News & Media
Capt. Alfred Decker – Asshat of the Week
While Tropical Storm Edouard was bearing down on Texas, a woman in a Wal-Mart in La Marque, TX had the audacity to use the word “fuck” while speaking with her mother. (Telling her that there were no more batteries). “I looked at my mom and said, ‘They’re all —-ing gone,” Fridge recalled. Suddenly, Capt. Alfred Decker, the La Marque assistant
Google's "Chrome" Browser? No Thanks
Quizlaw has a compelling argument why bloggers should ditch the evil one’s new browser.
Cyber-protestor Shut Down by UDRP Panel
The Acroplex Blog reports on The shameful WIPO case of Aspis.com. Aspis is a registered trademark of a Swedish company. However, it is also refers to Aspis Pronoia, a Greek insurance company. Interestingly enough, the Swedish Aspis is the successor in interest to the Greek company. Back in 1998, Aspis Pronoia ticked off Mr. Dimitri Kukurinis, and he registered aspis.com
Penis Pumps Pwned! Uncle Sam Saves Us From Penis-Enlargement Scams – Provokes Possible Trade War With Sweden
Last week, the guy behind the Enzyte scam got 25 years in prison for selling placebo pills to guys with small penises. This week, the Food and Drug Administration issued an “Import Alert” recommending that penis enlargement hardware should not be allowed to be imported into the United States. See Import Alert #78-01 is titled “”DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF
Western Pennsylvania Town Clings to Guns & Religion – Sexytime, Not So Much
Stephanie Babines tried to open a womens’ pole-dancing studio in Adams Township, Pennsylvania. Her website is located here. The thought that local women would be gyrating like the Salem witches, with Ms. Babines playing the part of Tituba, was just too much for the code enforcement overlords in one of those parts of Pennsylvania where they cling to guns and
Wrong "Barbie": Mattel Lives up to its Doll's Airhead Image – Cybersquatter No Nobel Prize Winner Either
Mattel recently went after domainer Konstantinos Zournas in order to seize the barbitwins.com domain name. See Mattel, Inc. v. Konstantinos Zournas, NAF Claim Number 1203398 (Aug. 8, 2008). Mattel claimed that the “barbi” portion of “barbitwins.com” was confusingly similar to their registered BARBIE trademark. In their complaint, Mattel said that Mr. Zournas made no legitimate use of the domain name,
Stupid Flunkie Never Read Cohen v. California
On April 26, 1968, Paul Cohen walked into the Los Angeles County Courthouse wearing a jacket emblazoned with the words “Fuck the Draft.” He was arrested, Mel Nimmer took his case all the way to the Supreme Court, where the decision was reversed as Cohen’s jacket constituted First Amendment protected expression. See Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971) (“one
Wisconsin Woman Files Suit Over Linking Threats
Jennifer Reisinger says the Sheboygan city attorney ordered her to remove from her Web site a link to the city’s police department, in what she believes was retaliation for her support of recalling Mayor Juan Perez, according to the suit filed last week. (source) Her reaction, file a federal lawsuit against the City of Sheboygan. Not wasting my PACER pennies
Equifax Loses UDRP Decision for EFX.com
Equifax uses EFX as its stock ticker symbol. On that basis, it filed a UDRP action against Future Media Architects over the domain name EFX.com. See Equifax Inc. v. Future Media Architects Inc., NAF Claim Number 1195133 (Jul. 23, 2008). Equifax was not successful, but this decision gives some guidance to parties whose “trademark” rights may be less than a
Belly Bumpin' Don't Never Lead to No Good!
Livin’ in Flori-duh means never having to make something up when you wanna tell a funny story. Two former mayors of Oak Hill, Flori-duh got into a little altercation in the City Hall parking lot on Tuesday night. Well, one thing led t’nother, and the two started “belly bumping.” As y’all know, belly bumpin’ turns to fisticuffs and the resultin’
UDRP Complainant is "Sorely Misguided"
In World2Work Corporation v Kurt Reuss, NAF Case No. 1214404 (Aug. 18, 2008), Panelist Darryl Wilson lived up to his rapidly-growing reputation as a no-nonsense arbitrator. The domain at issue in that case was fired.com. The complainant held a trademark registration for FIRED, but did not seem to understand that trademarks are not “word patents.” While it is not normally
Religion, Free Speech No Defense to Refusing to Knock Up Lesbians
By Jessica Christensen, Legal Satyricon Employment Law Correspondent Guadalupe Benitez and Joanne Clark, a lesbian couple in a long term relationship, wanted to have a baby. After unsuccessful attempts at self-insemination using sperm bank material, the couple was referred to the North Coast Women’s Medical Center, Inc. (North Coast) for fertility treatment. Their doctor advised them that while she was
Federal Government Doesn’t Want Transgendered Employee to Help Fight War on Terror
By Jessica Christensen, Legal Satyricon Employment Law Correspondent Trial concluded this morning in Shroer v. Billington (Library of Congress), a case that considers whether or not a transgendered job applicant is covered by federal antidiscrimination laws. After more than 25 years as an Airborne Ranger with Special Forces training, after having served in combat operations in Panama, Haiti and Rwanda,
Adult Business Prevails in Springfield, MA
Massachusetts superior court rules that video booths may have First Amendment protection and that an adult video store’s successful measures to cure prior secondary effects should be taken into account when considering a city’s denial of a license renewal. Additionally, the City argued that the public interest would be harmed by allowing the video booths to remain open, as they
Now they tell us….
Diebold finally admits that its voting machines are pieces of shit. Great timing, guys. Update: A commenter provided this brilliant link.
Nassau County, Florida Seeks to Ban Porn Sales
The Fernandina Beach News Leader reports: Nassau County Commissioners considered an ordinance banning the sale of pornography during their meeting Wednesday. County Attorney David Hallman presented a draft ordinance to the board, but he and Commissioners Mike Boyle and Barry Holloway expressed concerns that the ordinance, if adopted in its present form, could expose the county to legal challenges. “I’d
Conventions Mean $$$ For the Sex Trade
See ABC News, Sex Trade Spikes During Conventions.
Memphis Police Director Targets Anonymous Bloggers
By Sam Lea, Legal Satyricon Correspondent Memphis Police Director Billy Godwin has filed a lawsuit aimed at discovering the identification of the persons behind a Blog that is particularly critical of the Director as well as the Memphis PD (source ). The Blog is known as MPD Enforcer 2.0, which has become a popular place for Memphis Police Officers to
Making the Wine
My little sister just published this piece in Yankee Magazine about my family’s annual wine-making party. My sister is so freakin’ cool.
Strolling Down Trolling Lane
The Progress and Freedom Foundation has a good post on how we already have adequate laws in place to deal with internet trolling. See Under-Appreciated Existing Legal Remedies for Trolling, Defamation and Other “Malwebolent” Invasions of Privacy. The article summarizes some academic ideas as to how we can combat the “scourge” of trolling. Frank Pasquale has argued that we ought
