tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4957684241699935272024-03-16T11:53:04.881-07:00GIOCONDA LAW BLOG: Cutting Edge Issues in Brand ProtectionThe Gioconda Law Blog is a blog about cutting edge issues in brand protection and trademark litigation.Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-69725914403521748752020-09-13T10:38:00.003-07:002020-09-13T10:38:48.719-07:00Welcome Back<p> It has been some time since this blog has been updated. Stay tuned for some new and interesting content!</p>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-79622096018731062702016-08-17T10:11:00.002-07:002016-08-17T10:11:46.439-07:00When Little Things MatterLawyers and accountants are often chided for paying way too much attention to details that seem relatively insignificant. A comma here, a decimal place there, do such details ever REALLY matter, in the big picture?<br />
<br />
In intellectual property law, such things can sometimes can matter quite a bit, actually.<br />
<br />
For example, the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a stickler for deadlines. The reason is not because they arbitrarily choose to be punctilious. The reason is that the inherent nature of a large and important bureaucracy that recognizes patent rights is such that the exercise of discretion creates problems that cannot be easily fixed, due to the substantial number of filings involved.<br />
<br />
Dates and deadlines become an important way to keep the situation under control.<br />
<br />
In other words, if a Patent Examiner in one case has the authority to waive the passage of a strict deadline for one applicant, does she have that same authority to reject another? And what governs their decisions?<br />
<br />
In the United States' Article III Federal Court System, Federal Judges have greater authority and discretion, in individual cases. The reason is that Article III Federal Judges are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by vote of the entire United States Senate to receive life tenure.<br />
<br />
Therefore, Article III Federal Judges have the power to decide when to afford leniency, and when to impose strict deadlines, and impose consequences. The appeals process affords them a fair degree of discretion in most instances.<br />
<br />
But government employees (especially career ones) at large, important government agencies such as the Patent Office are not required to be vetted at so high a level. Consequently, the system of law gives them only very limited authority over such decisions. Miss a deadline, and you are out of luck.<br />
<br />
In one case, that strictness mattered quite a bit.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2016/08/17/uspto-director-lee-sued-declaring-federal-holiday/id=72006/">IPWatchdog Blog </a>notes that the Director of the Patent Office declared December 23, 2015 a "federal holiday" when the Patent Office's computers crashed. Because of that crash, any patent filings that were due on December 23rd, were automatically punted until December 28th, which happened to be the next business day after Christmas.<br />
<br />
However, only the President and Congress can declare a national holiday. Therefore, the Director employed the wrong regulation, which gave her similar authority to have declared an "emergency."<br />
<br />
But because the wrong regulation was relied upon, there are now other patent owners who are aggrieved and affected by those filings, and have sued to block the application of the "federal holiday" declaration, thus depriving their adversaries of the timeliness of their own filings on December 28th.<br />
<br />
So, sometimes in IP law, little things like anticipating the very strict deadlines in the Patent Office can have big consequences.Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-81293281909965717812015-05-13T08:29:00.002-07:002015-05-13T08:39:19.732-07:00Some Clients and Industries Are "Better" to Represent than Others<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubrB_rGfEes/VVNroO2XdQI/AAAAAAAABWc/g45kvls3y7s/s1600/shutterstock_87844135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubrB_rGfEes/VVNroO2XdQI/AAAAAAAABWc/g45kvls3y7s/s400/shutterstock_87844135.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">A hushed and taboo topic of conversation that lawyers rarely write much about is what clients and industries are "better" to represent than others.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Their reticence is largely because outside counsel are perennially fearful of offending <i>any</i> potential clients. So, they would rather pretend that "all clients and industries are equal," than openly discuss the vagaries of representing clients that come from very different industries.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But the reality is that representing a small startup client in the media industry will be a totally different experience for the lawyer than counseling and representing an established banking industry client, or a large multinational pharmaceutical company, even if the legal subject matter of the representation is similar. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Each industry and client will have its own pros and cons for the outside counsel, and clients will often have very different expectations of their outside counsel. Here are a few examples:</span><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Large multinational corporations</u></b> are highly structured and regulated, and <a href="https://www.upcounsel.com/blog/what-general-counsel-want-and-need-from-outside-counsel/">have become extremely demanding of their outside vendors.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Over the last decade, most multinational corporations have come to view outside counsel services in the same category as any commodity vendor. This type of treatment often leaves lawyers feeling like their services are being viewed about as uniquely as paper products.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Further, in-house lawyers working for these companies are usually very sophisticated and will pressure their outside counsel to offer extremely unfavorable deals.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Many law firms that regularly represent and counsel Wal-Mart complain that they are required to offer "<a href="http://media.mofo.com/files/Uploads/Images/130402-A-Counselor-Guide-to-MFN.pdf">most favored nation</a>" status to Wal-Mart for their hourly billing rates.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What that demand means, in layman's terms, is that if a law firm offers a special discount to any other client, it is required to offer the same (or better) discount to Wal-Mart.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Consequently, given Wal-Mart's strict <a href="http://www.acc.com/advocacy/valuechallenge/toolkit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=40433&title=Sample+Document+-+Wal-Mart+Outside+Counsel+Guidelines">"Outside Counsel Guidelines,"</a> many lawyers will simply refuse to even consider representing a behemoth, regardless of the volume of work that could be involved. If a lawyer's standard billable rate is $800 an hour, and she must offer a discount down to $475 an hour to Wal-Mart, she may very well end up working for peanuts (relatively speaking, of course).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The reality is that Wal-Mart will have no problem finding another law firm to underbid the legal work, leaving the outside counsel with zero leverage.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Industries can matter more than a client's size.</u></b> For example, companies in the agriculture and mining industries are notoriously difficult to work for, for a variety of cultural reasons. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/02/09/the-happiest-and-unhappiest-industries-to-work-in/">Agriculture and mining jobs often have lower salaries and workers in these industries are often very unhappy.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Such unhappiness about their career prospects generally can rub off on the outside counsel, who may be seen as charging too much for her time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Similarly, representing non-profit enterprises and software companies is also notoriously difficult, given the stringent demands on those particular workforces.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">According to Forbes, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/02/09/the-happiest-and-unhappiest-industries-to-work-in/">media, entertainment and retail fashion companies tie for the third unhappiest industry to work in.</a> These industries often pay their employees with glitz and glamor rather than cash, and expect their outside counsel to similarly discount their own financial expectations, in exchange for prestige.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Small companies and startups</u></b> are also a mixed bag. <a href="http://www.cumminsandwhite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/BAL2005YLC.pdf">Some outside counsel report that some of their most enjoyable work has been advising smaller companies and startups during their nascent phases.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This satisfaction is in part because these companies often possess wide latitude in making decisions and are not hampered by the extremely top-heavy management styles of large multinational corporations. A lawyer's advice may end up shaping significant business decisions that the client makes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The obvious downside is that these companies are often so legally unsophisticated that they "need their hand held" by their outside counsel, but may not be in a position to pay the lawyer enough money to remotely justify micromanagement of their day to day legal affairs. Whether a client has an in-house counsel will make a huge difference for the outside counsel.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Individuals</u></b> are sometimes the most interesting to represent, but perhaps may be the most rewarding and challenging of all. When a lawyer represents a client so small that it may consist of a single individual or family, that relationship will often become very close. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A lawyer may become a trusted advisor affecting all parts of that individual client's life. Some lawyers report becoming so close to their individual client's lives, that they become like family. Of course, such intimacy can lead to obvious tensions, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Whether a client is foreign or domestic</u></b> can make a huge practical and cultural difference, too. For example, lawyers have reported that representing Japanese electronics companies will offer an extremely different experience than representing a midwestern American auto maker.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Similarly, representing a German cellular phone company will be as different as night and day from representing a North Carolina based tobacco company. These clients' unique cultures and expectations will make for very different experiences for their outside counsel.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The reality is that clients are people, too. Each client has its own unique personalities and traits. Clients also function in industries that are often absurdly demanding and, in some cases, dysfunctional due to no fault of the client.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Over the course of her career, the aspiring outside counsel would be well advised to be careful to choose her clients wisely, as the internal and external pressures that the client faces will often affect her own lifestyle, as well.</span>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-9861532633966814312015-03-02T13:04:00.002-08:002015-03-02T13:04:27.803-08:00Some Multinational Corporations Deliberately Frustrate Due Process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2uVupWZZslM/VPTPh17tW1I/AAAAAAAABV0/qxwhCYKxw2k/s1600/iStock_000010373902Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2uVupWZZslM/VPTPh17tW1I/AAAAAAAABV0/qxwhCYKxw2k/s1600/iStock_000010373902Small.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems like a matter of common sense that if someone regularly and systematically does business within the United States, that person or business should reasonably expect to be summoned or subpoenaed when necessary, either to produce relevant documents, or to produce a witness to testify about a topic only that company knows about.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Such a simple matter of due process seems like a relatively straightforward matter of American civil procedure. It has been largely non-controversial for decades. However, recently, large corporations have gotten strong enough to test the patience (and resources) of litigants, including government officials.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, take Amazon and Google.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Amazon has appointed a registered agent for service of process in New York (CT Corporation), so why not just serve Amazon with a <i>subpoena duces tecum</i>?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Apparently, it's not so simple.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
An article published on <a href="http://associatesmind.com/2013/04/24/how-to-subpoena-amazon/">AssociatesMind.com details how Amazon does not typically cooperate with, nor respond to, routine subpoenas</a> for documents. Amazon allegedly forces all litigants to seek a third party subpoena from the Thurston County Clerk's office in Washington State, where Amazon's headquarters is located.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Such a process is likely to cost a litigant thousands of dollars in legal fees. Further, if Amazon objects to the scope of the subpoena, an out-of-state litigant would need to retain local counsel in Olympia, Washington, to litigate a motion to compel there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Amazon's obstructive efforts are no idle threat. In one criminal case, a Grand Jury sitting in Wisconsin sought a representative sample of used book buyers, in a criminal case involving mail fraud and wire fraud there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Amazon issued its usual blanket objections, forcing the issue to be litigated in federal court. Ultimately, <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/feds-withdraw-subpoena-seeking-amazon-records">the federal government backed down</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
The standard response on the Internet was to applaud Amazon's resistance. But before applauding Amazon's seeming defense of privacy rights, think about the precedent set here...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
A legitimately convened Grand Jury had decided that Amazon's documents were relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amazon was able to hire an army of private lawyers to successfully keep its business records from the Grand Jury. <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/q-a-amazon-lawyer-on-feds-subpoena-for-24000-customer-records/">Despite its claims</a>, Amazon was not interested solely in the pursuit of noble privacy. Amazon was protecting its business, by telegraphing that it is not held to the same standards of disclosure and due process as everyone else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/2/8135205/google-jim-hood-goliath-subpoena-case-injunction">Google does the same thing.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Why should wealthy multinational corporations be entitled to use the threat of protracted, expensive litigation to frustrate due process?</span>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-76484328378438529242015-02-24T12:18:00.002-08:002015-02-24T12:19:29.100-08:00Branding A Necessary Evil: Insurance<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Dd7PRvQ4jQ/VOzZy6ZCP3I/AAAAAAAABVk/rDJNvFdUYYI/s1600/Flo_from_Progressive_Insurance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Dd7PRvQ4jQ/VOzZy6ZCP3I/AAAAAAAABVk/rDJNvFdUYYI/s1600/Flo_from_Progressive_Insurance.jpg" height="400" width="357" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Benjamin Franklin once
wrote that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. If he had
lived in 2015, he might have added a third inevitable evil: insurance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Virtually no responsible,
self-sufficient adult in America can function without buying some form of
insurance policy at some point in their life. Whether it is private
medical insurance, "umbrella" fire and theft insurance for one's home
or apartment, life insurance, vehicle or boat insurance (mandatory if you want
to register an automobile or motorcycle), business interruption insurance,
professional malpractice insurance, the list of available policies goes on and
on...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ostensible purpose of
all insurance is to spread risk. That is, rather than take the risk that
your new house might burn down and lose everything, you fork over a few
thousand dollars a year, so that if such a horrendous calamity ensues, at least
you can buy a new wardrobe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is virtually impossible
to imagine an adult successfully prospering in our modern society, fully
exposed to all attendant economic risks without insurance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Driving a car into a tree
or hitting a pedestrian can easily bankrupt anyone. Giving birth to a
healthy baby in a public hospital without health insurance <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/101055112"><span style="color: #420178;">could now
cost well over $10,000.</span></a> That is not to even mention
catastrophic illnesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fortunately, ever present
are private insurance companies, ready to sell you a blanket policy for a
reasonable annual premium.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But how do these
"necessary evils" brand themselves to differentiate themselves from
one another in the marketplace? By credibly advertising that they will pay all
reasonable claims without becoming adversarial? No, not exactly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Through <a href="http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2012/05/01/top-10-best-insurance-commercials-on-tv"><span style="color: #420178;">kitschy commercials, of course.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.geico.com/about/corporate/word-from-sponsor/"><span style="color: #420178;">The GEICO gecko has become ubiquitous.</span></a>
The redheaded, apron-wearing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flo_(Progressive_Insurance)"><span style="color: #420178;">Flo, as portrayed by actress Stephanie Courtney</span></a>,
has become a mainstay of television. Cavemen, babies, puppy dogs and
talking pigs have all become iconic representatives of an industry that
isn't otherwise very popular.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Data provider <a href="http://www.snl.com/About-Us.aspx?name=aboutSNL"><span style="color: #1b4989; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">SNL Financial</span></a> found
Geico had spent about $994 million on advertising in 2011. That was fully 22
percent more than next-largest spender State Farm, even though State Farm’s ad
spending grew at nearly three times the rate Geico’s did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The goal is to grab the
attention of consumers who would rather not think about insurance. Experts say
most people only ponder policies when they have an accident, buy a new car,
move, or renew their existing agreement, which usually happens twice a year, at
most. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today there are about 187
million insured privately owned vehicles on the road. Turnover is relatively
low from year to year — 11% of consumers switch their policies while an
additional 20% shop but don’t switch, according to J.D. Power. But that still
means more than 20 million people are in the market each year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But the insurance
companies' advertising isn't winning many fans among existing customers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ask anyone who has had a
claim for storm damage denied by their house insurance company. In New
York, <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/senators-sandy-homeowners-systematically-denied-insurance-claims/"><span style="color: #420178;">four U.S. Senators accused flood insurance companies of
mishandling claims for Hurricane Sandy-related damage, by hiring engineering
companies expressly to underestimate damage from that storm.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Or ask anyone who has had
their doctors' bills denied, <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/senators-sandy-homeowners-systematically-denied-insurance-claims/"><span style="color: #420178;">because a health insurance company has come up with a
byzantine set of pre-notification rules that weren't adhered to strictly at 3
a.m. when their child had an asthma attack.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">They will wish you good
luck trying to collect from the carrier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As soon as a claim is filed,
some of these same insurance companies that were so cutely advertising their
products with ice cream and puppy dogs will hire a team of savvy adjusters and
professional litigators to nickel and dime a claimant to death.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, for now at least, such negative reviews don't seem to be reaching consumers amid the din of talking lizards.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-4266761215297824302015-02-12T12:19:00.003-08:002015-02-12T12:24:32.650-08:00Borrowing and Branding: Loyalty and Expansion Through Debt<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TxNZnMuPHR4/VN0D0VM5YrI/AAAAAAAABUk/sQVJR0eCBj8/s1600/YEARIMG3-02-02-12.png.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TxNZnMuPHR4/VN0D0VM5YrI/AAAAAAAABUk/sQVJR0eCBj8/s1600/YEARIMG3-02-02-12.png.jpeg" height="234" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">What do borrowing money and creating an established brand have to do with one another? It turns out, quite a bit.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a simple case study of retail electronics and appliance stores in the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.webcitation.org/6PG1fB5SD">The very first P.C. Richard store</a> opened on September 26, 1909 in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bensonhurst,_Brooklyn"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Bensonhurst,
Brooklyn</span></a>. This particular store sold hardware and was run by
Peter Christiään Richard, an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant"><span style="text-decoration: none;">immigrant</span></a> from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Netherlands</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">The first appliance the store sold was an electric iron. Peter's son, Alfred, would spend all of his time helping his father, as he quit school
at the age of fourteen for the sake of the store. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7bmHbyzLAsg/VN0EN1r0oDI/AAAAAAAABU4/cjwehV3-gNU/s1600/YEARIMG11-02-02-12.png.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7bmHbyzLAsg/VN0EN1r0oDI/AAAAAAAABU4/cjwehV3-gNU/s1600/YEARIMG11-02-02-12.png.jpeg" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Within time, A.J. would
become the head of the store, and would prove to be highly successful in
persuading people to buy appliances. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">As the years progressed, his sons would
aid him with the business, as they expanded to a few other locations. To this day,
the chain is still run by the Richard family, as A.J. himself would serve as
chairman well into his 90's. On December 28, 2004, A.J. Richard died at the age
of 95.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Today,
P.C. Richard & Son have 57 showrooms in the New York Tri-state area and
make more than $1.5B in annual revenue. It is the largest privately-owned
appliance and electronic retailer in the nation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">During
the 100+</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> years that P.C. Richard & Son have been in </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">business, many,
many of its competitors have come and gone. Just a few memorable ones include:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz_(store)">The Wiz</a> (founded in 1977, defunct by 2004)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_City">Circuit City</a> (founded in 1949, defunct by 2009)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_City">Computer City</a> (founded in 1981, defunct by 1998)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Eddie">Crazy Eddie</a> (founded in 1971, defunct by 1989)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lechmere">Lechmere</a> (founded in 1913, defunct by 1997)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_Brothers">Polk Brothers</a> (founded in 1935, defunct by 1992)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CompUSA" style="font-family: Arial;">CompUSA</a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> (founded in 1984, defunct by 2012)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">and
now...<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/liyanchen/2015/02/10/next-radioshack-here-are-the-most-troubled-retail-stocks/">Radio Shack</a> (founded in 1921).</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d8H7oNBTiXE/VN0FDSeiQtI/AAAAAAAABU8/ZyP1Cdhot6w/s1600/RadioShack_Exterior_Modified.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d8H7oNBTiXE/VN0FDSeiQtI/AAAAAAAABU8/ZyP1Cdhot6w/s1600/RadioShack_Exterior_Modified.jpg" height="215" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">What did
each of these defunct (and soon to be defunct) electronics companies do
differently than P.C. Richard & Son? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">At least two
things stand out: they apparently never formed a customer base that was truly loyal to their brand, and they
took on too much debt to finance unfettered expansion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Over the
decades, P.C. Richard & Son became the "go to" place in New York City for appliances. The company expanded slowly, buying and
building stores over the course of generations, rather than leasing
them from commercial landlords.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Such a philosophy of glacial growth over 100 years seems anachronistic today. In an age where the federal discount rate remains under one percent, banks and investors appear eager and willing to finance companies' expansion plans.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As a result of refusing to accept this type of financing, P.C. Richard & Son does not sell refrigerators in Iowa or toasters in </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">California</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">. It deliberately chose to stay local and close to its roots.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">In
contrast, the 94-year old Radio Shack will now shutter 1,100 stores littered across the nation after losing profits quarter after quarter for a decade.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Radio Shack is certainly a more well-known national </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">brand than P.C. Richard & Son</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">, but apparently it does not have a loyal enough customer base to keep it afloat.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">And so, the perpetual question that faces every brand is whether their core customer will always return, and whether that perception of brand loyalty ever justifies borrowing tens of millions of dollars to find out.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-87357859640268739872015-02-11T08:07:00.000-08:002015-02-12T05:44:36.348-08:00The BigLaw Gap Widens: Winners and Losers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xw8Wu97IN24/T_jK24QFTyI/AAAAAAAAAOI/WdBFJxoFs50/s1600/%24onBuilding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xw8Wu97IN24/T_jK24QFTyI/AAAAAAAAAOI/WdBFJxoFs50/s1600/%24onBuilding.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I have
<a href="http://giocondalaw.blogspot.com/2014/08/observations-on-ip-lawyer-billing-rates.html">previously noted</a>, one of the most controversial topics of debate and discussion among both lawyers and
non-lawyers alike (for various reasons) is law firm profitability, and how many lawyers are perceived as overcharging their clients to engage in legal work.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">An
interesting article was published on Above the Law which discusses
the current state of affairs in the American legal marketplace, among "AmLaw100" law
firms. It is aptly titled <a href="http://abovethelaw.com/2015/02/the-imminent-capitulation-of-many-big-firms/">"The Imminent Capitulation of Many Big Firms."</a> This article comes on the heels of recent articles discussing how <a href="http://abovethelaw.com/2015/02/associate-bonus-watch-bitterness-at-a-biglaw-behemoth/">DLA Piper apparently shortchanged its associates on annual bonuses</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">For
readers not immersed in the terminology, the American Lawyer magazine publishes
<a href="http://www.americanlawyer.com/id=1202489912232/The-2014-Am-Law-100-The-Super-Rich-Get-Richer">lists each year </a>showing America's largest 100 law firms, based on gross
revenue, as well as lists of the same firms broken out by average annual profits per partner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Headcount
of total lawyers is one easy to measure variable, so a local New York City-only law
firm that has 500 lawyers and boasts $1B can be ranked "higher" on
some lists than a law firm with 1,000 lawyers located all across the globe that
reaps $500M in annual revenue. Both firms would probably still be on
these lists, but the lower grossing law firm would be ranked "lower."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few
"elite" firms, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wachtell,_Lipton,_Rosen_%26_Katz">Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz</a> have only 260 lawyers, including 79
equity partners, making $5M each. Another such elite firm is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_%26_Cromwell">Sullivan & Cromwell</a>, which has 800 lawyers, with each of its equity partners making
$3.5M each year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">These
interesting metrics show that these top 10 "elite" law firms based on profits are pulling away from the rest of the pack, leading to a
very, very short list of highly paid lawyers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">However,
the rest of the large law firms are struggling to compete
effectively for the day to day routine legal work of the large corporate clients. The
American lawyer calls these firms the <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/business/21601555-recent-wave-giant-legal-mergers-has-yet-produce-financial-rewards-when-it-vereins-it">"Giant Alternatives."</a> These firms are enormous but not hugely profitable: although
they house almost 20 percent of the Am Law 100’s lawyers, they generate less
than 14 percent of the revenue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A big law firm in this vein is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DLA_Piper">DLA Piper</a>, which has approximately 4,200 lawyers
practicing in more than 30 countries. It has total revenue of $2.48B, but
profits per partner placing it 54th on the list, with $1.3M in average profits per equity partner. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
world's largest law firm based on both revenue and headcount is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_%26_McKenzie">Baker McKenzie</a>,
which has 4,200 lawyers in 78 offices, reaping over $2B per year.
However, its profits per partner place it 63rd on the profitability list.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://abovethelaw.com/2015/02/the-imminent-capitulation-of-many-big-firms/">Above the Law sums it up perfectly</a>:</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So the world seems to agree: The super-rich firms will
become even more superbly rich, and the merely rich firms will lose ground.
Where does that leave many big firms? </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">In a world of hurt.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Why is
that? Look at it from the perspective of a corporate client facing any Intellectual Property legal issue. If that
issue involves facing down </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boies,_Schiller_%26_Flexner" style="font-family: Arial;">Boies Schiller</a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Olson" style="font-family: Arial;">Ted Olson</a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> in the U.S. Supreme Court, the client will need to hire
the best lawyer available, whether she charges $1,500 or $1,800 an hour.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">However, the vast majority of clients' day to day legal activities in the Intellectual Property arena are relatively routine, such as s</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">ending and responding to</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> cease and desist letters, monitoring trademark filings, handling copyright licensing arrangements, etc.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">These specialized but routine activities do not warrant paying $1,000 an hour for a partner whose firm maintain dozens of glitzy offices all around the globe. These clients can look to small, boutique firms with the same experience and specialization but much lower overhead and billing rates to substantially undercut the Giant Alternatives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">And that is just one of the reasons why Giant Alternatives and their ilk are in for a world of hurt ahead.</span></div>
Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-32308833364844953572015-02-06T11:06:00.001-08:002015-05-13T07:36:56.461-07:00Katy Perry Dubiously Claims to Own Copyright in Shark Costume from the Superbowl Halftime Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During
<a href="http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/meet-the-team-behind-katy-perrys-halftime-show">singer Katy Perry's performance at the halftime show at the 2015 Superbowl</a>, a variety of amusing costumes depicting sharks and palm trees were
used. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
unclear who specifically designed these particular costumes. Katy Perry has reportedly utilized </span><a href="http://entertainthis.usatoday.com/2015/02/03/katy-perrys-super-bowl-outfits-cost-how-much/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jeremy Scott as her costume designer.</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/05/entertainment/left-shark-perry-cease-desist/">Katy Perry's lawyers at Greenberg Traurig have apparently claimed that she is the individual "owner" of all the intellectual property depicted or embodied in connection with the shark images and costumes portrayed and used in her Super Bowl 2015 half-time performance.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greenberg then fired off a formal cease and desist letter to <a href="http://shapeways.com/">Shapeways.com</a>, which had offered to sell shark
figures that were based upon Katy Perry's costume design:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHGxgBh3PUU/VNUCHrnhScI/AAAAAAAABTc/m70RUVfdrpk/s1600/625x465_3096330_8598673_1422990009_preview_featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHGxgBh3PUU/VNUCHrnhScI/AAAAAAAABTc/m70RUVfdrpk/s1600/625x465_3096330_8598673_1422990009_preview_featured.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So let's scrutinize Katy's copyright claim a bit more...does U.S. intellectual property law really
protect this shark costume?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Potentially, no. The costume itself may very well be a "useful article" under U.S. Copyright law, and not protectable in the abstract, since its ornamental elements are not clearly "separable" from it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Copyright protection is generally not available to
articles which have a utilitarian function.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under the Copyright Act, the
only copyright protection available to these items is for "features that
can be identified separately from, and are capable of existing independently
of, the utilitarian aspects of the article." Unfortunately for Ms. Perry, this
test is inherently ambiguous when deciding the scope of copyright protection
for certain useful articles, such as shark costumes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some distinctions are clear. For instance, a painting on the
side of a truck is protectable under copyright law even though the truck is a
useful article. The painting is clearly separable from the utilitarian
aspects of the truck. The overall shape of the truck, on the other hand, would
not be copyrightable since the shape is an essential part of the truck's
utility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another commonly considered example is that of clothing. The print
found on the fabric of a skirt or jacket is copyrightable, since it exists
separately from the utilitarian nature of the clothing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, there is no
copyright in the cut of the cloth, or the design of the skirt or jacket as a
whole, since these articles are utilitarian. This is true even of shark costumes; no copyright protection is granted to the costume as a whole.</span></div>
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<div class="co_paragraph">
<div class="co_paragraphText">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is because costumes, in addition to covering the body, serve a “decorative function,” so that the decorative elements of clothing are generally “intrinsic” to the overall function, rather than separable from it. <i>See</i> <em>Whimsicality, Inc. v. Rubie's <span class="co_searchTerm" id="co_term_1552">Costume</span> Co.,</em> 891 F.2d 452, 455 (2d Cir. 1989) (observing that garments' decorative elements are “particularly unlikely to meet [the] test” of conceptual separability); <i>but see</i><em> </em><em>Chosun Int'l Inc. v. Chrisha Creations, Ltd.,</em> 413 F.3d 344 at 329 n. 3 (2nd Cir. 2005) (expressing skepticism that <span class="co_searchTerm" id="co_term_1718">Halloween</span> <span class="co_searchTerm" id="co_term_1719">costumes</span> that permit wearer “to masquerade” have a utilitarian function other than to portray appearance of article).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The idea for an upright “shark costume" is not an
original copyrightable element, standing alone. General
character types are not protectable by copyright law. </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">See
Hogan v. DC Comics</i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, 48 F. Supp.2d 298, 310 (S.D.N.Y. 1999).</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Further, as for a potential claim of "trade dress" or the tort of commercial "misappropriation," Ms. Perry would need to show that she is uniquely associated with this particular shark costume in consumers' minds. While that is possible given the immense publicity and viewership that the Super Bowl halftime show receives, there are functionality issues there, as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, below are
photographs of a few similar shark costumes that appear to have been created and sold long before Katy
Perry's costumes were created. It is unknown if any of these designers successfully have claimed copyright or trade dress rights in their designs. However, it would appear that the scope of Ms. Perry's intellectual property rights, if any, would probably be quite narrow, if they exist at all:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-81834727115792355082015-01-16T11:13:00.001-08:002015-01-16T11:13:20.383-08:00National Parks Battle Over Trademark Rights to Souvenirs and T-Shirts<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QDbikozdmD8/VLliG0DnQ0I/AAAAAAAABSs/IxStyQ7uN1o/s1600/Panoramic_Overview_from_Glacier_Point_over_Yosemite_Valley_2013_Alternative.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QDbikozdmD8/VLliG0DnQ0I/AAAAAAAABSs/IxStyQ7uN1o/s1600/Panoramic_Overview_from_Glacier_Point_over_Yosemite_Valley_2013_Alternative.jpg" height="281" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yosemite Valley, 2013</span><br />Tuxyso / Wikimedia Commons / CC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">According to </span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/01/08/national-park-contract-dispute/21381747/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">USA Today</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">, the National Park Service has become embroiled in a bitter and unusually public trademark dispute with the two private companies that run most of the hotels, restaurants and stores located inside the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At Yosemite National Park in California, longtime concessionare Delaware North is demanding that anyone who takes over the contract pay it tens of millions of dollars to use the names that it has trademarked, including "Yosemite National Park," in connection with souvenirs and clothing. Delaware North is competing to keep the contracts.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The National Park Service argues that a new concessionaire could simply give those iconic places new names if it wins a new concession contract. The park itself wouldn't be renamed, but the trademarks apply to any souvenirs and clothing sold to promote the locations.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: large;">At the Grand Canyon, concessionaire Xanterra has been similarly competing for the contract rights to run the park's South Rim lodges and restaurants. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(50, 51, 51); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Scott Gediman, a ranger and spokesman for Yosemite National Park, reportedly told USA Today: </span>"We feel Half Dome and El Capitan and the Ahwahnee Hotel (and other trademarked names at Yosemite) are part of the national park's fabric. We feel those names are inextricably linked with Yosemite … and ultimately belong to the American people."</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(50, 51, 51); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; min-height: 28px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(50, 51, 51); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Delaware North officials say their original contract required them to buy the intellectual property owned by the previous concessionaire, and they're asking for nothing different should they lose out to a competitor.</span></div>
Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-58340564852661257252014-08-05T10:10:00.003-07:002014-08-05T10:23:12.991-07:00Observations on IP Lawyer Billing Rates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sDGOn2Ubko/UAamrNtjaSI/AAAAAAAAAVk/5WVRaKqZMIE/s1600/Calc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sDGOn2Ubko/UAamrNtjaSI/AAAAAAAAAVk/5WVRaKqZMIE/s1600/Calc.jpg" height="315" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">No law-related topic generates more controversy and debate than lawyers charging money for their services.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Needless to say, private practice law firms are not charities, they are businesses. And like all successful enterprises, there is a particular business model at work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Simply put, private practice lawyers must find a way to charge clients for their activities to generate profits. Putting aside "flat fee" arrangements or contingency fees, the standard billable model is based on how a lawyer's daily diary reflects time spent handling various matters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Therefore, the only real debate is whether particular lawyers tend to charge their clients excessively, as compared to their professional peers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To evaluate the legal marketplace for specialty services such as intellectual property and brand protection litigation or counseling, it is often helpful and illuminating to assess reliable information about what various IP law firms are currently charging their clients.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Such information can help a prospective client compare lawyers, and will help give a client insight into whether she is satisfied with the value that she is receiving from her particular lawyer and his law firm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further, it can be helpful to understand how much of a lawyer's legal fees are eaten up by overhead costs, and how much is pure profit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are same basic benchmarks for consideration.</span><br />
<u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></u>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><b>Overhead Expenses:</b></u> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> As with all service professionals, a large chunk of fees collected by a lawyer is consumed by overhead expenses such as office rent and administrative support personnel's salaries. Some examples are:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://therealdeal.com/blog/2013/05/14/manhattans-10-most-valuable-office-leases-of-q1/">Office Space for large law firm located in New York City: $375,000 / month</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://therealdeal.com/deal-sheet-2/office-leases/">Office Space for small law firm located in New York City: $25,000 / month</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18806405/8045-Arco-Corporate-Drive-Raleigh-NC/">Office Space for large law firm located in Raleigh, NC: $24,000 / month</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.loopnet.com/North-Carolina/Raleigh_Office-Space-For-Lease/">Office Space for small law firm located in Raleigh, NC: $3,000 / month</a></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is worth noting that even a law firm that is not located on Park Avenue in Manhattan can incur more than 10x the rent of a smaller law office in New York City, and 125x(!) the overhead rent of a small law firm in Raleigh, North Carolina.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further, let us consider the administrative salaries of support personnel such as experienced paralegals in various markets:</span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://swz.salary.com/SalaryWizard/Paralegal-I-Salary-Details-New-York-NY.aspx">Experienced Paralegal Salary at large global law firm in New York City: $70,000+</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.paralegaledu.org/illinois/illinois-salary/"><span style="font-size: large;">Experienced Paralegal Salary at small law firm located in Chicago, IL: $60,000</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.paralegaledu.org/florida/florida-salary/"><span style="font-size: large;">Experienced Paralegal Salary at small law firm located in Pensacola, FL: $47,000</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Therefore, an IP lawyer located in a posh office on Park Avenue in New York City assisted by a paralegal is likely to incur $1M a year more in overhead than his small firm counterpart located elsewhere in the United States.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Consequently, taking into account the effect of office geography alone, it is clear why a large law firm with its primary office in Manhattan feels it appropriate to charge its clients $1,000 an hour or more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">One study noted that even those lawyers working at law firms located in other major metropolitan areas such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco or D.C. add $161 per hour for rent alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Profits:</u> </b> Even taking the expenses of high rent and high support staff salaries into account, the very "top" large law firms <a href="http://abovethelaw.com/2014/04/the-2014-am-law-100-the-super-rich-get-richer/">are still minting money.</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The very pinnacle of the legal marketplace, that is, the largest and most prestigious law firms in America, consistently charge their clients hourly rates over $1000 for their top IP lawyers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, if you are a sophisticated client rationally considering your various alternatives for premium quality IP legal services, you have at least two issues to think about:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Am I staffing a "bet the company" case, where millions of dollars in legal fees simply do not matter, because I will risk my company's most precious assets if the case is lost? Also, do I fear that a loss in court might be blamed in part on me, because I didn't hire someone like <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/06/06/bankruptcy-fees-the-ted-olson-edition/">Ted Olson of Gibson Dunn who charges $1800 an hour</a>? If so, hire Ted Olson. If not, don't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Is this the type of case that REQUIRES a lawyer located on Park Avenue or in Silicon Valley? If not, why should I make the lawyers' landlords or his partners any richer? Can I hire a smaller law firm with the exact same expertise, but without the fancy marble columns in the lobby, to staff this matter?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The best analogy that I have heard repeated when I was a "BigLaw" partner is that law firms are like cars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You might want to rent a fancy Rolls Royce once in your life (for example, on your daughter's wedding day) and the price doesn't really matter that much for a short-term luxury splurge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But on a daily basis, you choose to buy and drive a reliable, solid, comfortable car. Why? Because reliability gets you to work and home safely without the unnecessary bells and whistles. And the same logic should apply to hiring an IP law firm for 95% of cases and matters.</span></div>
Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-39966055939844107672014-07-29T13:35:00.002-07:002014-07-29T13:35:54.109-07:00After Two Disasters, Malaysia Airlines Considers Its "Re-Branding" Options<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HBpokPIsDUw/U9gD4hq43zI/AAAAAAAABRo/Y3Jbtyfy2v8/s1600/403px-Malaysia_Airlines_Svg_Logo.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HBpokPIsDUw/U9gD4hq43zI/AAAAAAAABRo/Y3Jbtyfy2v8/s1600/403px-Malaysia_Airlines_Svg_Logo.svg.png" height="98" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/my/en.html">Malaysia Airlines</a> has experienced two unbelievable tragedies in less than four months. First, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370">Flight MH370</a> completely vanished without a trace <i>en route</i> from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers on board. All passengers and crew are still missing and are now presumed dead. The disappearance remains unsolved, and is widely considered one of the most bizarre modern aviation mysteries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then, unbelievably, two weeks ago, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17">Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17</a> was shot down by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile over the Ukraine, with many blaming pro-Russian separatist rebels for the carnage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/malaysia-airlines-must-change-company-3929406">Malaysia Airlines was apparently considering a brand overhaul after the first tragedy.</a> Now, some are asking whether consumers would see through a superficial name and brand change, and wondering whether the airline can even continue to exist as an ongoing concern.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The airline has reportedly lost $1.3B in the last three years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Such a situation facing a major airline is not unprecedented. In 1983, after Korean Airlines suffered a similar tragedy when a plane was shot down, it was rebranded as "Korean Air." Perhaps more significantly, its planes were repainted from white to light blue, and the logo was replaced.</span>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-62211350722596604772014-07-17T07:47:00.001-07:002014-07-17T07:47:05.184-07:00Have California's Likeness Laws Gone Off the Deep End?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-zAnEO7I-w/U8fghsJRrxI/AAAAAAAABQw/FzkUTgX9wLA/s1600/GTA-5-Lohan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-zAnEO7I-w/U8fghsJRrxI/AAAAAAAABQw/FzkUTgX9wLA/s1600/GTA-5-Lohan.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An alleged misappropriation of Lohan's likeness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/2014/07/10/lindsay-lohans-new-lawsuit-could-impact-nfl-players-and-college-sports-video-games/">As recently noted by Professor Marc Edelman on Forbes</a>, the civil lawsuit filed by Lindsay Lohan against RockStar games for alleged misappropriation of likeness in <a href="http://www.rockstargames.com/V/restricted_content/restricted_content_agegated/ref?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rockstargames.com%2FV%2F&hash=efbbd75c6ccf8845ad023bf548a66936">Grand Theft Auto V</a> is being watched closely for its impact on the ability of video game makers to utilize public figures' images without offering them compensation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NFL players and their financial planners are certainly watching that lawsuit closely, as EA and other video game makers routinely distribute sports-themed games that utilize players' attributes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, the latest lawsuit against Activision for its alleged unauthorized use of Manuel Noriega's likeness in Call of Duty: Black Ops reveals just how warped <a href="http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/california-right-publicity-law">California's right of publicity laws</a> are becoming, unless they are reined in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the 2006 case of Kirby v. Sega, the <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3191814113989354720&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr">California Court of Appeals had held that the First Amendment protected Sega's incorporation of certain elements of singer Kierin Kirby into the character Ulala.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to that court, Sega's use was transformative and thus protected. In contrast, as noted by Professor Edelman, is the <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13078943973614295710&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr">same California Appeals Court's 2011 decision in No Doubt v. Activision, because that game supposedly involved "computer-generated recreations of real band members."</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The distinction between the cases is not clear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, what is clear from the Lohan and Noriega cases is that, unless seriously circumscribed, such lawsuits will proliferate and threaten one of the fastest growing areas of cultural expression: video games.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Without a bright line rule that celebrities and video game makers can understand and apply evenly across cases, every aggrieved "celebrity" such as Noriega and Lohan can (and undoubtedly will) flock to California, and find an aggressive lawyer looking to cash in big on the developing legal theory by filing such complaints against software developers and video game makers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Such cases are easy to file and difficult to dismiss. Both the prior Sega and Activision cases involved years of litigation and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.</span>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-16078293953052535982014-07-17T07:00:00.001-07:002014-07-17T07:07:34.600-07:00Noriega Sues in L.A., Demanding "Lost Profits" from Likeness in Game<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tPTc-Lp0S9Q/U8fTHho9zzI/AAAAAAAABQg/T4svoHaYAZI/s1600/Manuel_Noriega_mugshot_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tPTc-Lp0S9Q/U8fTHho9zzI/AAAAAAAABQg/T4svoHaYAZI/s1600/Manuel_Noriega_mugshot_cropped.jpg" height="320" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noriega's Mugshot</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a
newly-filed case in Los Angeles that is likely to even further tarnish the
reputation of plaintiffs' lawyers (and possibly intellectual property lawyers
generally), ousted Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega <a href="http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/07/15/69523.htm"><span style="text-decoration: none;">has filed a
civil lawsuit against Activision</span></a>, alleging that his likeness was
used without his permission in the recent video game <a href="http://www.callofduty.com/blackops2">Call of Duty II: Black Ops</a>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://time.com/2993611/call-of-duty-dictator/"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Time magazine reports</span></a> that
Noriega formally accuses the videogame's makers of "wrongly depict[ing]"
him as a "kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the 1989 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_invasion_of_Panama"><span style="text-decoration: none;">invasion of
Panama</span></a> by the United States, Noriega was removed from power,
captured, detained as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner_of_war"><span style="text-decoration: none;">prisoner of war</span></a>, and flown
to the United States. Noriega was later tried on eight counts of drug
trafficking, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racket_(crime)"><span style="text-decoration: none;">racketeering</span></a>,
and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_laundering"><span style="text-decoration: none;">money laundering</span></a> in violation of U.S. federal law in
April 1992.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Noriega's U.S. prison sentence ended in September
2007; pending the outcome of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extradition"><span style="text-decoration: none;">extradition</span></a> requests
by both Panama and France, for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_in_absentia"><span style="text-decoration: none;">convictions <i>in absentia</i></span></a> for
murder in 1995 and money laundering in 1999.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">France granted the extradition request in April 2010. He
arrived in Paris on April 27, 2010, and after a re-trial as a condition of the extradition, he was
found guilty again and sentenced to seven years in jail in July 2010. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A
conditional release was granted on September 23, 2011, for Noriega to be
extradited to serve 20 years in Panama. He arrived in Panama on
December 11, 2011 where he is currently in prison.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Therefore, even assuming, for argument's sake, that Activision used
Noriega's likeness in the game without offering him compensation, it is difficult to
understand how Noriega could ever have lawfully received a penny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Under both state and U.S. federal law (<a href="http://openjurist.org/title-18/us-code/section-3682">18 U.S.C. §§ 3681 and 3682</a>), convicted criminals have difficulty
keeping assets attributable to their crimes. While the U.S. Supreme Court has limited that principle in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_%26_Schuster_v._Crime_Victims_Board">Simon and Schuster, Inc. v. Members of New York State Crime Victims Board, 502 U.S. 105 (1991)</a>, victim restitution and forfeiture orders are still permissible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further, it borders on the absurd to ponder how a dictator who was repeatedly convicted and sentenced under several different nations' laws can have a "reputation" that could be further harmed by a video game.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.65pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even stranger still is that <a href="http://www.girardikeese.com/Attorneys/Thomas-V-Girardi.shtml">Noriega's attorney is a renowned trial lawyer of Erin Brockovich fame.</a></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-36073233210701281942014-07-16T12:37:00.006-07:002014-07-16T12:39:57.556-07:00What Can Be Learned from the Meteoric Rise of the Kardashian Brand?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hw8LOLCoq3c/U8bR5PkRRmI/AAAAAAAABQQ/ehynIY0rQpY/s1600/640px-Kim_Kardashian_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hw8LOLCoq3c/U8bR5PkRRmI/AAAAAAAABQQ/ehynIY0rQpY/s1600/640px-Kim_Kardashian_2011.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: start;">© Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The story of how a 33-year old Los Angeles socialite with no discernible talents went from relative obscurity to a several hundred million dollar branding empire in the space of less than seven years sounds like fiction. And it would be hard to believe, if it weren't entirely true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 2007, a pornographic amateur sex tape featuring Kimberly (Kim) Kardashian with her then-boyfriend Ray J was <a href="http://www.extratv.com/2007/02/07/kim-kardashian-on-sex-tape-a-tape-does-exist/">"leaked."</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the time, Kim Kardashian was an unknown socialite in Los Angeles whose sole claim to fame was that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kardashian">her late father Robert Kardashian had helped successfully defend O.J. Simpson against murder charges.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kim used the newfound spotlight to sign up a "reality show" called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeping_Up_with_the_Kardashians">"Keeping Up with the Kardashians"</a> commissioned by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E!">E! Entertainment </a>network. The show demonstrated solid ratings, and led to several successful spin-offs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Within three years of the sex tape's circulation, Kim Kardashian had already begun creating a personal branding success story, venturing into endorsement deals with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J11qUjHiGhs">Carls, Jr.</a> and others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Additionally, she and her sisters penned an autobiography titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kardashian-Konfidential-Kim/dp/B005DI676K/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=">Kardashian Konfidential.</a> The book appeared on the New York Times bestseller's list. By July 2010, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/1642879/kim-kardashian-gets-her-own-madame-tussauds-wax-figure/">Madame Tussaud's had revealed a wax statute of Kardashian in its New York branch.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/kim-kardashian-and-kris-humphries-divorce-timeline-2013224">In 2011, she was married to basketball player Kris Humphries. After only 72 days of marriage, the couple announced their divorce.</a> <a href="http://www.eonline.com/photos/12632/kim-kardashian-kanye-west-s-wedding-album">Kim subsequently married rapper Kanye West.</a> Both marriages and the divorce received unprecedented media coverage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By 2014, Kardashian's primary retail product lines included <a href="http://kardashianfragrance.com/">a variety of fragrances</a>. However, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/maseenaziegler/2014/07/16/why-kim-kardashian-hollywood-is-a-200-million-hit-app/">Forbes reports that expectations are that a digital software application is likely to rake in over $200M by the end of this year.</a> Kim, currently estimated to have a net worth of $45M, is likely to collect at least another $85M in royalties from the application, this year alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kim's younger sisters have followed in their elder sister's footsteps in various ways, and have begun their own claims to fame.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So what can be learned from the meteoric rise and stunning success of the Kardashian branding empire?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First, actually accomplishing something tangible is not necessary to become a household name. Unlike in the past, where a celebrity was typically an accomplished movie star, artist, athlete, astronaut or politician, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kim Kardashian's greatest claim to fame is just being herself. She holds no advanced degrees, doesn't participate in any professional sports and has no particular artistic talents. The lesson is that American mass market culture values glamour, not performance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Second, Kardashian is a true master of using the media. Most people, upon discovering that a sex tape had been leaked, would have cowered in a corner. Instead, Kardashian exploited the opportunity to promote her own self-image, rather than allow it to be tarnished. Ironically, she ended up settling with Vivid Entertainment, which had commercialized the sex tape, for $5M and ended up posing in Playboy the same year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, there simply is no shame in blatant celebrity self-promotion. In the past, the prevailing wisdom held that those celebrities who promoted themselves heavily were viewed as greedy and insecure, whereas the truly talented would become famous, in spite of their own humility.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If that was ever sage advice, the Kardashians have certainly taught us that it no longer true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At last count, Kim had over 22M followers on Twitter, and the same number of followers on Facebook. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pope Francis has 4M.</span>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-43315389836465903592014-07-15T13:46:00.000-07:002014-07-15T13:58:34.019-07:00The Profound Ways that Wal-Mart Affects the Brands That It Sells<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5053y3IjLWg/U8WEXjXa7wI/AAAAAAAABQA/mAMMWzQBwRY/s1600/Walmart%E2%80%99s_Grease_Fuel_Truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5053y3IjLWg/U8WEXjXa7wI/AAAAAAAABQA/mAMMWzQBwRY/s1600/Walmart%E2%80%99s_Grease_Fuel_Truck.jpg" height="166" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is
certainly no shortage of commentary on how the unprecedented expansion of Wal-Mart has
affected American society, both for good and ill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are
those who lament <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/opinion/22Lichtenstein.html?_r=0"><span style="color: #0000e9;">Wal-Mart's treatment of its own workers</span></a> which
the New York Times describes as "authoritarian," and those critics who decry
Wal-Mart's (and similar large retailers') <span style="color: #0000e9;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/10/supermarket-prawns-thailand-produced-slave-labour">policies as tantamount to encouraging modern slavery</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But the chain
also has its supporters, who argue that Wal-Mart can offer <a href="http://consumerist.com/2013/11/18/ohio-walmart-held-an-employee-food-drive-for-less-fortunate-employees/"><span style="color: #0000e9;">community support</span></a>, as well as low prices on staple commodities for consumers on public assistance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But the
proliferation of Wal-Mart's ubiquitous retail stores <a href="http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&urlID=5243978&fb=Y&partnerID=1661">has affected the very brands that it sells, often in ways that are subtle but profound.</a> Here are just a few:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Potential for Quality Deterioration:</u></b> <span style="color: #1c1c1c;">For certain basic products, Wal-Mart has a "clear
policy" that its prices must go down from year to year, rather than up.
If a particular vendor does not keep its wholesale prices competitive
with other suppliers, they risk having their brand removed from
Wal-Mart's shelves in favor of a lower-priced competitor. <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/47593/wal-mart-you-dont-know">Critics say that this eventually pressures all vendors to shift manufacturing jobs to China and other developing nations, where the cost of labor is less expensive.</a> Over time, they argue, the quality of Wal-Mart's products must inevitably decline, rather than improve.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.sippycupmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/DSC_0649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sippycupmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/DSC_0649.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><b><u>Decreasing Brand Diversity:</u></b> Any retailer only possesses a
limited amount of visible shelf-space to display products in a category, such as baby diapers. Because of their packaging and size, baby diapers occupy a fair amount of the retailers' valuable "real
estate." Therefore, a retailer must carefully choose which
brands to carry. Wal-Mart, one of the nation's savviest retailers, chooses among the competing brands to determine shelf-space return on investment. Consequently, Wal-Mart chooses to devote 95% (or more) of its shelf space to Luvs, Pampers and
Huggies, the three top sellers in that category. Per square foot, across all its stores, it simply may not make economic sense for Wal-Mart to even consider carrying any smaller, "alternative"
brands such as <a href="http://shop.seventhgeneration.com/natural-diapering/">Seventh Generation diapers</a> which appeal to
shoppers who want diapers free of bleach, latex or fragrances. Wal-Mart's customers therefore benefit from lower prices for Luvs, Huggies and Pampers, but are not
presented with a diverse selection of alternatives. Over time, this trend can harm brand diversity, as Seventh Generation must rely upon niche market health food stores and online retailers to compete, thus creating a significant entry barrier for smaller brands.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -48px;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"><b><u>Weaker Intellectual Property protections: </u></b> Perhaps desiring to sell cheaper, lower quality mass-market versions of popular designs, </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-size: large;">Wal-Mart has also advocated and lobbied very effectively for limiting intellectual property protections for budding designers. For example, in
1997, children's clothing maker Samara Brothers had sued Wal-Mart for
"knocking off" its entire clothing line of high-end clothes.
Wal-Mart didn't dispute the copying, but took the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the designer's claims, a process which took years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=11551321958641509496&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr">The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Samara's clothing line was unprotectable as a matter of law because it couldn't satisfy stringent legal "distinctiveness" criteria.</a> Wal-Mart won not only the case, it helped to set precedent in its favor whenever it chooses to copy other designers. The <i>Samara</i> case is still the
prevailing law of the United States, which limits the availability of trade dress protection to product configurations. </span></span></span><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.5in;">The commercial reality is that very few private parties have the resources to litigate such cases against Wal-Mart, all the way to the Supreme Court, and even fewer can win. In contrast, Wal-Mart possesses both the will and the resources to dedicate serious efforts to altering the legal landscape in its favor.</span></li>
</ul>
Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-55227903490729384162014-07-15T06:19:00.000-07:002014-07-15T06:27:50.602-07:00Can the Swastika Seriously Be "Rehabilitated"?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nfou3lwnMVA/U8Um3f6LZfI/AAAAAAAABPc/IVh3lX6Bgbs/s1600/chinesejar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nfou3lwnMVA/U8Um3f6LZfI/AAAAAAAABPc/IVh3lX6Bgbs/s1600/chinesejar.jpg" height="200" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ancient pottery with a swastika</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Without a
doubt, the most shocking and recognizable symbol of modern racial hatred is the swastika.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Adopted by Adolf Hitler as the banner for the German National Socialist (Nazi) party in the 1930's, the swastika has become synonymous with racial
animosity and violence ever since then.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">However, the
swastika actually originated as an ancient symbol symbolizing the sun, and was used by many different
cultures and religions before Hitler saw fit to adopt it for political usage. Artifacts such as pottery and coins from ancient Troy show that the swastika was a commonly used symbol as far back as 1000 B.C.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a1xliRjLA84/U8UnjYaotSI/AAAAAAAABPk/8VNhPGxqLPc/s1600/Flag_of_German_Reich_(1935%E2%80%931945).svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a1xliRjLA84/U8UnjYaotSI/AAAAAAAABPk/8VNhPGxqLPc/s1600/Flag_of_German_Reich_(1935%E2%80%931945).svg.png" height="120" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flag of the Third Reich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Now, one modern religious group
is engaged in a high-profile bid to "re-brand" the swastika, and it
is making some people see red.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra%C3%ABlism"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Raëlian Movement</span></a>,
who believe that Extra-Terrestrials originally created all life on earth, have used a
symbol that is the source of considerable controversy: an
interlaced <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_David"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">star of David</span></a> and
a swastika.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.adl.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/raelian-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://blog.adl.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/raelian-logo.jpg" height="200" width="181" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Raelian Movement's Symbol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Raelians apparently believe that the Star of David represents infinity in
space whereas the swastika represents infinity in time, i.e., there being no
beginning and no end in time, and everything being cyclic.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In 1991,
their symbol was changed to remove the swastika, out of respect to the victims of
the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Holocaust</span></a>,
but as of 2007 has been restored to its original form.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">According
to the the movement's website, <a href="http://proswastika.org/">ProSwastika.org</a>, o</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">n Saturday, July 12, 2014, the International
Raelian Movement repeated the culminating event of its annual swastika
rehabilitation effort by flying banners featuring the symbol over beaches
adjacent to New York City, Miami and other U.S. locations.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">But in contrast to
prior years, this year’s flybys will constitute the grand finale for an entire
week of events rather than for the 24-hour period formerly known as Swastika
Rehabilitation Day.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“We decided we need an entire week to
really get the word out,” said Raelian Guide Thomas Kaenzig. “Swastika
Rehabilitation Week began on July 5, and we’ve already held events in about 20
cities in Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe and South America. This weekend we’ll
hold events all over North America, including the United States and Canada.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And indeed, they did. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/07/14/swastika-banner-new-york-beaches/12618091/">USA Today reports that the banner has caused quite a stir</a> when it was flown over New York's Coney Island.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Canada’s largest billboard company
rejected the group’s order for <a href="http://proswastika.org/e107_files/downloads/2014_Canada_billboard.jpg"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">a large sign</span></a> it
wanted to display in that country, Kaenzig said.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“The company representative said many
people would see our ad as offensive and inflammatory, so they wouldn’t post
it,” Kaenzig explained. “So this poses a real catch 22. How can the world be
reeducated about the truth of this symbol if we can’t get the word out to show
people? Luckily, religious freedom is more respected in the United States than
in Canada, so we are able to do more here.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Kaenzig said pre-Nazi era swastikas still
exist in hundreds of public places in the United States.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G1TTENNyXHw/U8UooozyP-I/AAAAAAAABPw/wjPw67BcUV0/s1600/124428-004-1DA0A46A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G1TTENNyXHw/U8UooozyP-I/AAAAAAAABPw/wjPw67BcUV0/s1600/124428-004-1DA0A46A.jpg" height="200" width="192" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosaic swastika tile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">“It’s still readily seen in NYC subway
stations and museums, in the old U.S. mint, at the Garfield Monument, and in
Native American artwork,” he pointed out.</span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“There's even a town in upstate New York
that was named ‘Swastika’ after gold was found there a century ago. And
although most people in the West don’t realize it, the swastika is still a
revered symbol for billions of Asians, for whom it signifies good luck and good
will.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">He said the Raelian Movement launched an
offshoot group, the ProSwastika Alliance, with the goal of uniting all
religions that cherish the swastika, and noted that it is cherished by Raelians
since it intertwines with a six-pointed star to form the Raelian symbol.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">“501c3 tax exemption status for
the alliance is pending,” Kaenzig said. “We’ve submitted the IRS application.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">There is no word from the IRS on the application's status.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Needless to say, taking a symbol that was widely used in connection with mass murder and "rehabilitating" it through rebranding may very well be impossible.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-44865726614202001102014-07-10T11:41:00.003-07:002014-07-10T11:44:34.832-07:00Service of Process Can Frustrate IP Rights<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ypE9u8y7mmY/U77cfGzpU8I/AAAAAAAABPM/n27yjMkU8xY/s1600/iStock_000010373902Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ypE9u8y7mmY/U77cfGzpU8I/AAAAAAAABPM/n27yjMkU8xY/s1600/iStock_000010373902Small.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Service of process is the fairly mundane
procedure by which a party to a lawsuit gives an appropriate notice of initial
legal action to another party (such as a defendant) in an effort to
exercise jurisdiction over that person so as to enable that person to
respond to the proceeding before the court, body, or other tribunal.
Notice is typically furnished by delivering a set of court documents
(called "process") to the person to be served.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Within the United States, this is
usually a fairly simple matter that involves having a licensed process
server (or in some cases, a U.S. Marshal or Sheriff) deliver a hard copy of the
Summons or other legal document to the Defendant or to a corporate
representative, in the case of a corporation. For some corporations, it
may be sufficient to serve the Secretary of State where the company is
incorporated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In those cases where a party to be
served is difficult to locate, the court may permit substitute service through
publication in a local newspaper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the vast majority of cases,
process can be routinely served in one or more of these manners, and
a defendant would have a tough time arguing that he was not properly served, if he chooses to default and claim that he didn't know about the
case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But for brand owners
whose infringers often reside well outside the United States, service
of process can become a rather tricky prospect -- one that may even frustrate
all relief entirely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">International service of foreign
judicial and extrajudicial documents is governed in general by the 1965 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hague_Service_Convention"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Hague Service
Convention</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prior to the enactment of the Hague
Service Convention, service of process in civil cases was generally effected by
a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_rogatory"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">letter rogatory</span></a>,
a formal request from the court in the country where proceedings were initiated
or underway to a court in another country where the defendant resided. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This procedure generally required the
use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consular"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">consular</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomacy"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">diplomatic channels</span></a> as
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United States) of the defendant's country by the foreign minister of the
originating court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since 1965, member states designate a
central authority for service of process and requests go directly there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In addition, some governments allow
some type of service directly by mail or personal service by a person otherwise
authorized to service process without involvement of local courts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By way of example, the United Kingdom
and Hong Kong permit a person or corporate entity to be served through simple
International Registered Mail. The People's Republic of China, however, formally objected to this process and insists that any form of such service is not only
ineffective, it is illegal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Therefore, the process
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or sometimes years, and cost tens of thousands of dollars. In some cases,
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challenging, assuming that the Chinese national or entity does not
participate in the foreign proceeding, there is no guarantee that the Chinese
government will enforce a foreign default judgment against his assets located
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The end result is that that the People's Rebublic of China
has effectively insulated approximately 1/5 of the world's population from
simple service of legal process from abroad.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-62286015243191717932014-07-09T11:33:00.003-07:002014-07-09T11:33:46.537-07:00John Wayne's Heirs Sue Duke University Over Trademark Rights to Alcohol<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqjAOsWXVGs/U72KSsScBoI/AAAAAAAABO8/8qt7JQm_6Yo/s1600/John_Wayne_-_still_portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqjAOsWXVGs/U72KSsScBoI/AAAAAAAABO8/8qt7JQm_6Yo/s1600/John_Wayne_-_still_portrait.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">John Wayne (pictured left) was born Marion Robert Morrison in 1907. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/07/09/john-wayne-duke-university-trademark/12397623/">As a boy, the eventual actor owned a dog named "Duke." Even after the actor later adopted the stage name John Wayne, he was still known to many as "the Duke."</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Duke University, another storied American institution that was named after the Duke family established the Duke Endowment, has been attempting for nearly a decade to federally register and protect trademarks for "Duke" in connection with a variety of goods and services, including alcohol and restaurant services.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">John Wayne Enterprises, which still controls Wayne's intellectual property rights after his death, has also attempted to register "Duke" for alcoholic beverages. Duke University objected, citing a likelihood of confusion even though the college does not currently produce, market or sell alcohol, according to a Complaint.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/john-waynes-heirs-sue-duke-717163"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">John Wayne Enterprises has apparently now filed a lawsuit in federal court in the Central District of California against the University, hoping to adjudicate the parties' rights once and for all.</span></a></div>
Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-1332420581636179972014-07-09T10:55:00.001-07:002014-07-09T11:12:19.317-07:00Chinese Counterfeiters: Experts at Gaming Complex Systems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EFCmRINEMgw/U71_P-6U-uI/AAAAAAAABOs/SQlowxMWRwI/s1600/800px-Mahjong_in_Hangzhou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EFCmRINEMgw/U71_P-6U-uI/AAAAAAAABOs/SQlowxMWRwI/s1600/800px-Mahjong_in_Hangzhou.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It has been said that, in both fun and geopolitics, <a href="http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/03/04/university-denver-professor-jonathan-adelman-putin-playing-chess-americans-playing">Americans play simple checkers, Russians play the more challenging chess</a> and the Chinese play the most </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">complex</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> game of all --</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong">Mahjong</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Undoubtedly, </span><a href="http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/08/cultural-insights-on-doing-business-in-china/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chinese culture encourages </span>and<span style="font-family: inherit;"> rewards skill at successfully navigating complexity.</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Consequently, the Chinese counterfeiter is fluent and adept at using the inherent complexity of the international legal and technological system to hide financial assets, creating a confusing web of identities designed to mask illegal conduct through an elaborate web of anonymity and dead-ends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The following is a classic "case in point" of just one such counterfeiter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A Chinese national by the name of Lin resides in the city of Putian in the eastern Fujian province in the People's Republic of China. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Putian has over 3 million Chinese nationals living and working, a testament to the thriving international trade in counterfeit goods, as much of this city is dedicated to serving that industry through manufacture and distribution.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22fake-t.html?_r=0">Lin receives an order for 3,000 pairs of white Nike sneakers from a merchant in Italy. He has no idea how to make genuine Nike shoes, but pays no mind.</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He takes a genuine pair of Nike tennis shoes, disassembles them, studies the stitching, creates his own CAD design on a computer, and oversees the production of 10,000 counterfeit pair using a cheap labor force, completing and shipping the order within a matter of days. He can sell 3,000 of the goods for $15,000, and markets the remaining inventory of 7,000 pair for $50.00 per pair on the Internet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The factory that Lin works in is a nondescript building with a street address that might be associated with several dozen other companies. The entity that Lin manages might be called "Fujian Sneaker and Shoe Trading Company Limited," a Hong Kong-based limited liability company, at least on paper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But if one were to actually order and translate a copy of Fujian Sneaker and Shoe Trading Company Limited's corporate documents on file in Hong Kong, one would not find any evidence of Lin or the Fujian factory. Rather, an unknown individual named "Jing Kim" might be listed as the company's sole owner, along with a business address in Beijing, one that has no clear ties to Lin's factory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Furthermore, assume that Lin's counterfeit goods are openly sold to customers and distributors on a commercial website associated with the Internet domain name <i>CheapSneakersForLess.com.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This domain name could have easily been registered by Lin's assistant for under $10 through an ICANN-accredited registrar in China such as Chengdu Fly-Digital Technology Co., Inc., and could be hosted for a few dollars a month, through a shared webhost such as iPage.com. IPage's web servers are located in Sweden, far outside of the easy reach of Nike's aggressive intellectual property lawyers in Portland, Oregon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This maddening maze of legal and technological complexity affords Lin virtual anonymity as he deposits the sum of $15,000 that the Italians paid for his sneakers into one of many bank accounts that he owns at the Agricultural Bank of China. He will put the remainder of the profits generated from the Internet sales into a different account.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This bank is ideal for Lin, as it has dozens of domestic branches throughout mainland China, but also maintains overseas institutions in Singapore, New York, Seoul, Sydney, London, and Tokyo, allowing Lin easy access to his funds when he travels abroad. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Of course, because each international institution claims to be a technically separate legal entity, Lin isn't particularly concerned that any of his accounts are exposed to potential foreign creditors, such as Nike, even if one of any of those accounts could somehow be connected to his workplace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Of course, no one account is listed in connection to any company that has a clear legal relationship to Lin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If one were to even begin to try to untangle the international maze built by Lin, it would take hundreds of hours and tens of </span>thousands<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of dollars in legal fees and investigative expenses, with no one account containing more than $15,000 in it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">All told, Lin's ninety-two accounts at this bank alone total assets of over $1,000,000, mostly generated from the manufacture and distribution of fake sneakers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You see, Lin's desire is to someday move to the United States and buy real estate and start his own fashion brand.</span></div>
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Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-81159549248774582682014-05-21T12:46:00.001-07:002014-05-21T12:55:53.050-07:00Opening Pandora's Box: Supreme Court Allows Archaic Copyright Infringement Cases to Proceed<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week, the U.S. Supreme Court opened <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora's_box">Pandora's Box.</a></span><br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5f/Raging_Bull_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5f/Raging_Bull_poster.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The decision that the Supreme Court may come to regret involved a copyright infringement lawsuit surrounding the script to the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081398/">Raging Bull</a>, which was released in 1980. In the film, Oscar-award winning actor <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000134/?ref_=tt_cl_t1">Robert DeNiro</a> played boxer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_LaMotta">Jake LaMotta</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">An heir to the co-author of a 1963 screenplay about the life of the boxer apparently waited until 2009 to file a copyright lawsuit, claiming that the 1980 movie had copied portions of her father's screenplay without authorization.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The District Court in Los Angeles and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals applied the equitable doctrine of "estoppel by laches," borrowing the 3-year statute of limitations in the U.S. Copyright Act. Those Courts both found that the writer's heir had deliberately waited to file suit, prejudicing MGM which had released the film thirty-four years ago.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2014/05/19/unusual-split-as-supreme-court-upholds-raging-bull-suit-vs-mgm/">on Monday</a>, in an unusual 6-3 split not along ideological lines, Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote for the majority, finding that the significant delay will not bar the heir from seeking damages or an injunction on a rolling basis, going forward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The majority reasoned that each time a new Raging Bull DVD is printed and sold, there is a new independent act of copyright infringement potentially violating the heir's copyrights. Every new DVD that is printed, every time the film is broadcast on television or the film is re-mastered or re-released, is effectively a new act of infringement subject to the 3-year window going forward, not backward.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The end result is that copyright disputes that originated thirty or forty years ago -- or even in the more distant past -- can be resurrected and instituted now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Justices Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy and Chief Justice Roberts dissented, holding that the precedent would upset settled doctrine, and open up years of litigation over old wounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">70-year old <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Page">Jimmy Page</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Plant">Robert Plant</a> and others in Led Zeppelin presumably agree with the dissent's point of view.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1971, Zeppelin released the now iconic "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stairway_to_Heaven">Stairway to Heaven</a>." According to some estimates, the song has earned at least $562 million since its release, a number poised to rise higher since Zeppelin is set to release new versions of its albums this summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2011/11/Led-Zeppelin-Stairway-To-Heaven-608x937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2011/11/Led-Zeppelin-Stairway-To-Heaven-608x937.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Relying on Monday's Raging Bull decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, Time magazine reports that <a href="http://time.com/105016/led-zeppelin-is-getting-sued-over-stairway-to-heaven/">a new copyright infringement lawsuit has now been filed</a> by representatives of the band <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_(band)">Spirit</a>, which released an instrumental song "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_(instrumental)">Taurus</a>" in 1968. According to the newly-filed lawsuit, Zeppelin opened for Spirit in the late 1960's, and was inspired to write the now famous guitar introduction to Stairway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Direct evidence of copying may nonetheless be difficult to gather. Spirit's lead guitarist Randy California died in 1997 and documents showing copying, if any, were presumably lost to the mists of time.</span>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-31579320290640626072014-05-20T06:42:00.001-07:002014-05-20T06:42:14.700-07:00FCC Chairman Wheeler: A “Conservative” Approach in Washington Today?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://transition.fcc.gov/files/logos/fcc-seal_rgb_emboss-large.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://transition.fcc.gov/files/logos/fcc-seal_rgb_emboss-large.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recently,
the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (<a href="http://www.fcc.gov/"><span style="color: #0000e3; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">FCC</span></a>) Tom Wheeler opened up to public comment
the agency’s decision whether to permit the use of cell phones on airline
flights. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This
decision follows the Federal Aviation Administration’s (<a href="http://www.faa.gov/"><span style="color: #0000e3; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">FAA’s</span></a>) decision to allow airlines to safely
expand passenger use of consumer electronics during all phases of flight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chairman
Wheeler recently announced his own views: “The job of the FCC with
respect to this issue is limited to issues related to communications
technology. Technology is available and being deployed today on flights
outside the United States that permits use of mobile devices on planes without
causing interference to cell phone networks on the ground. These advances
in technology likely no longer warrant – on a technological basis – the
prohibition of in-flight phone use with the appropriate on-board
equipment.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He went
on to further note that “[w]e understand that many passengers would prefer that
voice calls not be made on airplanes. I feel that way myself.
Ultimately, if the FCC adopts the proposal in the coming months, it will
be airlines’ decisions, in consultation with their customers, as to whether to
permit voice calls while airborne.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Therefore,
Chairman Wheeler’s decision to open the controversial issue up to public
commentary took an act of political courage. The FCC recognizes that its
charge is limited to technological issues, and such restraint should permit free
market forces to work to set the correct level of regulation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further,
Chairman Wheeler is also advancing the position that rewriting “net neutrality”
rules to require a flat playing field for all Internet providers may be a form
of potentially unwarranted interference with the free market’s desire to offer
faster Internet connections to those who want to pay for them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2014/05/19/why-net-neutrality-is-a-dumb-idea/"><span style="color: #0000e3; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Many
commentators agree</span></a>, and argue effectively that Internet access is no different than any other commodity subject to market forces:
“Wouldn’t it be great if a two bedroom, 2,000 square foot apartment on
Park Avenue cost the same as one in Queens? Or if a front row ticket to a
Broadway show cost the same as one in the mezzanine? Wouldn’t it be great
if you could buy a new BMW for the same amount as a new Hyundai? Or if
the price of a Harvard education were equal to one from your local community
college? These things are priced differently. They are not neutral.
Nothing is neutral in a free market economy."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chairman
Wheeler’s willingness to discuss the proper level of governmental regulation of
the free market in the mobile telephone and Internet access situations is a
breath of fresh air in a political environment too often filled with federal
agencies seeking to perennially expand their regulatory power and exert
leverage over the free market, regardless of consequence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
Chairman should be applauded for his courage in entertaining these important
discussions in such a toxic political environment.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-55198166468813547632014-03-31T13:05:00.001-07:002014-03-31T13:38:03.126-07:00Old Fake Award Scams Never Die...They Just Change Their Names<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Congratulations! After our careful nomination process, many influential people of achievement were reviewed. In the end, you have been selected as the recipient of a prestigious award recognizing your accomplishments!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All you need to do to claim your prestigious award is send a check or money order for $358, and you will receive a beautiful commemorative crystal trophy for your desk or mantel. You will also be included in a major press release campaign to announce this momentous event to the whole world.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zYMIyuLH2OM/Uzm_jdPTfRI/AAAAAAAABOI/YOLxuE7S4Sg/s1600/EKCEYP.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zYMIyuLH2OM/Uzm_jdPTfRI/AAAAAAAABOI/YOLxuE7S4Sg/s1600/EKCEYP.png" height="400" width="347" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of course, no one has ever heard of the organization or the award that you have been selected for, but pay no mind to that silly little detail! No one cares about the actual award you received anyway, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This straightforward business model (or "scam") assumes that some percentage of businesspeople are essentially insecure or gullible enough to put anything on their shelf or mantel that smacks of someone else recognizing their value, and will part with a nominal sum to accept such an award. And generally, the business model bears enough fruit over time to perpetuate itself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Consequently, countless "Who's Who" scams have cropped up over the decades, leading Forbes to create <span style="line-height: 18px;">the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/forbes-life-magazine/1999/0308/063.html">"Hall of Lame</a>" dedicated to publicizing such silly contrivances.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would like to nominate the <a href="http://www.usiec.org/">United States Institute for Excellence in Commerce ("USIEC") </a>for giving out such a meaningless award, recognizing its worthless contribution to an online world already filled with scams.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.usiec.org/AboutUs">The USIEC claims to be</a> a "leading authority on researching, evaluating and recognizing companies across a wide spectrum of industries" that meet its "stringent standards of excellence."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of course, its website is largely a template and contains little substance when examined. The USIEC does not list a single human being actually on its "team," and its website includes mostly generic, stock photographs of impressive-looking office buildings and friendly business-people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.kiva.org/lender/USIEC">The USIEC purports to be a philanthropic enterprise, having offered loans through Kiva.com</a> to fishermen in Nicaragua, farmers in Kenya, grocery stalls in Lebanon and dairy farmers in Uganda. In reality, Kiva.com allows anyone to donate as little as $25.00 to humanitarian aid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further, the USIEC has self-published a couple of research "white papers" that are virtually unreadable gibberish, but called it a "library" for its members.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In exchange, for $358, you can receive a framed certificate and trophy from the USIEC to show the world that you are a proud contributor to its noble cause.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cDEPUpkDSbg/UznAqMO-_wI/AAAAAAAABOU/MVuXx2aHY7A/s1600/EKCEYP_certificate.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cDEPUpkDSbg/UznAqMO-_wI/AAAAAAAABOU/MVuXx2aHY7A/s1600/EKCEYP_certificate.png" height="271" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In reality, the USIEC was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PellandAdvertising/posts/590824567641828">outed numerous times by other bloggers</a> who noted that it used to call itself the "Small Business Institute for Excellence in Commerce," and others who <a href="http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/us-institute-for-excellence-in-commerce/washington-dist-of-columbia-20008/us-institute-for-excellence-in-commerce-usiecorg-meaningless-award-scam-washington-dist-1126473">decry it as a "meaningless award scam.</a>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://techblog.willshouse.com/2014/03/04/usiec-scam/">Others have pointed out that their domain name is virtually brand new, for an "Institute" that claims have been around for awhile.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And if you think that the USIEC couldn't possibly have duped anyone by its approach, it is worth noting that its website receives heavy traffic. Further, h</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ere is a list of just a few press releases announcing those who evidently "accepted" the award, presumably by paying the USIEC for the trophy and to publicize the honor:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.prosysis.com/2014/02/prosys-receives-usiec-2013-georgia-excellence-award/">ProSys Information Systems</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://diversenetinc.com/usiec-press-release/">DiverseNet, Inc.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.pr.com/press-release/542705">Visionary People LLC</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.prlog.org/12283514-pacific-controls-inc-receives-2013-united-states-excellence-award.html">Pacific Controls, Inc.</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In reality, being offered an award by the USIEC is not a legitimate recognition of one's diligence and enterprise, <a href="http://www.maineprmaven.com/2013/09/21/winning-a-fake-award/comment-page-1/">as one PR blogger put it, it's "a sign of gullibility.</a>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps saddest of all, <a href="http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113105069/intellectual-property-boutique-firm-receives-the-2013-district-of-columbia/">even some Intellectual Property attorneys have been duped by the USIEC scam.</a></span></div>
Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-18106804956268608112014-03-17T10:21:00.005-07:002014-03-18T05:15:42.549-07:00The Drive to Luxury: Commodity Fetishism or Innate Human Need?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4kfp20KCBU/UycrqR_wZuI/AAAAAAAABNw/XFJM9OkFNcY/s1600/c45cd4cc94084689bb50298bfa9e0dd6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4kfp20KCBU/UycrqR_wZuI/AAAAAAAABNw/XFJM9OkFNcY/s1600/c45cd4cc94084689bb50298bfa9e0dd6.jpg" height="592" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the last several decades, across the globe, there has been a marked increase in consumers' collective demand for luxury goods. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What are luxury goods and why do consumers seem to express such an insatiable demand for them? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While most researchers cannot agree on a standard definition for luxury goods, they generally agree that it is any consumer product or item that is not a true "necessity."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In other words, access to potable water is a necessity to survive in the world, but owning a diamond-studded watch is not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some researchers argue that the luxury marketplace </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">focuses the consumer on a perceived need to belong to an elite group and manifests desire for extremely high quality products, often far in excess of actual need.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some political commentators on the left have argued that luxury goods are a negative form of "commodity fetishism," a term coined by Karl Marx. Marx decried the capitalistic drive toward exclusionary private property and seemingly irrational desire for classist exclusion that he believed luxury goods represent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He argued that humans were encouraged to ascribe irrational value to arbitrary materials (such as gold or diamonds), which then are perceived as having a false "intrinsic" value in the marketplace. He argued that such exclusion was designed to oppress the working classes, and served no other socially beneficial goal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yet, despite persistent economic turbulence and political instability in many emerging markets, the global luxury goods market remains largely robust. Indeed, the pursuit of luxury has been a sustained growth trend, even in societies that have experienced substantial political perils.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But is this trend just a blip, or a new long-term reality?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I contend that the drive toward luxury is a positive feature of normal human economic and psychological development, and not just a short-term phenomenon or an irrational manifestation of oppressive capitalism gone awry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As any human society develops, its' collective needs and consumer preferences will gravitate from satisfying the lower-level human needs (such as general stores selling staple household goods) toward increasing demand for brands that represent quality, the respect of others and social achievement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his groundbreaking 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in Psychological Review:</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dKvrK5C2EoI/UycgxUK1moI/AAAAAAAABNE/x_vISTsBcnM/s1600/450px-Maslow's_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dKvrK5C2EoI/UycgxUK1moI/AAAAAAAABNE/x_vISTsBcnM/s1600/450px-Maslow's_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg.png" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In essence, Maslow argued that all human behavior can be analyzed within the general framework of this pyramid, representing a dynamic progression toward higher thought processes and a greater degree of social functioning as one's temporal needs are met.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In other words, once a person's immediate physical needs and safety/security are satisfied he will gravitate toward forming communities and families, and eventually, trend toward morality and achieve self-actualization. Without one's lower-level needs met, that person -- and eventually his entire society -- will flounder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">From the perspective of predicting and analyzing consumer
behavior, Maslow’s hierarchy can be thought of as also predicting macro-level social
mobility and consumer preferences.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Such
a model allows one to understand trends in demographics, and even develop sound long-term financial and investment strategies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">In other words, in a properly functioning society where social mobility is fluid, eventually, the retail options will become higher-end, and luxury goods retailers will move in.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The “local hardware store” will be replaced by a mass market retailer.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The mass market retailer eventually will be replaced
by the shopping mall.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The shopping mall eventually
becomes filled with luxury goods retailers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Therefore,
over time, as societies economically, psychologically and
demographically evolve, luxury goods should become both desirable and attainable.</span></span><br />
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Financial data bears this trend out. </span>Standard
& Poors Global Consumer Enterprises Index is comprised of thirty of the
largest publicly-traded companies in the GICS consumer discretionary sector
that meet specific investability requirements.
The index provides exposure to leading publicly-listed companies in
developed markets, which meet minimum international revenue exposure
requirements. 100% of the companies
included relate to consumer discretionary spending. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since this custom Index was created by S&P in 2009, it has demonstrated 5-year annualized returns of 25% growth, an astounding rate of return: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t5Mosykh8JU/UychtT2UEuI/AAAAAAAABNM/5f95x4rqfoE/s1600/Screen+Capture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t5Mosykh8JU/UychtT2UEuI/AAAAAAAABNM/5f95x4rqfoE/s1600/Screen+Capture.jpg" height="440" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
Empirical consumer survey data bear out this trend, as well. In a recent survey conducted by Empathica Consumer Insights Panel, the largest</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> reported reason that consumers made a luxury purchase was to "reward themselves" (31.9%), although many consumers also indicated they were finally getting
around to buying a luxury item that they had previously delayed purchasing
(17.5%). </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Others bought a luxury good for a significant other (12.5%), or said
they had extra money to spend and just wanted one (11.5%). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">Despite
the recent recession, three out of four consumers indicated that they perceived that there are
the same or even more luxury brands available today than there were two to
three years ago, making this luxury goods market more competitive than ever. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Interestingly, 28%
of consumers also report that they will tell others about their luxury purchase
through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook or blogs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Therefore, consumers consistently express a deep need to have the ability to "reward themselves" through the purchase of a luxury good that was not a true necessity. The approval, perceptions and respect of others played a critical role, as well.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over time, I predict that this drive toward luxury is here to stay, as it represents the innate human drive to progress toward higher levels of achievement and acquire the respect of others, and not simply irrational exuberance or the exploitation of artificial demand.</span></div>
</div>
Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-23662719175344813782014-03-04T08:26:00.003-08:002014-03-06T11:38:06.570-08:00Isn't it Time for the U.S. Supreme Court to Broadcast Oral Arguments?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/SCOTUSbuilding_1st_Street_SE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/SCOTUSbuilding_1st_Street_SE.JPG" height="282" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is 2014, and </span><a href="http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">much of the planet is becoming technologically accessible online.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With respect to the U.S. federal government's daily operations, the Library of Congress' card catalog is <a href="http://catalog.loc.gov/">available online</a>, Congress' floor debates and Committee hearings are broadcast 24/7/365 on <a href="http://www.c-span.org/">C-SPAN and online</a>, the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/">White House has an active website</a> and even <a href="http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm">Pope Francis has a fully interactive website</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex">Twitter account.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet, one branch of the U.S. federal government has crept more slowly into the 21st Century than others.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 200 years of regular sessions, the routine oral arguments of attorneys before the United States Supreme Court remain a cloistered, closed-door affair, for the most part.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Audio recordings of all oral arguments heard by the Supreme Court are available to the public at the end of each argument week <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio.aspx">and are posted online.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, all other recording devices are strictly forbidden by <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/supct">Court rules.</a> This issue made headlines recently, when a rare event occurred--<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/27/us-usa-court-video-idUSBREA1Q2AD20140227">a public protest inside the U.S. Supreme Court, recorded by a visitor armed with a hidden camera phone.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The unruly visitor who demonstrated was arrested, but the individual who recorded the session surreptitiously cannot be prosecuted, as the Court's rules do not carry the force of law.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indeed, if put to a vote before Congress, it is not clear that the Court's preference for such closed door access would be affirmed by both Houses, or signed by the President.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indeed, <a href="http://www.uscourts.gov/News/NewsView/11-06-08/Courts_Selected_for_Federal_Cameras_in_Court_Pilot_Study.aspx">fourteen trial courts have been selected for a "pilot study" to evaluate the merits of television cameras in courtrooms</a>, and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">some of the more technologically-savvy Courts of Appeal (such as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California) broadcasts their oral arguments <a href="http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/media/">online</a> the day after they are held.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://openscotus.com/about.html">The Coalition for Court Transparency is a group of public interest and media organizations demanding open access to the U.S. Supreme Court</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Their compelling argument is that the Supreme Court's decisions affect the lives of Americans everywhere, and that a large majority of the citizenry believe the oral arguments should be televised. (Their video clip is embedded below).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/x8xdONkboaU" width="560"></iframe><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps it is time for the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its rules and put the matter to a Congressional vote.</span></span>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-495768424169993527.post-26264211684017598622014-02-20T15:32:00.001-08:002014-02-20T15:35:29.710-08:00China Viewed as America's "Greatest Enemy" in Gallup Polling Data<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China.svg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China.svg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A recently released <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/167498/americans-view-china-mostly-unfavorably.aspx">Gallup World Affairs poll</a> surveyed Americans, asking them to name the United States' greatest foreign enemy. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/20/china-iran-enemy-gallup-poll/5651915/">More Americans viewed China, not Iran or Russia, as America's greatest threat.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A majority of those polled (52%) apparently view China's growing economic power as a "critical threat" to the "vital interests" of America into next decade.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eight years ago, 31% of Americans viewed Iran as the USA's "greatest enemy," compared with 16% today. China's unfavorable ratings have held relatively steady in Americans' minds, despite the announcement of historic reforms late last year that would shift China's economy to a more consumer-driven model.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1979, when Gallup first gathered responses to these questions from a representative sample of Americans, China's GDP was not even one tenth that of of the United States. That year, nearly two out of three of Americans polled reported that they saw China favorably. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today, China's meteoric rise has led a majority of Americans (52%) to report China as the world's leading economic power. Further, many Americans are beginning to view China's growing military strength and newfound economic power as a threat to U.S. strategic interests.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gallup notes that in 1959, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech, noting that when written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters, one representing danger, the other representing opportunity. Americans clearly see the potential for danger in China, but it is worth noting that commercial trade with China continues to grow, creating opportunity as well. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, America's trade with China has grown dramatically. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, many U.S. </span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/05/us-usa-china-currency-idUSBRE9541HY20130605" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">government officials have openly criticized Chinese currency manipulation policies</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/most-counterfeit-goods-are-from-china-2013-6" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tolerance of counterfeiting </a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as well as </span><a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/asia-and-the-pacific/china" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">human rights abuses.</a></span>Joseph C. Gioconda, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02580209422545958459noreply@blogger.com0