Olympics Crack Down On Anyone Mentioning Them Without Paying... As White House Tells Everyone To Set Up Olympics Parties
from the ip-violations-galore! dept
We've covered for years how overly aggressive the Olympics are in protecting their "IP" -- to the point that they often get special laws passed that grant them extra IP rights, which they use to block pretty much anyone who hasn't paid from using the word "Olympics" at all, or even having a non-sponsoring brand shown anywhere (yes, even if that means taping over the brand on toilet fixtures in bathrooms around the Olympic grounds). Hell, we just reported on the Olympics going after a 30-year-old restaurant named Olympic Gyros.
So it struck me as somewhat surprising to get an email from the White House, saying that I should create my own (or join in an existing) "Olympic Fun Day Meetup."
Of course, as a participating country, I'm sure that the Olympics grants the US government wider leverage in using its name, but if anyone else in the country suggested something as crazy as creating a special "meet up" around the Olympics, how quickly do you think the Olympics would send in the lawyers to demand a takedown?
So it struck me as somewhat surprising to get an email from the White House, saying that I should create my own (or join in an existing) "Olympic Fun Day Meetup."

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Not to me. The first silence is definitely longer.
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I mean, Jews are bad at athletics? Based on what exactly?
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And... America has inherited "their ideas"
Project Paperclip... if we did not take over where the Nazi's left off, who would?
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Can't wair for Mein kampf 2: passing of the torch
/godwin'd
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Olympic torch started in 1928
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All I can say is...wow...talk about leaving all sense of logic and basic reasoning in the dust so you can make a statement completely unsupportable in any sense of the word...
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpQ5Ew3YnKs
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THEY ARENT bother us hackers
gee wonder why they dont want to fuck around ?
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Re: ^.^
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We can arrange sliced olives and calimari rings as 'you know what' and wait for the lawyers to show up.
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Actually, this whole situation is very useful.
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Re: Actually, this whole situation is very useful.
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If so, the US Gov't can encourage this without worrying, but a private party cannot.
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Or Could It Be...
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Another Olympic sided tragedy
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Fight back...
"I'm eating #Burgerking at #London2012, and wearing my #Nike. #Mcdonald's fries are shit"
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fun this Time around. Sorry White House.
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Hey, Olympics...
Now sue me!
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OLYMPICs
1. Olympic show is expensive.
2. City hosting show must fund it, and provide venue.
3. City appeals to corporations for money, with IOC blessing
4. Corporations, just because they can, impose severe restrictions on city and IOC as condition of granting money.
5. City and IOC, in order to protect their funds, go completely off the end of the pier. Remember, the corporations can pull their money whenever they like for whatever reason, or none.
IMHO, said corporations should be held legally responsible for ALL funding after they agreed. This especially means funding the athletes, instead of making them beg for money.
As far as I'm concerned, this whole thing is a total cluster*^$% and has been getting worse each time it's put on. I have NO INTENTION of wasting my time or resources on it. If, in the bloody unlikely event, I need information, there's always the internet.
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olympiclusterfsck
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Official Intellectual Property blog of the 2012 London Olympic Games
Here's an idea, right before the opening ceremonies, redo the header of techdirt to announce that Techdirt is the "The Official Intellectual Property blog of the 2012 London Olympic Games" and state factually it's an obvious ironic parody. Let's see how many hurried morons come out to play.
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Olympics
I pledge that for 10 years I will boycott the sponsors of the US Olympic Committee as shown on this page:
http://www.teamusa.org/Sponsors.aspx
I will not buy or use their products or those of their subsidiaries and affiliates, e.g. NBC, a property of GE.
I will renew my boycott annually until the USOC renounces and ceases their heavy handed tactics and their sponsors pays treble reparations, including legal fees, to those it harmed by their legal actions. Additionally, the USOC will have to announce their compliance by publishing full page advertizements in the major newspapers in every US state for 10 consecutive days.
Don't laugh. I have a boycott list. Some residents of that boycott list are there for "Life". AT&T has been there since 2001 (remember North Point Communications? I do) and will remain there until it reimburses me for my losses, treble. Sears Roebuck (rule of 78 interest charges in 1977). I haven't bought anything there since. -- I know hundreds of people and businesses with boycott lists. Once your on the list, you've lost a customer for a long time (Target ... oh, nevermind). I respect my boycott lists and do not patronize those companies on them.
So, USOC, FOAD. ... whew! I feel better now.
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Not the only instance
http://bangordailynews.com/2011/08/12/news/lewiston-auburn/redneck-olympics-organizer-ready-t o-face-u-s-olympic-committee/
The "Rednecks" said they were disappointed in that idea, and thought it was highly unfair.
Just last week, they were still using the brand. Oh, well.
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Olympians
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Re: Olympians
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Reminds me of the NFL's limits on the use of the term
Ridiculous!
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Olympic Logo
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