Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Hump Day News Round-Up

  • The Hell's Angels are suing Disney for trademark infringement in the movie studio's upcoming Tim Allen/John Travolta film Wild Hogs. The group is seeking compensatory damages in the form of - I am not making this up - 400 cases of Miller Genuine Draft and some "really sticky bud".
  • Airlines lost 30 million bags in 2005. Luckily, mine wasn't among them.
  • Susan Sarandon will portray Cindy Sheehan in an upcoming movie about the anti-war (among other things) activist. I am SHOCKED!
  • You're born: Donald Trump sires another child.
  • Richard Dreyfuss got married. This is notable (for me, at least) because the impromptu event occurred while he was in Harrisonburg, VA, for a speaking engagement at my sister's alma mater - James Madison University.
  • A Utah man has been arrested for allegedly using dog shock collars to discipline his children. Sure, it's cruel, but I don't think the kids are pooping on the rug anymore.

13 comments:

spydrz said...

So once you dig out from the wintry wonderland, are you to be expected back in the Commonwealth next week?

spydrz said...

I thought Rockingham County smelled like dog food?

Nothing beats heading through Clifton Forge on 64. Blech.

jasdye said...

it's about time someone sue Disney's tail for copywrite infringement.

irony of ironies, of course it's done after Eisner leaves.

Micah said...

spydrz - All signs point to "maybe". I'm hoping to make it back before April rears its head (just waiting on my student loan stuff to get worked out).

dukez24 - Well, it's not too surprising. After all, Virginia is for lovers and Harrisonburg is a vacationer's paradise. It'd be hard not to get caught up in a romantic fervor over dinner at Spanky's.

jasdye - Even more ironic is the fact that Disney was the driving force in strengthening intellectual property laws.

spydrz said...

I thought all the Spanky's went out of business?

Micah said...

I dunno. That's the only place I ever remember eating at when I visited my sister.

jasdye said...

heck, eisner/disney sued a pre-school for putting up a mural of mickey mouse. but, yeah, you can't say copywrite infringement w/o thinking of disney.

funny, since the first mickey mouse cartoon was an obvious rip-off of a buster keaton movie and they made their fortunes off of retellings of public folk/fairy tales.

Law Fairy said...

Good God, when will the Reign of Trump end? I don't want my grandkids to end up saluting Baron von Trumpleton.

You know, if Disney asked for my advice I'd advise them to settle for damages sought. But that's just me, a lowly first year attorney.

Disney, of course, only wants to protect its own copyrights. Fortunately for Disney, trademarks already last into perpetuity so there was no need to string along Cher's ex to get them more protection. I wonder which congressman will be the next Disney bitch, once their copyrights start facing the music again?

jasdye said...

corporations have more rights than we do.

if/when i ever come up with a catchphrase, everybody will get to use it. and who'll get the credit? who'll get paid for it? not me.

heck, mcdonald's still owes me for "two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese on a sesame-side bun"

Law Fairy said...

jasdye -- seriously! It's such a corporate bias that it's even written into the law, explicitly, and no one even questions it.

(Don't believe me? Read the Lanham Act -- you have to use a trademark *in commerce* or have a bona fide intent to do so in order to get any kind of trademark protection)

jasdye said...

law fairy,

hey, before i decided to be an english teacher, i was an art major. we know enough law to get us in trouble, tell you that much.

do you deal with trademark/copywrite law?

Micah said...

Whatchootalkinbout, law fairy.

Luckily, my catchphrases - "Mmmmm bop!" and "Backstreet's back. All right!" - belong solely to me (I think).

Law Fairy said...

jasdye -- I wish. We'll see if my firm ever moves me into the area I actually want to practice in. You know, the area I took all my classes in during law school, all that jazz.

micah -- well done, my friend.