Friday, March 31, 2006 Darn, the combover is patented!
I was just perusing the listing for recent winners of the ig nobel prize, and learned that the hairstyle known as the "combover" was successfully patented in 1977, which means that a lot should technically be paying royalties to a certain Frank and Donald Smith of Orlando, FL. It boggles my mind that the patent office actually granted this patent. Sorry if this seems irrelevant, but it does go to show how idiotic IP law is.
Posted by Justin Sarma,
5:04 PM
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Tuesday, March 28, 2006 Not much subtlety, but quite a subtitle
In light of my post below, I've been asked to post a link to a new book on The Dartmouth Review.
As the subtitle indicates, The Review has been rather successful at winning law suits. An article I wrote a while back mentioned one exception. Here's the relevant bit:
Whatever the ethics of its actions, the Review has often been able to claim victory through not losing lawsuits. However, in ’85, Associate Chaplain Richard Hyde filed a libel and invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against the Review, claiming that the publication’s articles over the past two years incorrectly said that Hyde defended the views of the North American Man Boy Love Association. One April ’84 article is a terrific example of the Review’s reporting: “Unequivocally the most out-landish comments on the topics discussed came from none other than the young Mr. Hyde... Still operating under the guise of associate chaplain of Dartmouth, he plainly states that his goal here is ‘to decriminalize homosexuality and premarital sex’... Some members of the faculty and administration say Hyde was married sometime last year in a civil ceremony. Others aren’t quite sure. Hyde, himself, says he still looks forward to the day when he can enjoy the happiness which marriage can offer. Figure it out for yourselves.” The Review eventually settled the case and ran an apology, but neither side would say if Hyde had received any money.
