News & Media
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
The DMCA? She Bite Sometimes – Lenz v. Universal
In Lenz v. Universal, the N.D. Calif. allowed a little push-back against overreaching copyright owners who wield Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) takedown notices like a blunt club. In February of 2007, Stephanie Lenz videotaped her toddlers dancing in her kitchen to the Prince song, “Let’s Go Crazy.” She then uploaded the 29 second video to Youtube. “Let’s Go Crazy”
MIT Gag Order Lifted!
The gag order in the MBTA subway hack case has been lifted. See Citizen Media Law Project.
When will she LEAVE?
Fay didn’t strengthen to hurricane status, but she has parked her fat ass right over us for days.
Did You Get a Notice From “Trademark Monitoring and Notification Service?"
Mike Atkins at Seattle Trademark Lawyer provides this valuable warning. Atkins writes: Companies like this may provide a legitimate service. But from where I sit, it only looks like they’re trying to profit from trademark owners’ inexperience. Watch out for them. The letter looks official, but it’s really just an official waste of money. Atkins speaks the truth. Each trademark
College Prezzes, "Lower the drinking age!"
A group of college presidents calling themselves “The Amethyst Institute” say setting the drinking age at 21 encourages binge drinking on college campuses. They are urging legislators to lower the age. William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, William Brody, president of Johns Hopkins, C.D. Mote Jr. of the University of Maryland and the presidents of Washington and
Fay Update
It looks like Fay will not become a hurricane after all. That’s good news. But, she seems determined to hang around us for a few days.
Oh Crap…
Yesterday, I said “aw, fuck buying supplies… this is just going to be a puny tropical storm.” It looks like Tropical Storm Fay is going to cut under Orlando, go out to sea, pick up enough steam to become Hurricane Fay, and then return to shore just north of Orlando. That is not a good thing. I don’t expect that
Fay Update
Looks like Fay is turning a little bit… heading more out to sea before coming back inland. This is a big pain in the ass. It looks like the storm won’t hit the Orlando area head-on, but it looks like it is going to orbit the area for days.
Bill Donohue Doesn't Like These Blogs – Read Them!
Bill Donohue has been a wellspring of asshattery at every opportunity he has been granted, save one. He did have a pretty mature reaction to the South Park episode that took the ass out of him. Now he wants the blogs Bitch Ph.D. and Towleroad cut from the Democratic National Convention’s list of credentialed blogs. I’m following Popehat’s lead. Any
Streisand Effect is a Real Biyotch
See Popehat, When You Find Yourself in a Hole, Stop Digging.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Decency in my Soul
Professor Ann Bartow implores her readers at Feminist Law Profs: “Please, if you have any decency in your soul, support passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.” (source) I don’t agree with much that Bartow says, but on this one I was inclined to agree. But, I wanted to read the Act with a critical eye first. Most of the
Copyright Applies to Free Software Too
by Tara Warrington Legal Satyricon Correspondent The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in Jacobsen v. Katzer that the terms of a license – even one granting free and nonexclusive use – control when determining if the scope of the use is limited by the license itself or more broadly by copyright law. The decision itself is not
If you can't beat 'em, put ads on 'em.
CNET reports that some media companies are no longer looking at YouTube clips of copyrighted material as a threat, but are now simply placing revenue-generating ads alongside them.