October 29, 2004

Department of Homeland Security Keeping Store Shelves Safe by forcing Portland store to take pirated Rubik's Cubes off the shelves. ...Except the patent ran out and so it is legal to make knockoffs.

Good thing our government is keeping us free and they don't have anything better to do...

  • (via Slashdot)
  • Evil are they
  • Of course, we should be carefull about what we write about the current administration, or the secret service may come knocking (You can see what he wrote to get the men in black knocking at his door here (also via slashdot)).
  • Well I feel safer already.
  • Right hand / left hand.
  • Why does Stephanie Cox hate America?
  • Never ceases to amaze me when government agents don't bother checking the facts before going out and accusing someone of some wrong doing.
  • I am not at all surprised.
  • I have been hearing more and more stories like this one. The first few I dismissed as tin-foil-hat stuff -- it is becoming harder and harder to do so. As a kid I read 1984 and wondered what I would do if I lived in such a society. I thought "How could people let something like that happen to their society? In the real world, people would put a stop to this before it got out of hand and turned into Big Brother..." Well, now it seems to be happening and I don't know how to stop it. Fellow Monkeys in other countries: does it seem as bad where you are? (Would you welcome an American ex-pat Monkey?)
  • what. the. fuck. The DHS... the Department of Homeland[0] Security is now enforcing trademark infringement. The homeland[1] anti-terrorism agency has nothing better to do than enforce[2] IP laws. Once again: what. the. fuck. [0] - I have a big problem with that terminology [1] - the problem is still there [2] - misplaced
  • On the plus side, the black helicopter manufacturing sector has seen its longest period of sustained growth in over half a century. /really should stop talking about the black helicopters now
  • what happened to all the balck helicopters anyway? Were they repainted?
  • black Idiot! must force myself to preview even one sentence comments
  • Well, they make the helicopters in my home town, so (I have been programmed to say) it's good for the economy! I just looked at the satellite maps. Because of the helicopter plant, my neighborhood used to be blanked out, but now it's there.
  • I would pretty much have to echo ryoshu's sentiments. What in the hell do bogus Rubik's Cubes being sold have to do with security in any way shape or form? The whole Department of Homeland Security, not to be confused with Committee for State Security (KGB) or the Ministry of State Security (Stasi), needs to be gone. Now instead of just doing what we have the Coast Guard, FBI, CIA and FAA and ATF for, they are adding the USPTO as well? Next step that pesky Judicial Branch, always getting in the way with their damnable Constitution.
  • We can change all this next Tuesday! Please.... or...we can go to Canada http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/skilled/assess/ (sorry, guess my html isn't allowed, or something...)
  • Canada hmmmm, it DOES help to read the faq.........
  • This whole business about safety must have gone too far, or something, 'cause now that I'm safer than before, I'm scareder, too. Can't we please go back to being unsafer now? Ooh, and meredithea, ya got any pictures of Steve yet?
  • Didn't Bin Laden make his fortune entirely from selling knockoff Rubik's Cubes? But seriously, why is Homeland Security even doing this? Discount stores in this country are filled with less than legal knockoffs.