The Business Software Alliance is distributing the Cyber-Ethics Champion Code, a signed pledge for kids to not infringe copyright.
A UDRP Would Not Be Decided By Election Day
VP Cheney referred to ‘factcheck.com’ when he meant to say ‘factcheck.org.’ Last night the .com resolved to one of those ‘page o’ links’ holding pages. Today it directs to George Soros’ ‘Why we must not re-elect President Bush’ site. Via John Palfrey.
Google Search Terms As Signs Of The Times
Pamela Parker Caird spots a sign using a Google search term, rather than a URL, as an Internet ‘navigator.’
It Ain't What You Say, It's The Way That You Say It
Either the CIA or Chalabi must have told Cheney that he had never met Edwards before. This is one of the at least two previous times Cheney didn’t meet Edwards.
Keyword Sales of VIOXX
A MarketWatch article reporting that the keyword VIOXX is going for $11.88 a click on Overture. I just searched the term and it appears that the first 15 Overture listings for VIOXX are for attorneys seeking plaintiffs regarding the recall. Merck’s vioxx.com site is number 18. Google has 8 keyword ads for VIOXX, all for attorneys.
Client Conflict Is Not A Wonderful Thing
NY Times article (free sub required) on client conflicts, including one in a copyright case involving Michael Bolton and the song “Love Is A Wonderful Thing.”
Practice pointer: Remember, an insurance company and the insured are adverse parties.
False or True But Misleading
More from Spinsanity on false and misleading statements from both sides in the presidential election campaign.
Resurrected Brands
Brandchannel on brands being revived by new owners, IRIDIUM and ATARI being examples.
Anti-Piracy Initiatives
The US Government has announced the Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy, or STOP – a series of IP protection initiatives. One provision will allow the IP owner to obtain an injunction barring importation of an infringing item from any port, not, as is the case now, only the District Court for the jurisdiction where the port is located. Via CNNMoney.
Separately, a consortium of high-tech companeis including HP, Sony and InterTrust, have announced the Coral Consortium, to develop inter-operable digital rights management products.
CECIL McBEE: Did Trap Sales Create Personal Jurisdiction?
Sometime after the jazz musician Cecil McBee played in Japan for the first time, someone opened a CECIL McBEE clothing store there and now it’s a successful chain. McBee has sued in Japan under a theory of right of personality, with mixed success. A front page article in today’s Wall Street Journal on the on-going dispute indicates (without comment) that McBee’s US lawyers had agents order clothes from Japan to be shipped here. McBee then used those sales to allege personal jurisdiction and sued the Japanese chain store here. Hmmmm. There are cases that have rejected this ploy, stating that a plaintiff may not manufacture personal jurisdiction over a defendant. See, e.g. Maritz v. Cybergold (discussed in this journal article).
iBusinessLaw.info discussed the District Court case here and Perkins Coie discussed it here. It is not clear whether the three sales to Maine referred to in the case are the ‘trap’ sales referred to in the article.