As we've discussed here, the U.S. Patent And Trademark Office has awarded patent protection to some pretty pathetic inventors. Here's the latest inductee to the Hall Of Shame by BLR Patent Expert Alan Hale. I love this pierced up GQ model from 1995 look.  For more details check the podcast from the March 30, 2012 show. Would you fall for this?

As you may have heard, the Daily Variety & their evil parent company Reed Elsevier have dropped their lawsuit against the Vandals on the eve of trial. They pushed us as far as they could but it was all a bluff because they had no case. This was a shakedown from the beginning. Shame on them. For more info go to the Vandals website.

This week's wacky patent is an amazing toy for kids! Impart to your child a decent work ethic and build him one of these bad boys!

The Glorious Lawnmower Tricycle, invented by a girl!

I wrote and article for the Huffington Post yesterday about how the dangers of the proposed SOPA / PIPA legislation are not just paranoia, they are real and proof of the harm that can come to the Internet can be seen in how the Lawyers for Daily Variety are treating the band right now. They are actually trying to get the Court to believe that the Vandals should take down an entire Myspace page because there is one thing on it that they object ot (even though it is protected speech). When the Vandals pointed out that this object was in a part of Myspace that the band cannot control, they said, "then why didn't you shut the site down immediately." This is their logic. Shut it down, no hearing, no trial. Cause damage now, ask questions later.

What I didn't include in the Huffpo article is the insult to injury from Daily Variety's parent corporation Reed Elsevier, Inc.  Reed also owns Lexis Nexis. This is the legal research monolith that makes money from all lawsuits, no matter how frivolous. That is why Reed doesn't care if these lawsuits they file  are silly. They make money either way. Did I tell you they sued Toyota when the Lexus came out? Well they did.

Any questions, call the show 24/7 at 877-LAW-4777, we'll get your question answered asap. Always free, always worth every penny.
 

The Stop Online Piracy Act is an extremely controversial bill going through congress right now with both Democrats and Republicans expected to vote for and against it. Will this bill protect artists and save jobs being lost to illegal activity by pirates, thugs, scrounges, and parasites? Or is it a power grab funded by the Studios and Record Labels that makes the U.S. look more like Communist China in terms of the way it grants, or denies, access to the web for it's citizens. Picking sides on this issue and more in this week's podcast of the Barely Legal Radio Program.

http://barelylegalradio.podbean.com/2012/01/07/barely-legal-radio-010612/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/barely-legal-radio/id490034378