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Electronic Frontier Foundation Sues Uri Geller

reversible physicist writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation has sued spoon-bender Uri Geller for using 'baseless copyright claims' to silence critics who question his paranormal powers. Brian Sapient posted on YouTube a 14-minute excerpt from the 1993 PBS NOVA program 'Secrets of the Psychics,' in which skeptic James Randi says Geller's spoon-bending feats were simple tricks. YouTube took down the video after Geller complained — his lawyers claim that 10 seconds of the video are owned by Geller. A shorter excerpt of the video is still up on YouTube."

21 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. They're just jealous but by C4st13v4n14 · · Score: 5, Funny

    There is no spoon!

  2. He thought wrong! by abionnnn · · Score: 5, Funny

    He thought he could bend copyright laws too!

    1. Re:He thought wrong! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Unlike spoons, copyright laws are self-bending.

    2. Re:He thought wrong! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      He thought he could bend copyright laws too! That's kind of futile isn't it? /. users have been bending and breaking copyright laws without the help of supernatural powers for many years now.
    3. Re:He thought wrong! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Ahahahaha, haven't laughed this much since I read the topic of this thread! :)))

      This is almost as funny as the ramblings of SCO & Mickey$oft!

    4. Re:He thought wrong! by Mateo_LeFou · · Score: 2, Funny

      I remember Moglen predicted that the DMCA would primarily be used -- not to thwart copyright infringmenet -- but to thwart competition and public participation. Cf. printer cartridges, SLAPPs, etc. It often seems to me like he was prophetic.

      Of course, the only time I ever hear about DMCA usage is on /. so it's not exactly fair and balanced. Are there tons of legitimate DMCA takedowns happening that don't get reported?

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  3. Let me guess... by daranz · · Score: 5, Funny

    During these 10 seconds he placed the spoon in a clamp and started hammering at it vigorously?

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  4. Toad the Wet Sprocket knew this all along... by Alpha77 · · Score: 2, Funny

    when they sang 'bend your words like Uri Gellers' spoons'.

  5. Geller sues people who doubt his amazing ability by DrXym · · Score: 5, Funny
    So let me first to say that he is NOT a charlatan, a huckster, a cheap parlour act, a one trick pony, a snakeoil salesman, a vulture preying on the weak minded, a media whore, an insult to intelligence, a talentless liar or a boil on the face of humanity.

    No indeed. He is a great man whom aliens have seen fit to bestow the ultimate of powers - spoon bending. All hail our galactic overlords and their glorious Earth bound representative!

  6. Defamatory by kahei · · Score: 5, Funny

    Clearly Uri Geller has no "psychic" abilities whatsoever

    I'll thank you not to post baseless, unprovable defamatory statements about Mr. Geller. His 'Orange Dot' (see google) was almost certainly the single most amazing thing ever done in the sphere of psychic activity. Seriously, which is more likely:

    Proposition A: Uri Geller does have psychic abilities
    Proposition B: A high proportion of the human race, if you print an orange dot in a newspaper and tell them touching it will make their dreams come true, will take it *very seriously indeed*.

    I think you'll agree the latter proposition is simply ludicrous. Therefore it behooves anyone who'd consider themselves a free thinker to consider proposition A.

    Incidentally, I myself possess something of Mr. Geller's gift. While he is able to energize a large orange dot on high-quality newsprint, I can only perform the lesser feat of energizing a small black dot on the flimsy medium of a cathode ray tube or TFT. I have focused my spirit energy on this dot and it is now fully energized. Empty your mind, gaze on the dot and let the spirit energy fill you and uplift you.

    Here is the Dot: .

    Reach out. Touch it. Imagine you are floating on a bed of marshmallows(*). Who knows? Your dreams might just come true!

    (*)Genuine quote from Uri Geller, used here as "fair use" as I know Mr. Geller would never stoop to abusing copyright law.

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    1. Re:Defamatory by Rakshasa+Taisab · · Score: 5, Funny

      Damn... Fingerprint on my LCD screen.

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    2. Re:Defamatory by DwarfGoanna · · Score: 4, Funny

      Knock it if you want, but my stuck pixel... JUST DISAPPEARED!!

      =)

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  7. As a "psychic"... by CriminalNerd · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...I'm sure he saw that lawsuit coming. =D

  8. Expect this lawsuit to be withdrawn shortly... by Hanners1979 · · Score: 2, Funny

    "I'm not the psychic you're looking for..."

  9. Fabulous! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I've always *dreamed* of having a fingerprint on my monitor...

  10. For my final trick... by packetmon · · Score: 2, Funny

    I shall now make this article waste a few minutes of my life. But on a rebounding note, I shall sue Slashdot for using 10 seconds of my time and bandwidth in getting me to make a pointless response.

  11. Re:The Amazing Randi by Tuoqui · · Score: 5, Funny

    According to the article the biggest trick ever is silencing skeptics.

    Of course anyone can do that if they can buy themselves an elite ninja death squad.

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  12. Re:Anything to Perpetuate the Fraud by Hognoxious · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just look at what happens when cults get power.
    Tey invade Iraq? Oh, you said cults, my mistake.
    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  13. Re:The Amazing Randi by rbanffy · · Score: 4, Funny

    +1 insightful for you.

    Sorry. but I ran out of mod points.

  14. In this case.. by z4pp4 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Uri Geller should get bent

  15. james randi is sexy by timmarhy · · Score: 2, Funny

    seriously when he goes off at these frauds it's sexy. if he was younger, less hairy and a woman i'd fuck him.

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