News & Media
Looks like AMEX is a little uptight
I got an “invitation” to get the American Express Platinum Card. Yeah, $450 is a bit steep, but you get enough rewards points for a free round trip ticket on any airline. Not exactly worth $450, but I was curious about their concierge service. They are supposed to be able to, well, find you stuff. No, they couldn’t find me
When PC Attacks
Despite all the respect I have for our brothers north of the border, they do occasionally make me happy that I live in America. In Canada, the politically correct crowd managed to pass a law that makes it illegal to disparage a religious group. Could you imagine if I lived there? (I disparage all religions equally). Ezra Levant is a
Bring me the Head of Troll Tracker!
The ABA Daily News reports: [Raymond Niro, a] Chicago lawyer who is being criticized, along with his law firm, in an anonymous Internet blog supposedly authored by a fellow attorney has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide him with the identity of “Troll Tracker.” I have to admit, I’m a fan of this approach.
Copyright and Fair Use in Demand Letters
Earlier Post is updated with links to other sources on the subject and additional analysis.
Judge: Hold This Sign
Fox News Reports Davidson County (Tennessee) Criminal Court Judge Mark Fishburn ordered a teenager to hold a sign reading, “Respect the police, they are not pigs as I stated on my MySpace page” and “There is nothing funny about guns and nothing cool about gangs.” The order was a condition of the probation the teenager received for a charge of
China Cracks Down on Porn Sites
Reuters: “China launched a crackdown on online pornography and “unhealthy” Web content after Chinese President Hu Jintao said the country’s sprawling Internet posed a threat to social stability.” (story here)
“Morality In Media” Trashes Their Hotel Room
No, I didn’t write that headline, Dr. Klein did. And I didn’t write this either — but I do recommend that you read it!
Ohio Sup. Ct. Rules in Favor of Strip Club
The Supreme Court of Ohio held that a state law empowering the Ohio Liquor Control Commission to revoke a liquor license if an employee of the establishment is convicted of a felony applies only if the convicted person was an employee of the licensee on the date he or she was convicted. See WCI, Inc. v. Ohio Liquor Control Comm.,
Copyright vs. Free Speech in Cease and Desist Letters
I have seen a lot of laughable cease and desist letters in my career. Usually they come to my attention when the victim of an overreaching cease and desist posts the letters online. The theory behind this practice is that when a small and poorly funded cyber-critic gets an overreaching and bullying cease and desist letter, the best way to
Lack of Posts…
Contrary to some rumors, I am not laying off on publishing the Legal Satyricon. First I got a new motorcycle, then I got hit with the worst case of the flu ever. In fact, it nearly cost me my life when I sneezed into my motorcycle helmet and got icky stuff all over the shield. All this came at a
Google locates its ethical compass for a moment – Domain tasting dead?
Freedom to Differ reports that Google is planning to stop monetizing all domains that are less than five days old. (source) This should make domain tasting less profitable and should cut down on the practice. However, cybersquatters will still taste domains, track their traffic, and merely monetize domains that that receive some traffic during the tasting period. If the do-nothing
FCC Commish Tate — Asshat of the Week
This post comes with a soundtrack provided by the Meatmen. Listen to this song as you read this entry. Last week, the FCC imposed a fine of $1.43 million against ABC for daring to show the side and back of a naked woman getting into a shower on NYPD Blue. (source) The FCC’s briefing said: “Although ABC argues, without citing
Wow… An intelligent argument against Porn
I have spent years — in fact all of my adult life — arguing with feminazis (NOT the same thing as a feminist) and religious zealots and everyone in between about adult entertainment. The religious nuts want us to believe that their imaginary friend doesn’t want us to have porn so that we won’t masturbate. I have news for them
Ford Motor Co. – Trademark Bully — NOT!
It appears that Ford Motor Company got unfairly slammed here a few days ago. I got a blog comment from Whitney Drake at Ford Communications. I feel that this deserves its own blog entry — not a mere “comment.” It seems that Cafe Press is to blame. Apparently Ford is all for the Black Mustang club’s efforts. To Ford, I
More "What is Wrong With Legal Education"
Susan Carter Liebel reports: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To My Law Office Management Class – It Was Cancelled! Lawyer Auctions His Diploma on E-Bay for the Price of his Education
Heh… Legal Satyricon Drama….
I’ll just let this blog entry from Simple Justice tell the story for me.
Asshat no more?
This sure is a bizarre turn of events. The wanna-be Massachusetts attorney who failed the bar, and then blamed a question about gay marriage for his shortfall has done a 180. Stephen Dunne said he was “embarrassed” for being an “instrument of bigotry and prejudice,” in a letter to the editor and interview in the Jan. 3 edition of Bay
Do-Nothing ICANN Does … something?
ICANN finally figured out that domain tasting is a pain in the ass. You can read the 57 page report here, or just take my word for it.
Ford Motor Co. – Trademark Bully
This post has been updated and corrected – Ford Motor Co. – Trademark Bully — NOT! A group of Ford Mustang enthusiasts, make that black Ford Mustang enthusiasts (I think the “black” refers to the car, not the enthusiast) have a little community here. They decided to produce a 2008 calendar of their cars. Along comes Ford… I’ll let the
