Monthly Archives: November 2012

EFF’s Handy E-Reader Privacy Chart

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, on whose Advisory Board I have the honor to serve, has released a very useful chart about how much your e-reader can spy on your reading habits — just in time for holiday shopping.

Posted in Shopping | 3 Comments

Plain Talk About Competitive Keyword Ads Lawsuits

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

One of the things that used to drive me crazy back when I did more Trademark law was the brain-dead assertions made robotically, with — it seemed — the best faith in the world, by lawyers for Big Trademark. They not only believed that they “owned” the words in their marks (and often common derivatives) but that anything which led (they would say “stole” or “diverted”) a customer away from their clients’ wares by referring to that word was illegal.

So hats off to Eric Goldman who has the stomach to keep following their antics, and to call these claims what they are: dumb. See Technology & Marketing Law Blog: Yet Another Ruling That Competitive Keyword Ad Lawsuits Are Stupid–Louisiana Pacific v. James Hardie for more of the gory bits.

Posted in Law: Trademark Law | 1 Comment

A Note From the Surveillance Society

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

This, spotted at a local fast foodery, is depressing:

Since when is it the rule that if you don’t want to be on camera, you must be up to no good?

And no, I do not find the concept of a “burrito-cam” comforting in any way shape or form.

Posted in Civil Liberties, Law: Privacy | 1 Comment

Yet Another Florida Voting Disaster

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

Voting started today for the design of Florida’s new default license plate. We’re supposed to have a choice of four not-very-lovely designs, all optimized to be red-light-camera and toll-camera friendly (oh, joy).

Floridians are invited to vote for the design of our choice at a special site set up by the state Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles: http://www.vote4floridatag.com/.

Voting is scheduled to end Dec. 14.

But once again, Florida is having troubles with early voting: the vote4floridatag.com site is down. Figures.

Posted in Florida | 1 Comment

Shorter Ross Douthat

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Michael Froomkin

The payroll tax has proved to be an effective way to redistribute a small amount of money from the rich to the poor and therefore we should seize every opportunity to undermine it; if this makes Social Security less solvent, all the better! (Summarizing “Our Enemy, the Payroll Tax”))

Posted in Econ & Money | 2 Comments