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How about printing out some of JSG Boggs' counterculture art? It's countercounterfeit countercounterrevolutionary!

if you want to talk about art, let's talk about JSG Boggs. this man DRAWS the notes BY HAND, and has been doing it since 1984. his art is not only his physical artistic ability in recreating the bills in great detail (with his little added puns), but in creating social networks around the passing of his bills. he tells people they're not real bills and gives them the choice of accepting his art in return for goods and services, or to accept real money.

This could amount to prior restraint on artists like JSG Boggs who produce parody's of national currency .

In any event, it will only inconvenience law abiding citizens since forgers will have no qualms about importing illegal software.

You know, you could just bypass the computer completely and draw it by hand, like this guy.

Another link and a documentary about Boggs.

Here's more info on JSG Boggs and a website about him.

I don't know if Boggs is a Yank or a Brit, but he started with greenbacks and is best known for them. See his web page.

You might enjoy the work of an artist named Boggs (plug: he's my friend, and he also sells stuff for e-gold).
JMR

Interesting reply, thanks.

I wonder if there's a way to word a click-thru disclaimer that would prevent/minimize the legal issues you and Weird Al bring up? I'm guessing Scott Adams gets around Sturgeon's Law by just wading through with a finger on the delete key (and drinking lots of coffee) but that's also a good point.

I know using others' ideas is a touchy area for lots of artists. For example, my friend J.S.G. Boggs makes money the old fashioned way -- he draws it. He then goes out and tries to spend it in the "real world" to merchants who happen to have things that he wants. He's not a counterfeiter, merchants are well aware it's art they're accepting (although he has gotten into trouble with various governments in the past over that issue, it's a pretty silly one in his case and juries consistenly let him off). Needless to say, part of the reason that I like Boggs is that his art makes people actually think about the nature of money, art, and value in ways they haven't before, and that's good for business.

Anyway, I have an idea for a Boggs bill; but if he does it exactly the way I imagine, or he changes my idea in small (or big) ways, or if he doesn't do it at all, I won't feel that he owes me anything for my idea. If he creates the bill just as I imagine it, it will have a face value too high for me to ever obtain it, anyway.

It seems to me that folks should be able to give away art ideas as easily as people can give away software ideas, and that artists who accept free ideas should not have to fear an army of lawyers descending upon them if they commit the sin of financial success. I suppose Weird Al's lawyers would call me painfully idealistic for saying this...
JMR

Interesting reply, thanks.

I wonder if there's a way to word a click-thru disclaimer that would prevent/minimize the legal issues you and Weird Al bring up? I'm guessing Scott Adams gets around Sturgeon's Law by just wading through with a finger on the delete key (and drinking lots of coffee) but that's also a good point.

I know using others' ideas is a touchy area for lots of artists. For example, my friend J.S.G. Boggs makes money the old fashioned way -- he draws it. He then goes out and tries to spend it in the "real world" to merchants who happen to have things that he wants. He's not a counterfeiter, merchants are well aware it's art they're accepting (although he has gotten into trouble with various governments in the past over that issue, it's a pretty silly one in his case and juries consistenly let him off). Needless to say, part of the reason that I like Boggs is that his art makes people actually think about the nature of money, art, and value in ways they haven't before, and that's good for business.

Anyway, I have an idea for a Boggs bill; but if he does it exactly the way I imagine, or he changes my idea in small (or big) ways, or if he doesn't do it at all, I won't feel that he owes me anything for my idea. If he creates the bill just as I imagine it, it will have a face value too high for me to ever obtain it, anyway.

It seems to me that folks should be able to give away art ideas as easily as people can give away software ideas, and that artists who accept free ideas should not have to fear an army of lawyers descending upon them if they commit the sin of financial success. I suppose Weird Al's lawyers would call me painfully idealistic for saying this...
JMR

Dude. It's just paper. There's no reason that a mass-produced little sheet of green paper that costs $0.01 to print should ever be worth $1 just because it has a picture of George Washington on it. That's insanity.

Here's some links:
Background of Boggs in the LA Weekly
Boggs' website, including an example of his art

Also, look into the book by Lawrence Weschler, "Boggs: a Comedy of Values"

Yes, they can take your stuff, and then never let you have a trial. It happened
to my friend, money artist (and NOT a counterfeiter!!!!) J.S.G. Boggs. The SS
took his stuff and didn't charge him, in order to make him sue. They knew from
long experience that when he gets in front of a jury, they let him off, so they
forced the issue by never charging him after stealing his stuff. Stupidly, the US
Supreme court just denied cert. after he finally had to sue to get his life's work
returned. Not good from a free speech or property-rights perspective. :(

His studio page, with links to the
appeals court transcript and an
article about him. Here's a
Swiss gallery with some of his stuff (they may have counterfeits, too, according to Boggs).
another article. And
another. Finally, if you want to see one of the REAL reasons my friend Boggs gets in trouble, click on:
this and note the inscription over the dome: "Red Gold We Trust," in a year of campaign finance
scandals. That, and making folks actually THINK about the value of art & paper
money is not counterfeiting, but it IS very subversive. IMO. I don't own that bill
anymore, and the current owner, if he will sell, wants a lot of gold for it. Don't ask. :)
JMR

(Speaking only for myself, again.)

Yes, they can take your stuff, and then never let you have a trial. It happened
to my friend, money artist (and NOT a counterfeiter!!!!) J.S.G. Boggs. The SS
took his stuff and didn't charge him, in order to make him sue. They knew from
long experience that when he gets in front of a jury, they let him off, so they
forced the issue by never charging him after stealing his stuff. Stupidly, the US
Supreme court just denied cert. after he finally had to sue to get his life's work
returned. Not good from a free speech or property-rights perspective. :(

His studio page, with links to the
appeals court transcript and an
article about him. Here's a
Swiss gallery with some of his stuff (they may have counterfeits, too, according to Boggs).
another article. And
another. Finally, if you want to see one of the REAL reasons my friend Boggs gets in trouble, click on:
this and note the inscription over the dome: "Red Gold We Trust," in a year of campaign finance
scandals. That, and making folks actually THINK about the value of art & paper
money is not counterfeiting, but it IS very subversive. IMO. I don't own that bill
anymore, and the current owner, if he will sell, wants a lot of gold for it. Don't ask. :)
JMR

(Speaking only for myself, again.)

Yes, they can take your stuff, and then never let you have a trial. It happened
to my friend, money artist (and NOT a counterfeiter!!!!) J.S.G. Boggs. The SS
took his stuff and didn't charge him, in order to make him sue. They knew from
long experience that when he gets in front of a jury, they let him off, so they
forced the issue by never charging him after stealing his stuff. Stupidly, the US
Supreme court just denied cert. after he finally had to sue to get his life's work
returned. Not good from a free speech or property-rights perspective. :(

His studio page, with links to the
appeals court transcript and an
article about him. Here's a
Swiss gallery with some of his stuff (they may have counterfeits, too, according to Boggs).
another article. And
another. Finally, if you want to see one of the REAL reasons my friend Boggs gets in trouble, click on:
this and note the inscription over the dome: "Red Gold We Trust," in a year of campaign finance
scandals. That, and making folks actually THINK about the value of art & paper
money is not counterfeiting, but it IS very subversive. IMO. I don't own that bill
anymore, and the current owner, if he will sell, wants a lot of gold for it. Don't ask. :)
JMR

(Speaking only for myself, again.)