickly, hence the pressure you’ve been put under here etc.

    Anyway, moving on… you should either completely disassociate yourselves with everything to do with the idiots producing this kind of trash PUBLICALLY, or continue in the same vein and probably end up labled the same as them.

    Which way are you guys going to go is the question – will you condemn them publically here and now, along with cutting all future links with them ?

    Regards

    Garrett

  22. This is a German company and I’m sure that if there was a t-shirt referencing the Nazis they would be the first to complain. I would recommend that they research the meanings behind their products before they put them up for general sale.

  23. Thanks for doing this, your company’s response has been excellent.

    I am a bit concerned that the designer is boasting on Twitter that he’s had these T-shirts removed before and just put them back up again. Something that he claims he will do again.

    Would be grateful if you ensured that this cannot happen

    Thanks

  24. The same internet terrorists that disposed of Hicks and Gillette will be disposing of your paltry tshirt business.

    Throw away any sense of ethics for a few quid. Fuck off.

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