Comedian Has To Retell Joke 2nd Time, Because Viacom Couldn't Have Him Sing Four Words: 'We Are The World'
TechDirt Feb 09 10Copyright insanity continues. Stephan Kinsella posts an email from Luke Mroz, who recently attended a Comedy Central taping of some standup comics, that is going to be used in an upcoming TV show. Mroz explains how copyright law got in the way and forced one comedian to have to come back out and tell a joke a second time: One of the performers was one of my favorite comedians named Robert Kelly. He told a really good joke about how he rarely used the word love because it loses its strength if you use it to much. When his wife tells him she loves him, he shrugs it off. When his father told him he loved him, for the first time in his adult life when he graduated high school, he feigned breaking down into tears and acting like an emotional wreck. Full story...
More stories from techdirt »
Tool Maker Loses Lawsuit For Not Violating Another Company's Patents
TechDirt 26 minutes agoPatent system supporters regularly point (slightly misleadingly) to the claim that the patent system gives patent holders the right to exclude others from using their inventions.
YouTube Motions Highlight How Entertainment Industry Lawsuits May Have Slowed Useful Platforms
TechDirt just under two hours agoWe've already written up an analysis of the motions for summary judgment in the Viacom/Google YouTube lawsuit, suggesting that Google's arguments seem stronger.
Canon Becomes The Online Equivalent Of Madonna Or Prince, Becoming The First Single Word Domain Holder
TechDirt 3 hours agoIt's been a while now since ICANN announced plans to open up the top level domain space. While we've questioned for many years the utility of still requiring limited TLDs, ICANN's plan to open up top level domains appeared to be more of a moneygrab than any real attempt at openness.
Ad Age Explains How Copyright Is The Buggy Whip Of The Digital Age
TechDirt 5 hours agoMichael Scott points us to a rather surprising (given the source) piece in Ad Age asking if copyright is "the buggy whip of the digital age.
Legal Fight Over Design Of Disposable Coffee Cups
TechDirt 8 hours agoWhatever happened to actually competing in the market place? Copycense points us to a recent legal battle between Dixie and Huhtamaki over the design of their disposable coffee cups.
Indie Artists Discuss Dealing With File Sharing
TechDirt 11 hours agoUnfortunately, I can't find who first sent this in, but the site Inieoma recently had an interesting multi-part "discussion" on how independent artists are dealing with the issue of "piracy.
Courts Stretching Computer Hacking Law In Dangerous Ways
TechDirt 13 hours agoMichael Scott points us to a very interesting analysis of how to different appeals courts have very different interpretations of our federal anti-hacking law.
Verizon Figures If It's Already Involved In A Patent Lawsuit With TiVo, Why Not Sue Cablevision For Its DVR Too
TechDirt 15 hours agoAh, the patent wars. As you're probably aware, TiVo spent years fighting a big legal battle with EchoStar/Dish Networks over some patents on DVR technology.
Georgia Supreme Court Says It's Okay To Put Non-Sex Offenders On The Registered Sex Offender List
TechDirt 17 hours agoThe question of registered sex offenders lists is a tricky one -- because for those people who really do commit sexually-driven crimes against minors, it's hard to be even remotely sympathetic to any complaints they have about the punishment they receive.
Kentucky Supreme Court Overturns Ruling That Blocked State Seizure Of Gambling Domain Names
TechDirt 19 hours agoAs you may recall, in a move that was blatantly designed to protect local gambling interests (no one denies this particular point), Kentucky passed a law allowing the governor to declare any gambling related website (even parked domains) "illegal gambling devices" and then to seize those domains.
Popular Tags »»
account director android apple apps architect bonus daniel marks developers digital communications digital project engadget england facebook gadget gadgets gbp global client global radio google gurus information architect ipad iphone job jobs launch london london england mail marketing marketing agency marketing manager microsoft mobile ncity next level nsource nup nwe recruitment seo social media twitter user experience web developer entertainmentMost read today »
Most read this week »
What's New on TechNews.AM
