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U.S. Gov't Still Fighting the Man Behind Buckyballs; Guess Who's Winning?
usacoder writes with news of Craig Zucker, former CEO of the company behind Buckyballs, the popular neodymium magnet toys that were banned by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in July 2012. Zucker ran a brief campaign to drum up opposition to the government's ban, but it didn't turn out to be enough. Unfortunately for Zucker, the story didn't end there. Despite the magnets being labeled as not for kids, the Commission filed a motion to find him personally liable for the costs of a product recall, estimated at around $57 million.
"Given the fact that Buckyballs have now long been off the market, the attempt to go after Mr. Zucker personally raises the question of retaliation for his public campaign against the commission. Mr. Zucker won't speculate about the commission's motives. 'It's very selective and very aggressive,' he says. ... Mr. Zucker says his treatment at the hands of the commission should alarm fellow entrepreneurs: 'This is the beginning. It starts with this case. If you play out what happens to me, then the next thing you'll have is personal-injury lawyers saying "you conducted the actions of the company, you were the company."'"
To everyone modding me troll: I'm not saying the decision to ban these magnets was correct, I'm saying that if the CEO personally decides to go against the ban and people get hurt then he has to accept some responsibility.
I'm not arguing that people should not be personally responsible for the use of these magnets and for keeping them away from children and teenagers and other vulnerable people. I'm just saying that the government banned them and he carried on selling them, so there is at least a case to answer.
Also, -1 Troll is not a substitute for -1 Disagree. Post comments, mod others up, but don't be dicks and mod stuff you disagree with down.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Barack Obama and his radical socialists, hard at work impoverishing you in everything that counts while you're distracted with Trayvon Martin and whatever race-baiting bullshit he shoves out the door. You get gay marriage but can't start a company or find a job. Healthcare is suddenly free but nobody can afford it. And you all think this is awesome?
With one post I'm tired of YOU stupid crotch fruit.
Who gave that magnet to the kid?
The magnets are small. Easily lost and mislaid.
If you have a set, count them. Weigh them. Prove to me that you haven't lost one. Haven't lost several. A dozen, at least, perhaps more. Then we can talk. Otherwise, you've just proven that you can't keep these things out of the mouths of your kids and pets.
No one can.