Will people really confuse this rock group with Dio? Seriously Ronnie, nobody is accidentally coming home with their CD hoping to hear “Rainbow in the Dark”.

The guys who made the “This Land” flash regarding the 2004 elections got threatened with a lawsuit for copyright infringement. I’m sure Woodie Guthrie was real big on suing people.

If intellectual property is the same as property, why does it have a different name?

The Girl Scouts have a page with brief points as to using songs at organization events. Know why? Because they nearly got a beatdown from ASCAP over campfire songs.

As a punitive measure, may I suggest the Scouts selectively withhold their sought after cookies from those behind the original threats.

Did you know, the first vampire movie, Nosferatu, was almost lost forever due to copyright enforcement? The filmmaker lost a decision in favor of the estate of Bram Stoker, and all known copies of the film were transferred to Florence Stoker in 1925. They were destroyed.

After Florence’s death, new copies started popping up. A classic example of something nearly lost to overzealous enforcement.

BTW, if you thinking draconian laws and requirements regarding archiving are a thing of the past, go read up on the broadcast flag.

Orrin Hatch is still pushing the much talked about INDUCE act. If I could have it my way, everywhere Sen. Hatch would go, he would face the following loaded question:

“Sen. Hatch, on June 18 of 2003, Wired news quoted you as saying ‘There’s no excuse for anyone violating copyright laws’. The following day, it was discovered that your official website made infringing use of a Javascript menu system developed by Milonic Solutions. What jail time has been served or fines have been paid as a result of this inexcusable behavior?”

Wouldn’t it be dandy if he got asked this question on a routine basis in front of mainstream reporters? Call it petty, but I think it highlights one of the failings of the extreme proponents of “intellectual property”. That being, the false notion that copyright law is always easy to make determinations on. I’d wager Sen. Hatch’s webmaster would agree.