-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
It’s 13-year old Rebecca Black’s video that has gone viral with 25,000,000 views.
Category: Media
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
In recent days, Rush Limbaugh was heard making fun of Japanese 
earthquake and tsunami victims living in a refugee camp on his radio program. Rush seemed to think it was funny that the refugees had already organized a recycling effort at the camp.
RUSH: Did I really hear this? Did I really hear — Diane Sawyer is in a refugee camp in Japan. Play this again. This is almost like a kindergarten teacher talking to the 4 year olds. That is how old you are in kindergarten, right? Five? Five? Four? All right. This is — some of these people here for days, and look, look, it’s recycling — organized for recycling.
You can read more excerpts from Rush’s disturbing conversation with a caller at the Media Matters post Limbaugh Laughs in the Face of Human Suffering.
Limbaugh wasn’t the only American who made inappropriate comments about the Japanese in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated the island nation of Japan.
Sgt. Jeffrey Sarver who is currently deployed in Afghanistan has sued over his alleged portrayal in the hit movie “The Hurt Locker.” Sarver says that movie was based on him and shows him committing unprofessional acts and practices. This has led, he alleges, to comments and teasing from other soldiers.
Continue reading “The Hurt Lawsuit: Soldier Sues Makers of “The Hurt Locker” Over His Portrayal in Movie”
In a little discussed release, National Public Radio has identified some alarming edits in the video footage released by James O’Keefe III — purportedly capturing NPR officials slamming conservatives and seemingly agreeing with radical Islamic funders. The analysis linked here shows a series of edits that produce a highly distorted picture, including the removal of statements defending conservatives and expressly warning that NPR’s coverage could never be influenced by financial support.
Continue reading “NPR Fires Back: Analysis of O’Keefe Video Shows Highly Distorting Edits”
-Submitted by David Durmm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Presented for your listening enjoyment, the Classics IV in glorious STEREO!
Submitted By Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
I actually thought that I had misread the article when I first read it. It described the horrific gang rape of an 11-year-old in the Texas town of Cleveland. Eighteen young men and teenagers have been charged with the rape that is alleged to have started in a house and eventually moved to a deserted trailer nearby. I am sure that this kind of vicious crime occurs all too often in our country, but there is one thing that makes this crime a little different. Many of the townspeople are blaming the eleven year old girl for her own gang rape! Continue reading “In One Texas Town, There is No Such Thing as Rape!”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
From Change.gov (The Office of the President-Elect Barack Obama):
“Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save 
lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process.”
Is President Obama following through on his promise to protect whistleblowers? It doesn’t appear so. One has only to look at the case of Jeffrey Sterling to see that our President has definitely not been working to strengthen laws that would protect them. Sterling, an alleged whistleblower, was arrested in early January on charges that he leaked national defense information to the media and revealed the identity of a “human asset.”
Continue reading “Promises, Promises: Is the Obama DOJ Going after Whistleblowers?”
Here is today’s column in the Los Angeles Times (Sunday) on the recent remarks from Justice Clarence following criticism for his disclosure violations and alleged conflicts of interest.
Continue reading “Justice Thomas’ Dangerous Conceit”
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has reportedly unleashed an attack on his critics for his violations of disclosure laws and alleged conflicts of interest. He warned law students that these critics are “undermining” the Court and endangering the country by weakening core institutions. As one of those critics, I am flabbergasted by Thomas’ remarks which show an implied disregard that seems to have now reached open contempt for certain principles of judicial ethics. There is not a hint of concern for his own conduct and how it has undermined the Supreme Court as an institution. For a prior column, click here
Continue reading “Thomas Condemns His Critics As Undermining The Supreme Court”
If you want to see a real reporter who asks the tough questions, take a look at Joey, 5, interviewing the Chicago Blackhawks.
Continue reading “Watch a Real Reporter At Work”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Benjamin Arrow, a 3L at Fordham University School of Law, has raised an interesting question in his article for The Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal. Can a use in fiction constitute a “use in commerce” sufficient to reserve priority rights in a trademark?
In 1996, Fox won a preliminary injunction against two Australian breweries for manufacturing a product called “Duff Beer.” Fox is also pursuing lawsuits against other breweries, but what harm could Fox allege?
Continue reading “Applying Trademark Law to Fictional Brands”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
We have previously discussed the law firm with the drive-thru window, here. That notion seems upscale compared to law firms using Goupon. Groupon (group coupon) is a deal-of-the-day website that can determine your computer’s location through it’s IP address and offer you discounts on goods and services in your area. If enough people sign up for the deal, it becomes available. If the predetermined minimum is not reached, no one gets the deal. Groupon makes money by keeping approximately half of the cost of the deal.
Groupon recently turned down a rumored $6 billion buy-out offer from Google.
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Last week I wrote up a post titled Scott Walker: A Fiscally Responsible Governor or a Politician Who Is Playing Favorites?. Judging from the number of comments left at that post, it appears that people are very interested in what’s been going on in the state of Wisconsin. I think many people may believe that as Wisconsin goes—so goes the nation…and probably the life expectancy of labor unions and collective bargaining.
What got a lot of press attention was the story of the prank phone call that Governor Walker received from gonzo journalist Ian Murphy. Murphy pretended to be billionaire industrialist David Koch. He talked to Walker for twenty minutes. Murphy reportedly told the Associated Press he made the prank phone call in order to show how candid Walker would be in a conversation with Koch at a time when Democrats claim the governor was refusing to return their calls.
Continue reading “Is the Scott Walker Story Just the Tip of the Koch Brothers’ Political Iceberg?”
Some of us have raised objections for the last two years on President Obama’s conflicting positions on gay rights. Now, White House Spokesman Jay Carney was able to nail down concretely the President’s position on gay marriage: he is still “grappling” with it.
Continue reading “Grappling . . . Grappling . . . I’ll Let You Know: Obama Remains Undecided on Gay Marriage”
Larry Birkhead, the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s only surviving child Dannielynn (and therefore the heir to her large estate), is threatening legal action against the Royal Opera House over its opera “Anna Nicole.” Birkhead is insisting that the portrayal of Smith is not flattering or respectful — leading to some interesting questions of how (even if Anna Nicole were living) such an opera would defame a former stripper and reality television star who courted controversy in her life.
Continue reading “Birkhead Threatens Legal Action Against Anna Nicole Smith Opera”