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IOC Claims Olympian Lindsey Vonn's Name As Intellectual Property
gehrehmee writes "As usual, the International Olympic Committee is coming down on hard on people mentioning things related to the Olympics without permission. This time it's UVEX sporting supplies, which sponsors Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn. Without explaination, their front page was today updated to include a tongue-in-cheek poem about UVEX's interaction with the IOC. Can the IOC really claim an Olypmian's name as their own intellectual property?"
Of course they can claim her name as their I.P. They can also claim to be from the planet Xenu, or they can claim to be 2,000-year-old leprechauns. Claiming a thing is their property does not actually make it their property until a court has made the decision.
For a great example of other lawyers claiming untrue things, look at BoingBoing's laugh at Demi Moore's lawyers' expense. They claimed that BoingBoing was slandering Demi Moore by saying her image was photoshopped, when clearly it was not photoshopped as attested to by the sworn testimony of the photographers.
So the IOC can claim that Lindsey Vonn is made out of ice cream, milkweed pods, and sandpaper, if they want. Won't make it true. If UVEX wasn't getting such a good laugh out of this stupidity, I hope they'd have the integrity to restore Lindsey's name to their web site.
John
If her sponsors are paying for her lessons, her training, and her equipment - they have more rights to her name than any olympic body. She wouldn't be at the olympics without her sponsor. The IOC did not pay Lindsey Vonn anything - if she won a medal and it was decided that medalists receive a cash prize (as the US olympic comitee has done in the past) then that was her earning, and it could have gone to anyone just as much as it was her, so its not considered payment.
If I were Uvex, I would counter-sue, claiming that they have more right to the name.
Just add this to the MASSIVE list of failures at this Winter Olympics, namely: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35464927/ns/world_news-vancouver_winter_olympics/
"To err is human, to mod Funny divine."
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It depends upon the contract that the Olympian signed in order to compete in the Olympics. My opinion is that the Olympians have to sign away everything but their first-born in order to be allowed to compete in the Olympics.
I no longer view the Olympics as an idealistic sporting event. I now view it as a viscous commercial enterprise that exploits the dreams of young athletes.
I really want to watch the Olympics. I'm not much of a sports person, playing or watching, but I can't deny that it's inspiring to watch people who have spent their lives dedicated to one goal competing with each other and showing what they and the human race are capable of. I really really want to honor their efforts and cheer on every single person that has made it so far.
Unfortunately the organizers of this competition are the world's worst abusers of IP law and international politics, and flat out get away with open bribery. It's the best of the best sponsored by the worst of the worst. I'm sorry, I hate doing it, but I have to boycott the Olympics. If the IOC ever cleans up their act or another organization can organize a world competition that attracts the best athletes I'll watch. Until then, I won't.
Seriously, I haven't watched any of this years or the last olympics. Total waste of time. Home Shopping Channel is less boring.
Once respected now just trashed. ISO was destroyed in my eyes by the whole Microsoft debacle. (some would say long before that, but I knew nothing of ISO's procedures or problems before Microsoft's involvement.) The IOC's pure greed and nonsense over the past few years had convinced me that the Olympics just ain't cool any more.
In the past, the IOC's have been a bunch of Narcissistic, money grubbing vampires that make the RIAA look like Sunday-School teachers; It's not out of character for them to not only claim a competitor's name, but their first-born child. a Strategy of sue everybody and let the courts figure it out isn't foreign to them either.
Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
therefore is immune to any lawsuit originated in the U.S.
Sheesh. Stop and think for a second. Do they do business in the US? Then they aren't immune. Just think of the ramifications if foreign companies that did business in the US actually were immune from lawsuits like you claim.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
I propose we inaugurate a new set of weekly, monthly and yearly Streisand awards. For this, I'd like to Nominate for all three categories this most boneheaded request of the IOC.
In the meantime, lets help UVEX by directly linking their name (like I have here) with Vonn's name.
They can't stop the mob!
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
What I want to know is, why hasn't any of the Olympian Gods smitten them yet? This is like McDonalds trying to claim trademark violations if there is anything with "Mc" in front of it. What are they going to do, sue all of Scotland?
Similar to the upcoming US election results
According to ACTA -- the organization which donates the most money to the reelection campaigns of ACTA-supporting politicians gets to declare ownership of anything they damn well please -- so it's hard to tell at the this point, but my money would be on the IOC.
To the haters: You can't win. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine
If the name is the IOC's IP, even if only temporarily, then their gripe is with Ms rhymes with Bonn. She presumably signed a contract with Uvex and also presumably with the IOC. If the IOC can enforce anything it would be against her not the company. The IOC's rights do not negate an existing contract which allows Uvex to use her image.
The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
Forget right of publicity - since when can the IOC claim copyright on a fact? "Lindsey Vonn won Gold at the Vancouver Olympics" - how can this possibly infringe any copyright or even contract? I would assume that the same way you can't get someone to sign up as a slave, you can't get someone to sign over the rights to have facts distributed about them....
Is the IOC lawyer on crack? Wait, don't answer that.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
I've not seen yet a serious libertarian candidate (yes, I realize this is almost an oxymoron) who didn't support the status quo in IP law. Maybe a few vague and totally unsubstantiated promises for "reform", but that's it.
As this is the case, yeah, I'd say one of the main tenets of any seriously proposed "free" market is draconian intellectual property law.
"They were pure niggers." – Noam Chomsky
Only accepting Visa or cash at all the venues.
It's not just venues, it's all official stores, too (including online ones).
This is actually driving me mad. I fucking live in this city, and my bank (HSBC) issues MasterCard, not Visa. And what about Interac, which is the standard for debit cards? No go, too.
But they "proudly accept Visa". Well, I'm "proudly" not paying them a single cent. Not that it matters any in the end, judging by droves of people with that merch around...
back 1.5 years ago i made a comment saying if things went at that rate (then and now), in 10 years' time we wouldnt be able to even use common daily words among ourselves because some bastard would own their copyright. you people went out to make a running gag on me, claiming intellectual property on stuff in my post.
however check it out. just this week, a bastard (or a number of bastards) were able to go as far to claim someone's name as intellectual property. from there to here, since then until now. it wont even take 10 years it seems.
my point is that, if you allow some mechanism that can be abused, exploited, it WILL be abused, exploited. tangible assets as property is one thing, but once you allow 'owning' intellectual thoughts, concepts, that ends up in hampering mankind's progress because it will eventually prevent free exchange, use and progress of ideas, even very concept of 'thought' itself.
Read radical news here
Most people fold.
most people fold. and most people HAVE to fold because they cant risk relying on streisand effect, their or his/her jurisdiction, chances and so on. these are risks too high for individuals to take. however they are minor risks for big companies. once an individual takes the risk and loses, leave aside his/her life, but also his/her children's, dependants' lives will be over due to paranormal amounts of 'damages' s/he will have to pay.
NOONE can take that risk.
thats why the system is broken, and always works in favor of big companies, and the concepts of copyright and intellectual property need to be whacked down.
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"stiffing local taxpayers with the bills"
"...altar of the free market, you've got to admire their ruthlessly perfect exploitation of it"
As you yourself have evinced, it's not a "free-market". Or perhaps you're one of the many who're confused about what a "free-market" is actually supposed to be.
The Olympics is a corrupt global business. It's run by guys like Mitt Romney, who was Olympics CEO for the notably corrupt 2002 Winter games in Salt Lake City. These people will do and say anything, no matter how obviously wrong, or contradicting what they said yesterday, to get and keep control over the money flow. And it works. For them. Winners!
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make install -not war