Slashdot Mirror

You can pick up the DRM t-shirt here:

http://www.cafepress.com/dlkmadsen.129054705

Hopefully this won't be considered spam.
But here's a T-shirt I just made and ordered:
http://www.cafepress.com/deadwisdom

I want to get this printed up on a bumper sticker. Can anyone recommend a good vendor?

Try something like this...

Right here is the T-Shirt.

www.cafepress.com lets you make bumper stickers, tshirts, caps. No, I have never used them because I'm euro-based. In Europe, you can go to www.spreadshirt.de. Dunno if they have bumper stickers there... You never see bumper stickers in Europe (or very rarely).

I'm not sure if these benefit the EFF, but you can get it on a T-shirt:
http://www.ghacks.net/2007/04/30/09-f9-11-02-t-shi rt/#more-1482
http://www.cafepress.com/nonlogic.100812817

somebody's already thought of it... http://www.cafepress.com/09f911029d74e35

First off, you can't educate zombie PC owners. By definition, all they want is BRAINS.

Second, it's going to be tough to interest law enforcement in a $200 purchase of harvested email addresses. Linking that to the botnet or webscrapers is going to be difficult, and CAN-SPAM did not create any mandate or provide any funds to law enforcement. It was a joke played on the gullible by Congress.

Third, project Honeypot has a major problem if they think they can fund their organization by selling these to geeks. And I'm a little disturbed by the ad in the top right corner.

"Guns don't kill people, Ninjas do."
OH yea, I'd wear that t-shirt!
http://www.cafepress.com/phoenixor.125215117

btw, security word: reloads

I thought that was "Where the men are men and the sheep are lying little sluts!"

http://www.cafepress.com/piggywig/2318364

I don't know what compelled me to search, but I found this on Google.

Got Wasabi?

For the sake of correctness, it's "R'yleh", not "R'lyeh." Granted, it doesn't make a difference -- because Lovecraftian names are just random letters pulled out of a hat.

Anyway, enjoy the last few days of freedom, fellow mortals -- I imagine Cthulhu will soon be making his appearance. Just in time for the 2008 Elections, too.

Steal the code now buy the shirt.

http://www.cafepress.com/cp/members/products/index .aspx

Cheers,
Dean

Did they find the monolith?
--
Solve global warming: buy a shirt at http://cafepress.com/albedoproject

http://www.cafepress.com/wikipedia

BE RFID
BE VERY RFID

Here is a picture of PJ.
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/groklaw/-/pv_design_d etails/pg_1/id_11009230/opt_/fpt_/c_360/

Here is a picture of PJ.
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/groklaw/-/pv_design_d etails/pg_1/id_11009230/opt_/fpt_/c_360/

http://physicsmathforums.com/

I find Moving Dimensiosn Theory highly imaginative and plausible.

Reasoned debate would be fun--let's stay away from the namecalling.

Moving Dimensions Theory: MDT
The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions. Moving Dimensions Theory accounts for the aetherless aether.

This simple postulate offers a physical model underlying and unifiying:

RELATIVITY:

1) length contraction
2) time dilation
3) the equivalence of mass and energy
4) the constant velocity of light
5) the independence of the speed of light from the velocity of the source

QUANTUMN MECHANICS
1) action at a distance
2) wave-particle duality
3) interference phenomena
4) EPR paradox

THERMODYNAMICS
1) Time's arrow
2) Entropy

STRING THEORY'S MANY DIMENSIONS / KALUZA/KLEIN THEORY
1) a fourth expanding dimension can be interepreted as many dimensions, each time it expands

THE UNITY OF THE DUALITIES
1) wave/particle duality
2) time/space duality
3) energy/mass duality
4) E/B duality

GENERAL RELATIVITY
1) Gravitational redshift
2) Gravity waves
3) Gravitational attraction

THE SPACE-TIME BACKGROUND
1) quantum foam
2) the smearing of space and time at small distances
3) Hawking's imaginary time

PARADOXES
1) MDT explains away Godel's Block Universe
2) MDT unfreezes time
3) Resolves Zeno's Paradox

ONE GETS ALL OF THIS FROM A SIMPLE POSTULATE:

The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions in a sphereically symmetric manner, in units of the Planck length, at the rate of c.

This means that every point in three dimnesional space is always expanding into a fourth dimensional sphere with a radius of the plank length. A photon is matter caught on the surface of this quantized expansion, and thus energy is quantized. The expansion of the fourth dimension occurs at the rate of c, and thus the velocity of all photons is c.

Check out the t-shirt with a simple proof of MDT:

http://www.cafepress.com/autumnrangers.72464949 [cafepress.com]

"The only way to stay stationary in the fourth dimension is to move at the speed of light through the three spatial dimensions. Ergo the fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimenions."

How sad it is that when truth stares modern physicists in the face, they must close their eyes so as to get a postdoc or raise more funds for String Theory.

Moving Dimensions Theory is in complete agreement with all
experimental tests and phenomena associated with special and general relativity. MDT is in complete agreement with all physical phenomena as predicted by quantum mechanics and demonstrated in extensive experiments. The genius and novelty of MDT is that it presents a common physical model which shows that phenomena from both relativity and quantum mechanics derive from the same fundamental physical reality.

Nowhere does String Theory nor Loop Quantum Gravity account for quantum entanglement nor relativistic time dilation. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for wave-particle duality nor relativistic length contraction. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for the constant speed of light, nor the independence of the speed of light on the velocity of the source, nor entropy, nor time's arrow. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does String Theory nor
Loop Quantum Gravity resolve the paradox of Godel's Block Universe which troubled Eisntein. MDT resolves this paradox.

Simply put, MDT replaces the contemporary none-theories with a physical theory, complete with a simple postulate that unifies
formerly disparate phenomena within

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/aqua%20teen/-/cfpt2_/ copt_/cfpt_/source_searchBox/x_0/y_0

Wait a moment here.

What is wrong with his premise,

"The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial dimensions."

It explains a lot, and unifies disparate entities of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics with a single underlying physical model.

Burying him will hardly prove him wrong, but only show that Slashdotters oppose reasoned debate.

I'm happy to support his theory, so let's begin here:

I found this at http://physicsmathforums.com/ --there is far more there, but I do not wish to over-post:

Now let's try and debunk this with logic and reason--remember, no namecalling.

The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions. Moving Dimensions Theory accounts for the aetherless aether.

This simple postulate offers a physical model underlying and unifiying:

RELATIVITY: 1) length contraction 2) time dilation 3) the equivalence of mass and energy 4) the constant velocity of light 5) the independence of the speed of light from the velocity of the source

QUANTUMN MECHANICS 1) action at a distance 2) wave-particle duality 3) interference phenomena 4) EPR paradox

THERMODYNAMICS 1) Time's arrow 2) Entropy

STRING THEORY'S MANY DIMENSIONS / KALUZA/KLEIN THEORY
1) a fourth expanding dimension can be interepreted as many dimensions, each time it expands

THE UNITY OF THE DUALITIES 1) wave/particle duality 2) time/space duality 3) energy/mass duality 4) E/B duality

GENERAL RELATIVITY 1) Gravitational redshift 2) Gravity waves3) Gravitational attraction

THE SPACE-TIME BACKGROUND
1) quantum foam 2) the smearing of space and time at small distances 3) Hawking's imaginary time

PARADOXES
1) MDT explains away Godel's Block Universe 2) MDT unfreezes time 3) Resolves Zeno's Paradox

ONE GETS ALL OF THIS FROM A SIMPLE POSTULATE:

The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial dimensions in a sphereically symmetric manner, in units of the Planck length, at the rate of c.

This means that every point in three dimnesional space is always expanding into a fourth dimensional sphere with a radius of the plank length. A photon is matter caught on the surface of this quantized expansion, and thus energy is quantized. The expansion of the fourth dimension occurs at the rate of c, and thus the velocity of all photons is c.

Check out the t-shirt with a simple proof of MDT:

http://www.cafepress.com/autumnrangers.72464949

"The only way to stay stationary in the fourth dimension is to move at the speed of light through the three spatial dimensions. Ergo the fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimenions."

How sad it is that when truth stares modern physicists in the face, they must close their eyes so as to get a postdoc or raise more funds for String Theory.

Moving Dimensions Theory is in complete agreement with all experimental tests and phenomena associated with special and general relativity. MDT is in complete agreement with all physical phenomena as predicted by quantum mechanics and demonstrated in extensive experiments. The genius and novelty of MDT is that it presents a common physical model which shows that phenomena from both relativity and quantum mechanics derive from the same fundamental physical reality.
Nowhere does String Theory nor Loop Quantum Gravity account for quantum entanglement nor relativistic time dilation. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for wave-particle duality nor relativistic length contraction. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for the constant speed of light, nor the independence of the speed of light on the velocity of the source, nor entropy, nor time's arrow. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical

I find Moving Dimensiosn Theory highly imaginative and plausible.

Reasoned debate would be fun--let's stay away from the namecalling.

Moving Dimensions Theory: MDT
The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions. Moving Dimensions Theory accounts for the aetherless aether.

This simple postulate offers a physical model underlying and unifiying:

RELATIVITY:

1) length contraction
2) time dilation
3) the equivalence of mass and energy
4) the constant velocity of light
5) the independence of the speed of light from the velocity of the source

QUANTUMN MECHANICS
1) action at a distance
2) wave-particle duality
3) interference phenomena
4) EPR paradox

THERMODYNAMICS
1) Time's arrow
2) Entropy

STRING THEORY'S MANY DIMENSIONS / KALUZA/KLEIN THEORY
1) a fourth expanding dimension can be interepreted as many dimensions, each time it expands

THE UNITY OF THE DUALITIES
1) wave/particle duality
2) time/space duality
3) energy/mass duality
4) E/B duality

GENERAL RELATIVITY
1) Gravitational redshift
2) Gravity waves
3) Gravitational attraction

THE SPACE-TIME BACKGROUND
1) quantum foam
2) the smearing of space and time at small distances
3) Hawking's imaginary time

PARADOXES
1) MDT explains away Godel's Block Universe
2) MDT unfreezes time
3) Resolves Zeno's Paradox

ONE GETS ALL OF THIS FROM A SIMPLE POSTULATE:

The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions in a sphereically symmetric manner, in units of the Planck length, at the rate of c.

This means that every point in three dimnesional space is always expanding into a fourth dimensional sphere with a radius of the plank length. A photon is matter caught on the surface of this quantized expansion, and thus energy is quantized. The expansion of the fourth dimension occurs at the rate of c, and thus the velocity of all photons is c.

Check out the t-shirt with a simple proof of MDT:

http://www.cafepress.com/autumnrangers.72464949

"The only way to stay stationary in the fourth dimension is to move at the speed of light through the three spatial dimensions. Ergo the fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimenions."

How sad it is that when truth stares modern physicists in the face, they must close their eyes so as to get a postdoc or raise more funds for String Theory.

Moving Dimensions Theory is in complete agreement with all
experimental tests and phenomena associated with special and general relativity. MDT is in complete agreement with all physical phenomena as predicted by quantum mechanics and demonstrated in extensive experiments. The genius and novelty of MDT is that it presents a common physical model which shows that phenomena from both relativity and quantum mechanics derive from the same fundamental physical reality.

Nowhere does String Theory nor Loop Quantum Gravity account for quantum entanglement nor relativistic time dilation. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for wave-particle duality nor relativistic length contraction. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for the constant speed of light, nor the independence of the speed of light on the velocity of the source, nor entropy, nor time's arrow. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does String Theory nor
Loop Quantum Gravity resolve the paradox of Godel's Block Universe which troubled Eisntein. MDT resolves this paradox.

Simply put, MDT replaces the contemporary none-theories with a physical theory, complete with a simple postulate that unifies
formerly disparate phenomena within a simple context.

THE GENERAL POSTULATE
OF DYNAMIC DIMENSIONS THEORY
The fourth dime

Physics has become a postmodern joke.

While fanatsy and speculation and science fiction are funded with hundreds and millions, simple truth and beauty are glossed over.

But time is on the truth's side:

Moving Dimensions Theory: MDT
The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions. http://physicsmathforums.com/

Moving Dimensions Theory accounts for the aetherless aether.

This simple postulate offers a physical model underlying and unifiying:

RELATIVITY:

1) length contraction
2) time dilation
3) the equivalence of mass and energy
4) the constant velocity of light
5) the independence of the speed of light from the velocity of the source

QUANTUMN MECHANICS
1) action at a distance
2) wave-particle duality
3) interference phenomena
4) EPR paradox

THERMODYNAMICS
1) Time's arrow
2) Entropy

STRING THEORY'S MANY DIMENSIONS / KALUZA/KLEIN THEORY
1) a fourth expanding dimension can be interepreted as many dimensions, each time it expands

THE UNITY OF THE DUALITIES
1) wave/particle duality
2) time/space duality
3) energy/mass duality
4) E/B duality

GENERAL RELATIVITY
1) Gravitational redshift
2) Gravity waves
3) Gravitational attraction

THE SPACE-TIME BACKGROUND
1) quantum foam
2) the smearing of space and time at small distances
3) Hawking's imaginary time

PARADOXES
1) MDT explains away Godel's Block Universe
2) MDT unfreezes time
3) Resolves Zeno's Paradox

ONE GETS ALL OF THIS FROM A SIMPLE POSTULATE:

The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions in a sphereically symmetric manner, in units of the Planck length, at the rate of c.

This means that every point in three dimnesional space is always expanding into a fourth dimensional sphere with a radius of the plank length. A photon is matter caught on the surface of this quantized expansion, and thus energy is quantized. The expansion of the fourth dimension occurs at the rate of c, and thus the velocity of all photons is c.

Check out the t-shirt with a simple proof of MDT:

http://www.cafepress.com/autumnrangers.72464949

"The only way to stay stationary in the fourth dimension is to move at the speed of light through the three spatial dimensions. Ergo the fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimenions."

How sad it is that when truth stares modern physicists in the face, they must close their eyes so as to get a postdoc or raise more funds for String Theory.

Moving Dimensions Theory is in complete agreement with all
experimental tests and phenomena associated with special and general relativity. MDT is in complete agreement with all physical phenomena as predicted by quantum mechanics and demonstrated in extensive experiments. The genius and novelty of MDT is that it presents a common physical model which shows that phenomena from both relativity and quantum mechanics derive from the same fundamental physical reality.

Nowhere does String Theory nor Loop Quantum Gravity account for quantum entanglement nor relativistic time dilation. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for wave-particle duality nor relativistic length contraction. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for the constant speed of light, nor the independence of the speed of light on the velocity of the source, nor entropy, nor time's arrow. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does String Theory nor
Loop Quantum Gravity resolve the paradox of Godel's Block Universe which troubled Eisntein. MDT resolves this paradox.

Simply put, MDT replaces the contemporary none-theories with a physical theory, complete with a simple pos

As light is just surfing the expanding foruth dimension, slowing light dwn just means you're holding the momenergy back as the crests of the fourth expanding dimension surge forward.

This appens all the time in glass and other meidums wherin the index of refraction is greater than one.

The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions. Moving Dimensions Theory accounts for the aetherless aether.

This simple postulate offers a physical model underlying and unifiying:

RELATIVITY:

1) length contraction
2) time dilation
3) the equivalence of mass and energy
4) the constant velocity of light
5) the independence of the speed of light from the velocity of the source

QUANTUMN MECHANICS
1) action at a distance
2) wave-particle duality
3) interference phenomena
4) EPR paradox

THERMODYNAMICS
1) Time's arrow
2) Entropy

STRING THEORY'S MANY DIMENSIONS / KALUZA/KLEIN THEORY
1) a fourth expanding dimension can be interepreted as many dimensions, each time it expands

THE UNITY OF THE DUALITIES
1) wave/particle duality
2) time/space duality
3) energy/mass duality
4) E/B duality

GENERAL RELATIVITY
1) Gravitational redshift
2) Gravity waves
3) Gravitation attraction

THE SPACE-TIME BACKGROUND
1) quantum foam
2) the smearing of space and time at small distances
3) Hawking's imaginary time

PARADOXES
1) MDT explains away Godel's Block Universe
2) MDT unfreezes time
3) Resolves Zeno's Paradox

ONE GETS ALL OF THIS FROM A SIMPLE POSTULATE:

The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial
dimensions in a sphereically symmetric manner, in units of the Planck length, at the rate of c.

This means that every point in three dimnesional space is always expanding into a fourth dimensional sphere with a radius of the plank length. A photon is matter caught on the surface of this quantized expansion, and thus energy is quantized. The expansion of the fourth dimension occurs at the rate of c, and thus the velocity of all photons is c.

Check out the t-shirt with a simple proof of MDT:

http://www.cafepress.com/autumnrangers.72464949

"The only way to stay stationary in the fourth dimension is to move at the speed of light through the three spatial dimensions. Ergo the fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimenions."

How sad it is that when truth stares modern physicists in the face, they must close their eyes so as to get a postdoc or raise more funds for String Theory.

Moving Dimensions Theory is in complete agreement with all
experimental tests and phenomena associated with special and general relativity. MDT is in complete agreement with all physical phenomena as predicted by quantum mechanics and demonstrated in extensive experiments. The genius and novelty of MDT is that it presents a common physical model which shows that phenomena from both relativity and quantum mechanics derive from the same fundamental physical reality.

Nowhere does String Theory nor Loop Quantum Gravity account for quantum entanglement nor relativistic time dilation. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for wave-particle duality nor relativistic length contraction. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does ST nor LQG account for the constant speed of light, nor the independence of the speed of light on the velocity of the source, nor entropy, nor time's arrow. MDT shows these derive from the same underlying physical reality. Nowhere does String Theory nor
Loop Quantum Gravity resolve the paradox of Godel's Block Universe which troubled Eisntein. MDT resolves this paradox.

Simply put, MDT replaces the contemporary none-theories with a physical theory, complete with a simple postulate that unifies
formerly dispar

Check out this take on the Boston debacle. They are pretty funny!

http://www.cafepress.com/fuscoindustries

The poor bastards still charged with a crime are charged with planting a hoax object. That term, hoax object, has gotten a lot of airplay here in Boston, because anything can be construed as a hoax object. A laptop is a hoax object. A can of Pepsi is a hoax object. Your little brother is a hoax object. People on CafePress have started selling "Hoax Object" t-shirts. How stupid does the public have to be for planting a hoax object to be considered an act of terrorism?

"All the people complaining about DRM should actually DO something"

DONE.

Sayings - Deterred Bahamian Novel - http://www.ourmedia.org/node/262954

Tings - Anuddah Bahamian Novel - http://www.ourmedia.org/node/85937 &
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/111123

drew Roberts's Storefront - Lulu.com - http://www.lulu.com/zotz

Some tings for you from zotz : CafePress.com - http://www.cafepress.com/zotz

Now for some other stuff of mine:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=zotzbr o&search=Search
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=(creator%3 A%22drew%20Roberts%22)%20OR%20(collection%3A(ourme dia)%20AND%20%2Fmetadata%2Fauthor%3A(drew%20Robert s))
http://code.google.com/p/drsoundwall/
http://www.ourmedia.org/user/17145
http://musicians.opensrc.org/DrewRoberts
https://sourceforge.net/projects/zbcw

I am not the only one doing such things either. For instance:

http://ccmixter.org/media/tags/attribution

"so CREATE something yourself and see how it works voluntarily instead of forcing authors to agree with your politics."

Ah, I am not the one running to get copyright laws amended over and over. Retroactively. There was a legal (lopitical?) agreement made with the public, but it wasn't good enough for some. They wanted to change the agreement. Now it is wrong for others to change it back to something more like it was? Or even completely different?

Seems some people are trying to force us into new "agreements." Why should we not fight back?

all the best,

drew

I found the mug they issue to everyone.

For example, auto-add the "nofollow" only to the links added in recent edits (for some definition of recent). Once a particular link was part of the page long enough (and survived other people's edits), it can be followed by the search engines...

I, for one, contributed a number of wild-life pictures to Wikipedia, but am also selling them in my own shop. I don't think, it is unfair for me to expect links to my shop from the contributed images to be followed...

Of course. And the devout followers will try their best to make sure the bible is right. This is my favorite bumper sticker of all time:

http://www.cafepress.com/bettybowers/106138

If you want people to know you're running linux, try The Debian Store.

So, the unemployed and the "home healthcare aids" are allowed to infringe on copyright?

Copyright infringement has no direct negative effect on another.

Is that a yes? As in: "Yes, the unemployed and the "home healthcare aids" are allowed to infringe on copyright?"

Violating copyright? I don't think the free exchange of information should be restricted.

Oh, ok, so you are against copyrights in general? Then just say so and argue that point, instead of the passionate crap about "home healthcare aids".

I do believe that the RIAA's tactics are morally wrong, and I don't think they should even be allowed.

Immoral is not illegal. Copying someone else's work without permission — to give away or for oneself — is immoral too. And it is also illegal. To hell with RIAA, if you copy and start giving away my pademelons design, you'll be wrong (both morally and legally) and I'll come after you... That RIAA is many thousand times richer than I am makes no difference — we both hate people copying (a.k.a. stealing, yes, stealing as in "depriving of something valuable") our works. Even if those copying (the thieves) are unemployed...

Here we are talking about a court case

We are? We just talked about free flow of information — get your story straight and stay on subject...

brought by a multi-million dollar company against an individual, not a violation of the law witnessed by a law enforcement officer.

What's the difference? One's chances of success in court rise greatly with hiring a lawyer regardless of who the claimant is — a "multi-million" (don't you hate them just for that?) corporation or a law-enforcement officer... Those hired lawyers are very expensive and the richer side will always have an advantage in court. That is the problem — not RIAA's "playing" by the current rules of litigation.

If RIAA went after "trustafarians" and CEOs copying music, would you approve of them? No, you wouldn't, because you think, there should be no copyright on music. Then stop pretending, it is about "home healthcare aids"...

I fully agree with you. In fact will even go as far as buying their t-shirt http://www.cafepress.com/venganza.27298385

What Alternate Reality Are You Living In?

The theory makes sense. They are building an electrostatic machine, but using magnetic fields to make the charged particles miss the electrically charged grid. I think they are at about the same point focus fusion is. They have done an experiment that agrees with their calculations at a lower energy than would be required to generate power. Their scaling laws require that their machine be larger than a DPF so they will need 150-200 million dollars to do the proof of concept experiment at full energy.

In the afterward Spider mentions that in libraries, "the ones that all had a sticker on their spine depicting a hydrogen atom inexplicably impaled by a V2 - were always excellent". It looks like someone has created a CafePress shop with this design.

Joss's blog says that all Firefly designs are gone from Cafepress, but I think it is just those that use their copyright. It is possible to make designs that don't violate their copyright: Chris2x's Firefly/Serenity designs

a) She has legal representation from a fan's company. There's also a donate button on her website.

I would rate seeking compensation for unlicensed clothing as something no less petty than, say, demanding that "GNU" precede the word "Linux" in the name of an operating system.

b) Have you actually seen the artwork? Here's the store: http://www.cafepress.com/11thhourart. Universal are currently disputing the designs with serenity written in chinese on them. Yes, you heard it here first, Chinese folk: Universal own one of your words.

[[The Prospero message boards require people to log-in in order to access this message. Here is the text of the message that started that thread so people can read it without creating an account and logging in.]]

From: 11th Hour (11thHour) Oct-24 2:38 pm
To: ALL (1 of 500)

Here's an email intro sure to startle the heart of any Browncoat:

"This firm represents Universal Studios Licensing, LLLP ("Universal"). As you presumably are aware, Universal owns the valuable copyrights and intellectual property in and to an assortment the theatrical motion picture "Serenity" and all images contained therein ("the Universal Property"). [See, e.g., Walt Disney Productions v. Filmation Associates, 628 F.Supp. 871, 876, 878, 879-80 (C.D. Cal. 1986) (defendant's use of plaintiff's protected images in defendant's promotional trailer, brochures and other materials found infringing)]."

[edit]

"11th Hour Art's offering for sale and sale of unauthorized "Serenity" shirts may give rise to multiple violations of law, giving rise to various causes of action for copyright infringement, counterfeiting, and unfair competition, among other claims. Recovery on one or more of these claims may include attorney's fees, treble damages, statutory damages, and punitive damages."

The Demand continues, and includes such stipulations that within 72 hours I must agree to: pay a retroactive $8,750 licensing fee; the permanent closing of my shop; turn over any merchandise referring to the Universal Property; and provide the last 12 months complete sales records... there's more, but that's the gist... oh, except for the threat of federal court and the statutory damages thingy of $150,000 per infringed work... don't want to go leaving that part out.

The questionable image in my shop were, for the most part, already pulled down by Cafe Press after the first email notice I got last week. I was then already going through my shop and revising the wording in some descriptions as needed to fully comply with the notification. At present, the only instances where the word "serenity" is mentioned is to explain the translation of the Chinese characters, but without any references to the movie of that name.

I can confidently state that my Cafe Press shop is totally free of any associations with "Serenity" the movie... unless of course Universal now claims ownership of the actual word "serenity", no matter how it is used, both in English and Chinese. In that case, there's a certain adult diaper manufacturer who's in deep doo doo now... pun is like, totally intended...

I'm exhausted, emotionally and physically. I've spent most of the past few days since the notification overhauling my shop. I've put aside all other projects, and haven't gotten that much sleep doing this. I'm actually starting to feel ill... this whole thing is just sickening...

11th Hour

P.S.
I found this particuar excerpt from the Demand rather ironical:

"That, no later than close of business on October 30, 2006, 11th Hour Art agree in writing to permanently cease and desist from the advertising, promoting, marketing, sale or distribution of any products bearing or referring to Universal Property" Guess that could be seen as Universal telling me to stop guerilla marketing too. Good job Universal, can't be having a loose cannon like me running around promoting Serenity. Think of the damage that could do.

Good bye guerilla marketing posters too?

Hello Serenity Valley.

11th

.
.
.
Edited to say I can be contacted by clicking on my member name, and to add a link to my Cafe Press shop for reference:
www.cafepress.com/11thhourart

Also, some of 11th Hour artwork was used in the prepublicity material from Universal, and it's seen on the Serenity DVD in the special feature on fans.

None of 11th Hour's artwork is from the movie. It's all original. It doesn't feature characters, screen shots or anything like that. You can view it here: http://www.cafepress.com/11thhourart.

Basically, what's happening here is slightly retarded. Universal's lawyers are digging themselves into a hole by not understanding what they are doing in the scheme of things.

Ok, having only briefly looked it over... I think what Universal is objecting to is this knucklehead selling merchandise for profit, utilizing their images.

So, well, what's the problem?

No problem whatsoever, if that was in fact what was happening. The trouble is that Universal is claiming this with regard to images this "knucklehead" made himself, related to Serenity, but not using any of their copyrighted work. If anything it's a violation of trademark, not copyright. That's a more subtle case entirely. Copyright infringement is clear-cut. Either a derivative work contains copyrighted components, or it doesn't. Trademark infringement is difficult to prove, especially when the trademark involved is one on a word that's been in the English language since long before the trademark holder got around to claiming it.

Of course, the guy was probably infringing more directly back when this started. In the forum linked to, he says that he's already removed all of the stuff that mentions serenity. The most closely related thing left is this, a T-shirt based on the Chinese character translated as "serenity".

There are THOUSANDS of shirts on CafePress for Snakes on a Plane. How many of those shirts infringe on New Line's copyrighted material? And yet, does anybody doubt that New Line would have been better off not having that fan-based for-profit marketing? New Line was even smart enough to partner with CafePress so everything became more or less legally legit.

And here's the real issue. If Universal REALLY didn't want this person selling those t-shirts... just ASK them to stop. A nice letter with an explanation of why you'd like them to stop with a few official promo goodies would probably be more than enough to get someone to modify what they've been doing. Why do these companies think it's wise to open with threats as opposed to genuine dialogue?

Ugh, I hate people sometimes.

As others have already pointed out, it's not copacetic to sell merchandise like that. You think you can start selling Star Wars t-shirts and Lucasfilm will be OK with that? Not likely.

At present, this is the closest thing I could find to an infringement of any copyright or trademark on the T-shirt site in question. The product itself has no hint of infringement, and the description of the product has the word "serenity" but it's just a translation from the Chinese character in the picture on the shirt. Maybe the site used to contain more infringing stuff; I don't know. But at present, the Universal lawyers are still demanding that he take down the site (and holding the usual obscene $150,000 per instance copyright infringement damage number over his head to make sure he does it).

There is a danger to the Firefly/Serenity franchise here. Viral marketing works, but it works in both directions. The whole mythos of Firefly is about rebellion against a powerful government. If it looks like the franchise is in the hands a pseudo-government (big corporation) the most ardent fans will rebel. Of course, Firefly/Serenity has been in the hands of a big company since it was started, but the Browncoats might actually notice it now and become rather disillusioned rather than support it as fervently as they have done so far. No viral marketing means (maybe) no market. No market means no movie.

I have long argued that what really needs to be done is not just making a major 3rd party like the Libertarians or Greens to win, but get some very very obscure party that is plainly obvious that nobody really supported the candidate, and make it a near landslide victory for that party.

I've nominated a few suggestions like the Cthulhu Party or the National Fisherman's Party, but either would do the job very well.

To be honest, if you wanted to avoid spending too much time in jail, I would suggest the student body president of some major university instead as an election to hack instead of U.S. Congressional races or the Presidential election, as you can avoid violating federal election laws in that manner. It could still have the same impact in terms of letting people know what can happen, but the results wouldn't be so disasterous in terms of getting a major investigation and court proceedings to catch the would-be hackers. And publicize the hack in all of its gory detail.

Last time I made a suggestion I discovered that some university student body elections were indeed hacked like this, but it didn't use the current set of machines by Dibold that have been suggested so far.

Good point. Let us not forget that WoW also wrecks the lives of the unborn.

I'm with you, first thing I thought of. Instantly reminded of that classic dilbert strip (applogies for the commerical link, I couldnt find it else where legally)

Have at. Personally, I just ordered this one.

Have at. Personally, I just ordered this one.