best genes ever

[dragonladyflame]

Cousin Manda: Lydia, if you ever decide to get married -- and I don't know why you would! -- we will all be there to try and talk you out of it.

...

RANGER
I know you've probably seen all those RPG-motivational posters, but this is totally the funniest one, encapsulating everything that is wrong with D&D in one fell swoop. (And if you're tired

Comments

[foxfour]

NEARLY 20% of the 23,688 known human genes are patented in the United States. Private companies hold 63% of those patents.

and this is a real thorny issue. it's entirely unclear whether genes can be patented, and the patent office has been getting wise to this. so what do they do? not deny the patent, but assign it to an officer who sits on it, not letting it proceed, but not denying it, either.

A FRENCH DIRECTOR had to pay $1,300 after a character in his film whistled the communist anthem, “The Internationale,” without permission.

er, wtf?

THE PUBLISHER of Super Hero Happy Hour removed “Super” from the comic book title after Marvel and DC Comics stated they own the phrase “super heroes and variations thereof.”

but note, marvel and DC aren't beating each other up over it. it's just bash the little guy.

AFTER ROSA PARKS sued OutKast for using her name as a song title, the group and their label settled by paying for a Parks tribute CD and TV special.

one's name is in no way protected by IP law as written. what you can sue over is defamation or libel. i don't think the song was either, in all likelihood. but in our litigious society, lawyers can make it so.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’s estate charges academic authors $50 for each sentence of the “I Have a Dream” speech that they reprint.

that's just stupid. they're discouraging its dissemination, encouraging its fading from memory.

[foxfour]

oh, and why does D&D suck so much?

[foxfour]

It's not more like Exalted.

[foxfour]

nicely put :)

[dragonladyflame]

Yeah, I mean, really. Even Exalted isn't enough like Exalted!

[balthial]

too true.

[dragonladyflame]

I can't remember where this came from, but I was talking to someone at dinner or something the other day about how, with the laws set up this way, a company that owned the gene for breast cancer could maybe sue someone who got breast cancer .... It's one of those suits you want to see happen just so it'll get thrown out of court and maybe some more reasonable laws will take its place!