Seagate Hard Drives Came With Trojan... >>
<< The Chasm Between Saying You'd Pay For YouTube...
 tdicon 

Legal Issues

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Nov 15th 2007 9:21am




Filed Under:
intellectual property, jeffery scalf, john dillinger, privacy rights


Don't Say Something Bad About John Dillinger; His Great-Nephew Might Sue

from the intellectual-property-run-amok dept

Against Monopoly points us to yet another article highlighting a ridiculous end result of excessive intellectual property laws. You're probably familiar with the name John Dillinger, the famed bank robber who was eventually gunned down outside a Chicago movie theater. Apparently, his grand-nephew is now claiming rights over John Dillinger's name, threatening to sue anyone who refers to Dillinger as a killer or trying to profit off of Dillinger's name. This for a man who died over 70 years ago. This idea that someone's name is "owned" by someone else, seems pretty ridiculous, but is the result of a misreading on an already bad Indiana law on privacy rights. The law was passed in 1994 and only applies to people who died after 1994 -- meaning that Dillinger isn't covered. Also, courts have been striking back against such laws, noting that they're problematic when they end up limiting free speech or giving someone ownership over how factual information can be used. This is an unfortunate result of too many in our society believing that ideas and information can somehow be "owned" and controlled.

24 Comments | Leave a Comment

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments (rss)

(Flattened / Threaded)

  1.  
    icon
    Killer_Tofu (profile), Nov 15th, 2007 @ 10:04am

    Those who ..

    .. feel so strongly that these ideas and information can be owned and controlled should move to China, they would fit right in.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Matt Borgard, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 10:34am

    John Dillinger was a ruthless murderer, and most likely a child molester!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    John Dillinger's Great Nephew, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 10:40am

    Re:

    BAM! You've just been served!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Phil, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 11:14am

    John Dillinger

    Douchebag!!! I hope he gets countersued...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    John Duncan Yoyo, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 11:27am

    Re:

    This just cried out for an anonymous coward post.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Max Powers at http://ConsumerFight.com, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 12:02pm

    Here they come

    There are so many lawyers that need work it makes me think that they might be seeking people out like this guy and talk them into filing a lawsuit to get some work.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    John Dillinger, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 12:32pm

    little piss ant

    I have more respect for John Dillinger (ther bank robbing murerous bastard) than I do is great nephew at this point.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 12:35pm

    what if i change my name to John Dillinger? What then? He going to sue me for making money because i'm profiting using my own name?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 12:36pm

    John Dillinger was a baby-raper.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  
    identicon
    Danny, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 1:33pm

    Re: little piss ant

    At least his great uncle had the decency to kill you face to face instead of hiding behind a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  
    identicon
    Dillinger Escape Plan Fan, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 1:51pm

    Don't sue the band.

    I hope he doesn't sue Dillinger Escape Plan. It is a great band!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  12.  
    identicon
    Erik, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 2:57pm

    Beats working...

    I guess the grand-nephew figures this is a better gig than, you know, trying to get a job. I mean, come on, it isn't a direct relative, he's a freakin' nephew.

    And he's trying to capitalize on a law that doesn't apply to John Dillinger. I bet his grand uncle would take him out behind the barn and whoop him good for being such an idiot.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  13.  
    identicon
    Nicko, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 5:22pm

    Dillinger is a killer. Send me a dollar.

    So I guess insanity runs in the family. Your grand-uncle robbed banks, killed people, and said he could walk through walls. Now you think you can sue everyone... get medical help now.

    ----------
    MCP: There's a 68.71 chance you're right.
    Dillinger: Cute.
    MCP: End of line.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  14.  
    identicon
    the.arctic, Nov 15th, 2007 @ 7:18pm

    I grew up in Indianapolis and have been to his grave. Interestingly enough, people have repeatedly defaced his father's gravestone while leaving his relatively untouched. Why? Presumably because the criminal's name is John Dillinger Jr., and he's buried right next to his father, John Dillinger.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  15.  
    identicon
    ROFLOMG An Actual Great Nephew, Nov 19th, 2007 @ 12:31am

    HAH, This is too funny.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  16.  
    identicon
    tomka, Jul 2nd, 2008 @ 7:22am

    sf

    Try megauploadfiles.comin my opinion the best megaupload search engine ever.
    My favorite megaupload search engine is megauploadfiles.com it’s the most powerful an easy to use. megauploadfiles.com has incredible speed of searching rapidshare links in the internet.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  17.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 2nd, 2008 @ 1:37am

    The real John Dillenger

    It is truly sorry how so many of you attack John Dillenger without having any idea of the facts. John Dillenger was not a crazied killer like bonnie and clyde. He is rumoured to have killed only one person and the facts about that killing are so much in doubt(like the fact that he would have had to drive about 100 miles an hour for six hours to get to the bank where the murder took place) he probably killed no one. However the law enfocement agents chasing him probably killed more civilliams than the dillenger gangs ever did. So before you start attacking him get your stories striaght. He may have been a bank robber but it is highly doubtful he was a killer. And if he did kill anyone it was one person. He was not a murderous bastard as some of you claim.

    I really can't stand people who blab on about things without doing any research about them. I don't agree with his great nephew's crap but at least know what you are talking about.

    I just worry that their are people out there who vote based on the same lack of research.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  18.  
    identicon
    Robert Formely Anonymous Coward as apposed to Here, Nov 2nd, 2008 @ 1:45am

    John Dillenger's reputation

    It is truly sorry how so many of you attack John Dillenger without having any idea of the facts. John Dillenger was not a crazied killer like bonnie and clyde. He is rumoured to have killed only one person and the facts about that killing are so much in doubt(like the fact that he would have had to drive about 100 miles an hour for six hours to get to the bank where the murder took place) he probably killed no one. However the law enfocement agents chasing him probably killed more civilliams than the dillenger gangs ever did. So before you start attacking him get your stories striaght. He may have been a bank robber but it is highly doubtful he was a killer. And if he did kill anyone it was one person. He was not a murderous bastard as some of you claim.

    I really can't stand people who blab on about things without doing any research about them. I don't agree with his great nephew's crap but at least know what you are talking about.

    I just worry that their are people out there who vote based on the same lack of research.

    What a joke calling me Anonymous Coward when no one here uses a full name. It must be easy to know who someone called artic actual is(no offense to artic-just an example of how foolish the Anonymous Coward moniker is.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  19.  
    identicon
    MpM, Nov 25th, 2008 @ 11:22am

    A very poor excuse for publicity

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  20.  
    identicon
    karry, Dec 1st, 2008 @ 5:36am

    Re:

    However the law enfocement agents chasing him probably killed more civilliams than the dillenger gangs ever did. So before you start attacking him get your stories striaght. He may have been a bank robber but it is highly doubtful he was a killer. And if he did kill anyone it was one person. He was not a murderous bastard as some of you claim. I really can't stand people who blab on about things without doing any research about them. I don't agree laptop AC adapters with his great nephew's crap but at least know what you are talking about. I just worry that their are people out there who vote based on the same lack of research.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  21.  
    identicon
    Ray, Dec 22nd, 2008 @ 9:36am

    Religious background

    This is not a comment, but rather a question. Is the story true regarding a Sunday School teacher who told Dillenger to not come back because he had been disturbing the Sunday School class?

    Ray

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  22.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Apr 26th, 2009 @ 11:13pm

    Mary Kinder (Harry Pierpont's girlfriend) and "Silent Marge"
    are my great aunts.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  23.  
    identicon
    Jason, Jun 28th, 2009 @ 4:33pm

    ignorant

    john dillenger never evan was charged with murder nor child molestation he was a bank robber when thier were no jobs he did it to survive and was notg a murder and if you dont no these things u have never studyied the man so u should keep youre ignorant comments to youre self
    mooresville here

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  24.  
    identicon
    Redskin, Jan 7th, 2012 @ 11:09am

    John Dillenger

    Screw John Dillenger and his great nephew too.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


Add Your Comment

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? Register here
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Save me a cookie
  • Note: A CRLF will be replaced by a break tag (<br>), all other allowable HTML will remain intact
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>
Seagate Hard Drives Came With Trojan... >>
<< The Chasm Between Saying You'd Pay For YouTube...
 tdicon 
Follow Techdirt
Flattr rss rss
A word from our Sponsors...
Sponsored Resource
Essential Reading
Techdirt Reading List
Techdirt Insider Chat

A word from our Sponsors...
Recent Stories

Thursday

2:14am: FTC Planning To Go After Patent Trolls (2)
1:30am: There's No Silver Bullet Strategy For Monetizing Apps, But There Are Lots Of Options To Compare (0)

Wednesday

11:08pm: Germany's Spies Have NSA Envy: Currently Working To Build Their Own Comprehensive Snooping System (9)
8:03pm: Arizona Court Skeptical Of 'Medical Excuse' From Prenda Lawyers (20)
5:00pm: DailyDirt: Air Hockey Robots (3)
4:16pm: More Details Emerge As States' Attorneys General Seek To Hold Back Innovation On The Internet (29)
3:26pm: Supreme Court Says Patent Abuse Can Violate Antitrust Laws (7)
2:32pm: Microsoft Capitulates, Removes Online DRM From Xbox One (86)
1:31pm: The Next Time Someone Says Twitter Is Killing Deep Thinking With Short Quick Messages, Show Them This (41)
12:28pm: Company Claims Patent On Pop-Up Ads, Sues Porn & Travel Companies (29)
More arrow
A word from our Sponsors...

Close

Email This