Fight Continues Over Right to Monkey Selfie
It’s not looking so good for the monkey.
Intellectual Property
U.S. Patent App. No. 20140159444: Airline Passenger Torture Device
The application calls it "Seating Device Comprising a Forward-Foldable Backrest," but I like my name better. The inventor describes the alleged motivation thusly (my annotations below): [T]o increase the number of cabin seats [and thus profit], the space allotted to…
After Bar Fight, Cubs Are Fed Up with Unofficial Mascot
The Sun-Times reports today that the Chicago Cubs are suing five people who have allegedly been posing as a Cubs mascot near Wrigley Field, engaging in "mascot-like activities" and trying to charge people for photos. They take turns doing this—I didn't…
Pi Trademarked (Sort Of)
Looks like it's safe to go back to using the symbol for pi on t-shirts, at least for now. Someone whose initials are P.I. managed to get the symbol (followed by a period) registered as a trademark, and where there's…
Look, Just Because You Think of Something, You Don’t Have to Patent It
Here's a good example of that proposition: Design patent D697,706 was, for some reason, issued last week to someone in Brooklyn. It claims only the ornamental design of the handle, not the umbrella part or the whole creepy assemblage. Ridiculous patents…
PTO Rules “Redskins” Trademark Is Derogatory
When used in connection with the sale of pork rinds. Why, is that term used in some other very public way in association with a good or service of which you were thinking? Surely not. The Washington Post reports that the U.S….
Ninth Circuit: The Shape of a Hookah Can’t Be Copyrighted
O'SCANNLAIN, Circuit Judge: We must decide whether the shape of a hookah water container is entitled to copyright protection. That is (minus the footnote explaining what a "hookah" is) the first paragraph of today's decision by the U.S….
Coders, Know Your Rights
That's the title of a seminar being offered at MIT on Jan. 22, according to this announcement I saw on Twitter. It sounds really interesting, but I also wanted to mention it here because of the awesome graphic (by Libby…
U.S. Patent No. 8,359,664: How to Cover Yourself in Plants
Having trouble hiding from something you'd like to kill? Maybe you've considered covering yourself in plant life. Good idea, assuming you're outdoors. But depending on how you're doing that, you may be infringing. Improbable Research notes that Patent No. 8,359,664,…
An Important Solar Update
Toby McCasker of Vice.com somehow got an interview with Angeles Duran, who as I'm sure you remember is la mujer española que es la propietaria del sol. See "The Woman Who Owns the Sun Is Using Her Powers for Good," Vice.com (October 2013); see also "Sunshine No…