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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?"
True, but the onus is on them to stop use of "their" IP. They'd have the bring the suit in the US to stop anyone from using the name here, and within the context of that suit they WOULD be subject to the laws of the US.
"People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
I should point out that most people going to the Olympics, like most people who live in Greater Vancouver, use the excellent light rail system there.
Why the heck would you want to pay $50 to park a car when you can get there faster by light rail - including the ski hill - for less than $5?
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
False. All you need to do is say "So sue me or FOAD." Then they have to:
Most lawyers letters are bluffs.
Most people fold.
It costs nothing to call their bluff and see if they take the next step, which is ... a demand letter giving you x number of days or else they'll sue.
The problem here is not the crazy guys (in this case at the IOC).
The problem is us as a population, buying into their bullshit, despite it only hurting us, and only being for their advantage.
There are different ways to deal with bullshit: ;)
1. Blindly believe it, because the other one is so dominant, and you are so weak. The choice of the coward. But the default choice of about 70% of the population for 70% of all events.
2. Accepting it as a valid view, but engaging in an argumentation to refute it, because you have a own sense of reality, but are not secure in it. A lost case, since the other side is not employing logic, but delusion. You will be dragged down into their game, play there rules, and inevitably lose. The choice of an additional 25% of the population / for 25% of all events.
3. Ignoring or laughing at it, because you have a secure sense or reality, and know that it is bullshit. This is done by only maybe 5% of the population / 5 % of the time. Tops. Because that only is the case for those who are either leaders (not necessarily with followers)... or delusional cowards... or both.
Seems that the amount of people who understand the rules of bitspace, as opposed to meatspace, and who are also leaders, is way too small to change anything. :/
And from my experience, that is because we geeks are not very secure around “normal” people. We are not the cool guys in school. But there really is no reason for this. It’s only a self-fulfilling prophecy. Social conditioning.
I say, let’s change that. Today. From now on. :)
If anyone of you has children: Also teach them to be leaders. To be secure in their reality. And in the process: Teach it to yourselves.
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
I live in Vancouver. I could not agree with you more.
McDonald's started running an ad before the games. I think it speaks for itself. It shows a big box of golden french fries. Beside them the words "Why Wait? Go For Gold."
Last weekend, along with my wife and son, I visited one of the "free" events for Chinese New Year. We wanted to see a Chinese dragon, dancing, and so forth. At the entrance, volunteers searched my bag and poured out my bottle of water. This was for the benefit of Coca-Cola Corp., which was selling bottled tap water (Dasani is tap water) for $3.50. I was literally (I don't mean figuratively) spitting mad. You don't go somewhere with a little kid unless you have food and water.
Keep in mind that this is not a private party: it is funded by billions of public money and staffed with thousands of volunteers. We have shut down major streets, suspended colleges and universities for two weeks, and passed specific laws for the benefit of the Olympics. Or rather for the benefit of its sponsors.
But of course this is a "green" Olympics. As the Coke booth banner read, "Refresh. Recycle. Repeat." - and you can't recycle if you're already reusing! A sign on the booth said a green light would go on when the booth was running solely on solar power. A spokeswoman had gathered a crowd of children, who were competing in a Jeopardy-style contest to guess just how Green Coca-Cola is.
So yeah, that's what the Olympics does. It speaks of sport and healthy living, then promotes poison to kids. It exploits athletes who give decades of their lives and sign recording-industry-style contracts for the hope of a few minutes of fame. It exists outside the law (truly: a Canadian court ruled the Olympics violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but did nothing because the IOC is outside Canadian jurisdiction). It goes from city to city, arranging with politicians and business leaders to transfer public money into private pockets.
The IOC (and various Country Olympic Committees) have been abusing this stuff for a while now. Take a look at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010007020_olympian06m.html for some more insanity. In Beijing they would cover brands up with tape. On faucets. On light switches. And just about everywhere else. Check it out here: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080818/1248442014.shtml This is just complete insanity. I whole-heartedly that it might be high time we say to the IOC and the USOC to go fuck themselves, pull out of the revelant treaties and start a new high-profile sporting event.