I'm not sure how you get to nobody benefiting, surely you've benefited long-term with a nice pen, and they had at least the short-term benefit of advertising?

Also, I'm not sure why you're annoyed with the company that gave you the pen. It's possible that they know the production run is dodgy, but want to get some benefit from this batch of pens rather than just throwing them out? I'm reminded somewhat of the beer-festival glasses from a few years ago where the pint-to-line mark rubbed off.

In general though, giving away good quality freebies seems to be a benefit to the company. I have some free t-shirts I never wear because they're awful, but others that form part of my usual rotation because they're good quality.

The reason I'm annoyed, and the reason their short-term benefit of advertising has backfired, is because the pen covered my desk in gunk. It's a good pen now, after I removed the logo and hence the remaining source of gunk, but until then it was a liability.

If the pint-to-line mark had rubbed off in such a way as to noticeably pollute the beer, that would have been an analogous case.

I believe legally-required markings on a glass (pint/half lines, crown mark) have to be etched, and only decorative designs can be printed. And presumably on the outside.

The ipnt and half pint lines on all my CAMRA pint glasses are externally printed, I think.

I remember getting a glass at a beer restival whose (external) pint marker rubbed off unpleasantly.