Slashdot Mirror
Dept. of Homeland Security Enforces Expired Patent
Fouquet writes "Apparently the Department of Homeland Security does not have enough to do in keeping the US safe, and now is enforcing copyright law as well. The AP reports that a toy store owner in Oregon was requested by Homeland Security officials to remove a potentially copyright-infringing Rubik's cube-like toy from her shelves. The patent for Rubik's cube was issued in 1980, and so it is expired."
Ahh, America -- land of the moron. Where the nation's anti-terrorism forces bravely persecute toy-store owners for "violation" of expired patents.
These are all different you know... They are? In /. land, all IP is the same, and it is all BBBBBBBAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD.
Come play Heroes of Might and Magic Mini online.
"Within six months of passing the PATRIOT Act, the Justice Department was conducting seminars on how to stretch the new wiretapping provisions to extend them beyond terror cases," said Dan Dodson, a spokesman for the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. "They say they want the PATRIOT Act to fight terrorism. Then, within six months, they are teaching their people how to use it on ordinary citizens."
Puzzles are an atempt to destroy our national security! If our children had puzzels they, they might become smart, and ask questions. We can't have children asking questions now can we? They'll never make good sheeple that way!
Only in a Slashdot fantasy can a Slackware install turn into several hours of sex . . . . .
Ok, who modded me troll?
/. I have to stand up for my right to make totally asinine posts completely devoid of any relevant subject matter related to the article which I haven't even read.
Come one now, this is
"Aren't there any terrorists out there?" she said.
Terrorists? Do you think we'd be mucking around in Iraq if we knew where to find terrorists??
Now just put down the cubes and nobody gets hurt.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
Terrorist suppliers cannot be allowed to sell the tools of evil with just one click.
The terrorist must always click twice.
134340: I am not a number. I am a free planet!
The only reason I would go to the USA would be to help in the next revolution.
And that wouldn't look good on a visa application...
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
Perhaps all newer true Rubix cubes are embedded with some sort of micro chips/sensors, (perhaps even microphones and/or cameras!) which can detect if and how long it took a person to solve it, then these individuals are added to some sort of watch list, because they arent the typical dumb sheep the government wishes to rule. But I digress
For example, you tend to ask for a search warranty if someone wants to search your house.
My search warranties always seem to expire right before I really need them.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
I've figured it out. The Rubiks cube was actually invented by some commie, wasn't it? So the All-American Majick Cube would actually be HELPING our economy, by making sure part of the profits didn't go to those godless communists.
So, if the Dept of Homeland Security confiscated the American cubes.... they must be agents of the Soviet Government. Thats the only thing that makes sense.
I am NOT a man!
I am a free number!
With a name like "Magic Cube" if the toy is anything at all like a Rubic's Cube then it almost certainly does infringe on the Rubic's Cube trademark.
Yeah, cause how dare they call a six-faced object with square faces a "Cube". I mean, they even capitalized the C!
Your job is to read the article. You didn't do so, because if you did you'd know that no trademark was infringed, and the patent's already expired.
Being /. though, this still earns you kudos, or at least karma.
Cogito, ergo sig.
Yeah, it made me want to moderate the story [-1, Confused].
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
Nobody expects the homeland security! Our primary weapons are expired copyrights, and rubik's cubes...
oh damn, let me come in again.
So they've trademarked my girlfriend's personality?
The Red Sox won the World Series under a total lunar eclipse. The leader of the moderate Palestinians is on his deathbed. The Israeli coalition government is about to fall apart over the Gaza withdrawal plan. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has a serious case of thyroid cancer. All this less than a week before one of the most contentious US Presidential elections in history.
And now, Slashdot editors confuse copyright, trademark, and patent law all together at once, creating a sort of Grand Unified Theory of IP Confusion which was obviously the purpose of Slashdot.
So yeah, the end of the world.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.