Former South Dakota lawmaker Ted Klaudt does not like all of the stories being written about him. Most politicians are delighted with coverage but Klaudt is best known for raping his foster daughters. Klaudt’s solution (after failing to prove innocence) was to copyright his name and demand that newspapers ask his permission to use his name 20 days before any article or face millions in penalties for unauthorized use.
It is a clever idea that only lacks a basis in the law to work. You cannot copyright your name in this way. You can make your name a trademark but only for business and services — not journalistic stories.
Of course, even if it could work, there are few people who would want to infringe on the trademark name of Ted Klaudt. He was convicted of second-degree rape in 2007 after he told his 17- and 19-year-old foster daughters that he needed to touch their breasts and genitals in a purported attempt to collect their ovarian eggs. He was sentenced to 44 years in prison for rape and 10 more years for witness tampering.
One of the people who received a copyright warning was his daughter, Roxy.
Klaudt ran on family values and passed legislation to protect children from abuse as a house member.
For the full story, click here.
“after failing to prove innocence” …
Uh oh, has S. Dakota left the fold? It used to be that anyone charged with a crime did not have to prove everything, instead, the prosecutor had to prove everything. At that beyond a reasonable doubt.
Careful … steady as she goes …
Ah, yes, “family values”. A real prince of a guy…
The estate of Chris Farley should sue this guy for trademark infringement.
Why would any media outlet want to use his name, given that he is such a lowlife, one who should be in jail!
The chief lawyer, now dean of a law school, who wrote the 9/11 Commission Report, now says it is untrue.
He raped us.
Is he fat like the accused in this story, or just ugly?
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/12/canadian-cbc-covers-911-commission.html
I am going to copyright my name right now, file a patent for “Method to acquire money by suing people for using one’s own name”, and sue this guy in Texas Eastern District Court.
Sounds like the guy could use a good Klaudt.
AS in ‘I’m gonna’ Klaudt you up’. Yea’ I kinda’ like it.
Depraved and stupid. If your name is legally going to be ‘branded’ to something the sexual abuse of your own children is probably not the best thing if you’re on your way to prison.
Enjoy being the bottom of the prison food chain, big boy. BTW, once you’re inside? Your new name, “punk ass bitch”, isn’t going to be registered as a copyright either. Words in common usage and not attached to a good or service. Well, in your case it WILL be related to a service, but that’s another story. Buh bye.
Ouch. This prince of a man is a blight on the world. He will fit in very well with the regimented and “friendly” atmosphere that he will find behind bars. Maybe he can copyright the look on his face the first time he drops the soap!
I guess he is going to need some wipes for his hoohaa after he is properly initiated to prison life. I wonder if he gonna be the husband or wife? Either way he gonna be one tired sucker.
“failing to prove innocence”
Shouldn’t that more correctly be “successfully convicted of the charges (and sentenced accordingly)”?
That’s an odd combination for the learn’d Prof.
For a readers of a site dedicated to civil liberties, several commenters are taking too much relish in the prospect of Traudt’s being forcibly sodomized in prison. For shame. The prison system that allows rape to go on unchecked is inhumane, and incidentally does not victimize only the most unsavory convicts. Moreover, tolerating prison rape REWARDS the perpetrator.
Make fun of the guy’s hopeless legal action and by all means revile Traudt for his crimes, but don’t encourage brutality.
Isn’t he Glenn Beck’s AA sponsor ??? hummm….
Notso Fast,
The reality about prison? Child molesters ARE the bottom of the food chain. Ask anyone who works in a jail or prison.
Do not mistake amusement and mockery for encouragement.
When one gives out brutality, they receive brutality. Prison is a brutal situation only partially because we are stupid about how we run prisons in general. The main reason prison is brutal is it’s filed with brutal criminals. The desire to dominate is a lot like shit (in more ways than one, but I digress). It rolls down hill. That child molesters always seem to end up at the bottom of that hill? Well, being the butt of jokes should be the least of their concerns. They are at the bottom of the dominance/aggression hill because they are bottom feeders – too weak to prey on adults, they instead prey on children which is an action that in a sane mind causes revulsion and hatred. Humans are designed to care for children. As a species we have to be because raising a human to maturity is a long difficult process compared to most creatures. And in nature, weaker predators call weaker predators one of two things: prey or competition to be killed. He’s a weak predator with a big sign on his neck that says to all the other predators “Attack me!”.
He’s going to be a rat in a room full of velociraptors.
And that’d be his fault.
This fat, sweaty douchbag looks like he’d make a great catholic priest or christian leader. Don’t they all have to take an oath to molest at least two chldren a year and have sex with one rebublican male in a public men’s room anyway?