Legality of third party fans

[Taylor]

A rookie member and I had a similar discussion just this past weekend.
We came to the conclusion that big, important companies donate lots of gizmos and money to FIRST, and (partially) in return, they get to be the exclusive gizmo of FIRST Robotics.

Yes, the companies are donating their goods and services to a very good cause - they're also very intelligently building a customer base for years to come.

Think of all the collegiate senior projects that use IFI or CTRE or PTC or NI products (for example) we've seen recently that may have otherwise used other components. This means FIRST students have been acclimated to prefer the FIRST suppliers' products, which means that when these young ladies and gentlemen start their own companies, they'll be predisposed to use FIRST suppliers' products, which means the initial donations will have been very worthwhile.

Next time you listen to the radio or watch television, pay attention to the types of commercials played. Dollars to doughnuts, in a single break, you'll only hear/see one commercial from any given type of local business (law firm, auto dealership, florist, etc.). Exclusivity is a huge negotiating tool.