Domestic Violence in the Big Easy
Trademark fights can get intense but usually not with so much colorful language.We can Slap Ya Mama, but you better not Punch Ya Daddy.At least, that's what the Walker & Sons spice company is saying to the Falcons.See, they sell a spice blend called "Slap Ya Mama" and Falcon has just started selling his "Punch Ya Daddy" spice mix.Boy, Cajun spices can be rough on the family unit.

Arbitration and the Violent Criminal Act
Another non-IP post, but this is so important I just want to put my thoughts down.The Senate voted for the Franken Amendment to the Appropriations Bill. That amendment prohibits funding going to a government contractor who uses contracts to interfere with a crime victim's right to seek redress in the courts.Jamie Leigh Jones was the brave woman who made the story of her own rape and brutalization and false imprisonment by her co-workers so very very public.She stood beside

I want one!
Nookthat is all.

Criminal Poking
Normally I try to keep this blog on the topic of copyrights and trademarks, but occasionally I will find something so fascinating or so funny that I feel compelled to post.This time it's how social networking can land you in jail.I'm a big fan of Facebook. (here's me: http://www.facebook.com/VincentTLyon)I just read 2 stories where Facebook users got arrested as a result of their activities there.The first is from last month. Seems one Jonathan G. Parker decided to break into a neighbor's house and see if there was anything worth stealing. Apparently there was, as 2 diamond rings went missing.How

Olympic Committee wins gold medal in obnoxious enforcement of IP
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has gone a little overboard in enforcing its rights to the word "Olympian".The newspaper in Olympia Washington is "the Olympian" - and it has been so since 1889. Washington wasn't even a state then!What difference does statehood make? None. I just thought it was interesting; but if you don't then how about 'before the modern Olympics'?That's right, the modern Olympic Games began in 1896, 7 years into the run of the Olympian newspaper.Now the USOC thinks it has some kind of priority over the name Olympian.Why would they think that? I mean, the games ante-date the newspaper, and the committee itself wasn't call