The Law Library will be closed from 3pm, Wednesday, Nov. 26 through Saturday,
Nov. 29.
The Library will re-open on Sunday, Nov. 30.
Enjoy sharing some time with friends and family!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
The Legal Scholarship Blog Moves to CALI
| CALI Classcaster Logo |
The Legal Scholarship Blog was created in 2007 to consolidate and publicize notices of calls for papers, conferences, and workshops that may be of interest to legal scholars. The blog's "goal is to facilitate the legal academy's development and dissemination of scholarship." Today, the blog is managed in partnership with librarians at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and the University of Washington School of Law. Currently featured on the blog are a Suffolk University Law School event, "Protecting Your IP Overseas"; the event "Big Data and Death" hosted by the University of Wisconsin Law School Global Legal Studies Center and Human Rights Program; and a call for papers for "Graphic Futures - Imagining Law's Potential in Comics and Graphic Novels." For more information about the Legal Scholarship Blog's move to CALI, read their blog post about it here!
In other CALI-related news, it is CALI recently celebrated its 32nd birthday. Check out the new library display at the law library entrance, where you can learn about CALI's history and helpful resources that it provides for law students. Particularly valuable are the lessons and quizzes that CALI offers. Some topics covered include Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Property, Tax (Corporate, Partnership, S Corporation, Business Entities), and Torts. If you would like to access any of the content on CALI please ask a reference librarian for help registering.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Taking Images Seriously
Before you even got to the bookstore cash register when you bought your first books for law school, you probably noticed that law books don't have many pictures. Nor do briefs, pleadings, contracts, judicial opinions, or law review articles. What's up with that?
Now Prof. Elizabeth Porter takes a scholarly look at law's use of pictures and graphics: Taking Images Seriously, 114 Colum. L. Rev. 1687-1782 (2014).
Here's the article's abstract:
Now Prof. Elizabeth Porter takes a scholarly look at law's use of pictures and graphics: Taking Images Seriously, 114 Colum. L. Rev. 1687-1782 (2014).
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| Prof. Elizabeth Porter |
Here's the article's abstract:
Law has been trapped in a stylistic straitjacket. The Internet has revolutionized media and communications, replacing text with a dizzying array of multimedia graphics and images. Facebook hosts more than 150 billion photos. Courts spend millions on trial technology. But those innovations have barely trickled into the black-and-white world of written law. Legal treatises continue to evoke Blackstone and Kent; most legal casebooks are facsimiles of Langdell’s; and legal journals resemble the Harvard Law Review circa 1887. None of these influential forms of disseminating the law has embraced—or even nodded to—modern, image-saturated communication norms. Litigants, scholars, and courts have been rebooting the same formalist templates for over a century—templates that were formed before widespread use of the cam- era, never mind the computer. Outside of trial, where image-driven advocacy has a long history, legal practice begins and ends with text.Appropriately, this is one law review article where you'll find pictures—in color, even!
But over the past five years, for the first time—unrecognized by scholars or courts—creative trial lawyers, receptive judges, and the iPhone camera are breaching these conservative bulwarks. Images are moving out of the evidentiary margins and are driving argument in litigation documents from pleadings to judicial opinions. If left unregulated, visual argument threatens fundamental premises of legal discourse and decisionmaking. Yet in comparison with law’s rich and detailed traditions for interpreting ambiguous text, lawyers and judges have few tools beyond common sense with which to ameliorate the interpretive risks of visual persuasion. “I know it when I see it” is not merely an aphorism; it is the reigning interpretive canon for images in law.
This Article, the first comprehensive scholarly treatment of images in written legal argument, identifies and critiques the nascent phenomenon of multimedia written advocacy as a vital, if potentially problematic, element of a lawyer’s tool box. It argues that despite substantial risks, the profession should cautiously embrace the communicative power of multimedia writing. It concludes by offering concrete suggestions for the fair regulation of multimedia persuasion, including two foundational canons of visual interpretation—the basis for developing new traditions for integrating images into written advocacy.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Seattle Ponders Medical Marijuana
The City of Seattle will hold a public symposium on Nov. 20, 5:00-7:45 pm, at City Hall for those concerned about access to safe medical marijuana and the location of marijuana-related businesses in the city.
Four 40-minute panels will address:
| Medical marijuana logo from flyer for city symposium |
- Testing of Marijuana for Purity & Strength
- Access of Marijuana-Infused Products by Youth, Packaging and Labeling of Products, and Best Practices for Processors
- Minimum Distance of Marijuana Businesses from Schools and Other Locations
- The Disparate Impact of the Enforcement of Marijuana Laws on Youth and People of Color
Drone Law
What happens when a drone gets in the way of a crop-dusting airplane, as recently happened in Eastern Washington? Are there rules? KUOW reports FAA Takes Light Hand In Enforcing Flight Rules For Drones (Nov. 18, 2014).
A recent commercial use of drones was right here in the law library. A photographer used a small quad copter to go up into the skylight "crystals":
More on drone policy after the jump.
A recent commercial use of drones was right here in the law library. A photographer used a small quad copter to go up into the skylight "crystals":
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| Drone carries camera from L2 up into the skylight and back. (Photos by Mary Whisner) |
More on drone policy after the jump.
A Federal Robotics Commission?
We have federal agencies for mine safety, equal employment opportunity, disease prevention, aviation, and many more topics. Is it time for an agency on robotics?
Professor Ryan Calo thinks so. See his piece in Scientific American: Why We Need a Federal Agency on Robotics (Nov. 18, 2014) (it's in the December 2014 print edition). For more, see the white paper Prof. Calo prepared for the Brookings Institution: The Case for a Federal Robotics Commission.
Professor Ryan Calo thinks so. See his piece in Scientific American: Why We Need a Federal Agency on Robotics (Nov. 18, 2014) (it's in the December 2014 print edition). For more, see the white paper Prof. Calo prepared for the Brookings Institution: The Case for a Federal Robotics Commission.
| Federal Robotics Commission seal from cover of The Case for a Federal Robotics Commission |
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Exhibit on Washington's Birth Year #WA125
Legacy Washington unveiled 1889: Blazes, Rails and the Year of Statehood. The exhibit (online and in the Capitol) has lots of great photos and stories.
Among other things, you can hear Secretary of State Kim Wyman and a selection of children read excerpts from our constitution:
Among other things, you can hear Secretary of State Kim Wyman and a selection of children read excerpts from our constitution:
Washington State Passes 125-Year Mark: #WA125 Wahoo!
November 11 is more than Veterans Day and a day off: it's also the anniversary of Washington becoming a state in 1889.
You can learn about the Washington State Constitution in a short video from TVW. The video includes historic photos and film clips and features explanations by Prof. Hugh Spitzer.
If you want to go beyond the eight-minute video, you can take Prof. Spitzer's class, Washington Constitutional Law.
On the web, see our Washington State Constitution: History page, where we've gathered a wealth of resources.
You can learn about the Washington State Constitution in a short video from TVW. The video includes historic photos and film clips and features explanations by Prof. Hugh Spitzer.
If you want to go beyond the eight-minute video, you can take Prof. Spitzer's class, Washington Constitutional Law.
On the web, see our Washington State Constitution: History page, where we've gathered a wealth of resources.
| First page of original Constitution of the State of Washington, from the Washington Secretary of State |
Friday, November 7, 2014
The Law of Daylight Saving Time
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| Professor Calandrillo |
The timing of an event can play an important role in litigation, and, in determining timing, daylight saving time can be the deciding factor. For example, in an attorney malpractice case, the client argued that his criminal attorney erred in failing to argue that a difference between Alaska Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time affected whether a newly enacted law was in force at the time of his crime. See Stewart v. Elliott, 239 P.3d 1236, 1243 (Alaska 2010). Although the client had successfully sought post-conviction relief due to the discrepancy between the timing of statute's applicability, the court in this case found that the client's attorney did not breach a duty of care in failing to raise that issue. Daylight saving time also played a role in Playboy Club, Inc. v. Myers, where the court held that Missouri's adoption of Daylight Saving Time in 1967 affected a Missouri law limiting the hours during which liquor could be sold and that as a result the plaintiffs could not base their closing time on Central Standard Time. Playboy Club, Inc. v. Myers, 431 S.W.2d 228, 233 (Mo. 1968). For more facts about Daylight Saving Time, visit WebExhibits.org's collection of incidents and anecdotes.
| Sir Henry Norman, 1st Baronet |
If you are depressed by the fact that in Seattle the sun will set at 4:18 p.m. on December 16, know that on June 21, 2015, we will have nearly 16 hours of daylight and the sun will not set until 9:11 p.m. If June is too far off, perhaps a verse from Sir Henry Norman, quoted in Professor Calandrillo's article, will provide some comfort:
The very best way to lengthen the day
Is to steal a few hours from the night.
Image of Sir Henry Norman,via Wikimedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Sir_Henry_Norman,_1st_Baronet.jpg
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Getting to Know Your Supreme Court Justices: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, also known as the Notorious R.B.G., is by far the coolest Supreme Court Justice right now, and is blowing up social media. She definitely won Halloween:
Not only did Justice Ginsburg win Halloween, she has her own Tumblr, her own t-shirt, and her own rap video as seen below:
Ruth Baby Ginsberg wins Halloween, so stop trying. (h/t @NaamaHaviv) pic.twitter.com/T9ETbhL025
— Taffy BrodesserAkner (@taffyakner) October 31, 2014
Not only did Justice Ginsburg win Halloween, she has her own Tumblr, her own t-shirt, and her own rap video as seen below:
Sousa's Birthday Too
Today is the birthday of John Philip Sousa (he'd be 160), the composer of our national march, "The Stars and Stripes Forever." See 36 U.S.C. § 304 (2012).
Inventor Adolphe Sax Turns 200
Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born 200 years ago today. He filed 14 patents for his invention (in a family of eight sizes) in 1846.
For more, hear Happy Birthday, Mr. Sax, NPR, Nov. 6, 2014. And see June 28, 1846: Parisian Inventor Patents Saxophone, from Wired's This Day in Tech series. Want to dig into the details? See William McBride, The Early Saxophone in Patents 1838-1850 Compared, 35 Galpin Soc'y J. 112 (1982), JSTOR link.
You can see photos of saxophones created by Adolphe Sax, courtesy of the National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota.
The development of the saxophone did not end with Adolphe Sax. One of the recent sax-related inventions is U.S. Patent No. 8,314,318, "Unified octave/register key and vent for musical wind instrument," invented by Michael S. Brockman, who teaches in the UW School of Music (the patent is assigned to the university). More on Brockman's invention, nicknamed "the Broctave key," is here, on the UW's Center for Commericialization (C4C) site.
For more, hear Happy Birthday, Mr. Sax, NPR, Nov. 6, 2014. And see June 28, 1846: Parisian Inventor Patents Saxophone, from Wired's This Day in Tech series. Want to dig into the details? See William McBride, The Early Saxophone in Patents 1838-1850 Compared, 35 Galpin Soc'y J. 112 (1982), JSTOR link.
You can see photos of saxophones created by Adolphe Sax, courtesy of the National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota.
| Four views of alto sax made by Adolphe Sax, National Music Museum, USD |
The development of the saxophone did not end with Adolphe Sax. One of the recent sax-related inventions is U.S. Patent No. 8,314,318, "Unified octave/register key and vent for musical wind instrument," invented by Michael S. Brockman, who teaches in the UW School of Music (the patent is assigned to the university). More on Brockman's invention, nicknamed "the Broctave key," is here, on the UW's Center for Commericialization (C4C) site.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
That Blue Football Turf
When they're at home, the Boise State University Broncos play football on their famously blue turf. Whether you think it's quirky or cool, it's trademarked: U.S. Registration No. 3,707,623, approved five years ago (Nov. 9, 2009).
To learn more, see Michelle Gallagher, Who Owns Blue? An Examination of the Functionality Doctrine in University Sports Color, 104 Trademark Rep. 765 (2014)
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| Diagram from Boise State's trademark registration for blue turf |
High-Level Writing Tips from Bryan Garner
Some writing tips are at the micro level—e.g., don't mix up "affect" and "effect." But you also need to think of the big picture. For instance, number one in Bryan Garner's list of 10 Tips for Better Legal Writing: Be sure you understand the client's problem.
Here's the list, but you'll want to read the article to see the explanation of each tip:
Here's the list, but you'll want to read the article to see the explanation of each tip:
- Be sure you understand the client's problem.
- Don't rely exclusively on computer research.
- Never turn in a preliminary version of a work in progress.
- Summarize your conclusions up front.
- Make your summary understandable to outsiders.
- Don't be too tentative in your conclusions, but don't be too cocksure, either.
- Strike the right professional tone: natural but not chatty.
- Master the approved citation form.
- Cut every unnecessary sentence; then go back through and cut every unnecessary word.
- Proofread one more time than you think necessary.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Just Mercy: New Memoir by Lawyer Passionate for Social Justice
Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, AL, and a professor at NYU Law, has written a memoir about his work: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.
A very warm review, by Seattle lawyer Kevin J. Hamilton, was in yesterday's Seattle Times. You can read more on the publisher's webpage.
And you can hear Bryan Stevenson himself at 7 pm Tues. Nov. 4 at the Seattle Public Library Central Library.
The book was just published Oct. 21, so we don't have it in the library yet, but we hope to have it soon.
A very warm review, by Seattle lawyer Kevin J. Hamilton, was in yesterday's Seattle Times. You can read more on the publisher's webpage.
And you can hear Bryan Stevenson himself at 7 pm Tues. Nov. 4 at the Seattle Public Library Central Library.
The book was just published Oct. 21, so we don't have it in the library yet, but we hope to have it soon.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Congress.gov Leaves Beta!
Congress.gov officially removed its “beta” label
on September 26, 2014, two years after launching beta.congress.gov!
What does this mean?
- Any URLs that included “beta” in conjunction with “congress.gov” will redirect straight to congress.gov.
- www.thomas.gov also automatically redirects to Congress.gov
A Few Highlights:
- Advanced Search:
- The advanced search section now allows browsing across Congresses.
- 30+ new fields were added to the guided search framework, allowing for in-depth and intricate searching. Users also have the option of using a command line search in lieu of the guided search.
- Resources A to Z: this is an index covering a wealth of terms related to Congress and the federal government at large (e.g. amendments, nominations, NARA). It's great for those who wish to browse the site.
- “Most-Viewed Bills” replaces the former “popular Top Ten” and is archived going back to late July 2014.
- House Committee Hearings & Meetings Videos: coverage begins from January 2012.
- The name “THOMAS” won’t be officially retired until after the close of fiscal year 2015.
- THOMAS can still be accessed through http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php
What’s happened to “Yesterday in Congress”?
“Yesterday in Congress” was a feature of THOMAS that listed all floor activity for the previous day. It is not currently a part of www.congress.gov, but a similar feature will hopefully be added in the future.For more information, see the official announcement regarding Congress.gov shedding its beta label and Library of Congress blogpost on the same topic.
Friday, October 31, 2014
History of Halloween
Enjoy the History Channel's History of Halloween!
From its ancient origins to spooky superstitions, this page also features videos on candy corn, famous ghosts in American history, pumpkin carving, witches, and Halloween around the world.
Let's keep the good times rolling by looking forward to punkin chunkin!
From its ancient origins to spooky superstitions, this page also features videos on candy corn, famous ghosts in American history, pumpkin carving, witches, and Halloween around the world.
Let's keep the good times rolling by looking forward to punkin chunkin!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Bike Sharing and Helmet Mandates
Seattle's new bike-sharing program, Pronto, recently launched. Currently, there are 500 bikes available to rent from 50 stations located in the neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Belltown, South Lake Union, and the University District, among others. In fact, a Pronto station is located just steps away from the Gallagher Law Library, between William H. Gates Hall and Burke Museum of Natural History. That station has 12 docks for bikes, and, as of this writing, there are 7 bikes available to rent.
With the launch of Pronto, Seattle joins other cities in the United States, like Boston, Chicago, the District of Columbia, and New York City, with bike-sharing programs. However, Seattle is unique among those cities insofar as Seattle, and all of King County, require that cyclists wear helmets. Although Seattle is the first U.S. city to try to implement bike sharing while mandating helmets, cities outside of the United States have faced the same issue. For instance, Vancouver, Canada, has been engaged in a years-long and oft-delayed effort to implement bike sharing. Critics contend that the delays are largely attributable to British Columbia’s bike helmet mandate. Currently, Vancouver is anticipating a launch date in 2015. Melbourne, Australia, implemented a bike-sharing program alongside a mandatory helmet law. That system, despite an available government subsidy for users to purchase a helmet, has not had the success enjoyed by other cities with bike-sharing that do not mandate helmets. Notably, as of August 2014, no fatalities have been recorded in the United States among bike-share users since the launch of the first program in 2007.
For an in depth look at bicycle helmet statutes across the United States, see John B. Egberts et al., Bicycle Helmet Statutes: An Analysis of State Legislation, 23 J. Legal Aspects of Sport 36 (2013). In that article, the authors discovered that nine states that mandate bike helmets provided in their statutes that failure to wear a helmet would not be admissible at trial as evidence of a cyclist’s negligence. See id. at 41-42.
The Municipal Research and Services Center, which is an excellent source of Washington state city and county codes, has a subject guide on Bicycle Regulations and Operations. That subject guide includes relevant sections of the Revised Code of Washington and local government bicycle regulations, including a link to a table listing bicycle helmet requirements in Washington. Exploring local bicycle regulations on the Municipal Research and Services Center, I learned that Walla Walla's municipal code provides that a bicycle includes the term “unicycle” and “adult-size three-wheel cycle.” Walla Walla, Washington, Municipal Code § 10.19.020. Consequently, it is illegal to race unicycles on city streets in Walla Walla without a permit, which is required for "any bicycle race." Walla Walla, Washington, Municipal Code § 10.19.090.
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| Map of Pronto stations |
With the launch of Pronto, Seattle joins other cities in the United States, like Boston, Chicago, the District of Columbia, and New York City, with bike-sharing programs. However, Seattle is unique among those cities insofar as Seattle, and all of King County, require that cyclists wear helmets. Although Seattle is the first U.S. city to try to implement bike sharing while mandating helmets, cities outside of the United States have faced the same issue. For instance, Vancouver, Canada, has been engaged in a years-long and oft-delayed effort to implement bike sharing. Critics contend that the delays are largely attributable to British Columbia’s bike helmet mandate. Currently, Vancouver is anticipating a launch date in 2015. Melbourne, Australia, implemented a bike-sharing program alongside a mandatory helmet law. That system, despite an available government subsidy for users to purchase a helmet, has not had the success enjoyed by other cities with bike-sharing that do not mandate helmets. Notably, as of August 2014, no fatalities have been recorded in the United States among bike-share users since the launch of the first program in 2007.
For an in depth look at bicycle helmet statutes across the United States, see John B. Egberts et al., Bicycle Helmet Statutes: An Analysis of State Legislation, 23 J. Legal Aspects of Sport 36 (2013). In that article, the authors discovered that nine states that mandate bike helmets provided in their statutes that failure to wear a helmet would not be admissible at trial as evidence of a cyclist’s negligence. See id. at 41-42.
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| Unicyclists racing |
Map image from https://secure.prontocycleshare.com/en/map/
Unicycle race picture from https://johnansell.wordpress.com/category/sport/unicycling/
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Legal Theory Lexicon
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| Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). See Legal Theory Lexicon 008: Utilitarianism |
Georgetown law professor Lawrence B. Solum has created the Legal Theory Lexicon to help you out. Entries explain concepts and provide bibliographies for further reading.
Some of the entries will be especially helpful to first-year students, e.g.:
- Legal Theory Lexicon 001: Ex Ante/Ex Post
- Legal Theory Lexicon 002: The Coase Theorem
- Legal Theory Lexicon 003: Hypotheticals
- Legal Theory Lexicon 004: The Reasonable Person
- Legal Theory Lexicon 005: Holdings
- Legal Theory Lexicon 052: Property Rules and Liability Rules
- Legal Theory Lexicon 054: Standards of Review
By the way, Prof. Solum's latest article was in the Washington Law Review's symposium, Artificial Intelligence and the Law. See Lawrence B. Solum, Artificial Meaning, 89 Wash. L. Rev. 69 (2014).
Graphic credit: engraving by W. H. Worthington, from Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation 10 (1823 ed.), available in British Library's Photostream.
Writing Tips from Bryan Garner
Care about your writing? You should!
One easy step you can take is to read Bryan Garner's regular usage tips. Either sign up for email (see the lower right corner of his Law Prose homepage) or follow Garner's blog.
The email service is convenient because it just comes to you. But the blog is nice because you have the archive to browse or search. Try searching for "hyphen" or "whether" or "contracts."
One easy step you can take is to read Bryan Garner's regular usage tips. Either sign up for email (see the lower right corner of his Law Prose homepage) or follow Garner's blog.
The email service is convenient because it just comes to you. But the blog is nice because you have the archive to browse or search. Try searching for "hyphen" or "whether" or "contracts."
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Supreme Court Videos—with Dogs!
On the HBO program Last Week Tonight, John Oliver observed that without video Supreme Court oral arguments are pretty dry, even with courtroom sketches as backdrops. So he proposed that the audio be livened up with video. What video? Dogs!
Clip from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Oct. 19, 2014.
Oliver and his team didn't stop with a cute video of their own. They went further, posting clips of nine canine justices and two lawyers that others could mash up with oral argument recordings. Some of the casting is apt: Justice Ginsburg, played by a Chihuahua, is petite; Justice Scalia, played by a Bulldog, is assertive and jowly.
The YouTube community has responded. Just a few days after the original broadcast, you can now watch the canine Court hear arguments in:
I can't be alone in finding these amusing (otherwise, why would so many people have gone to the trouble of making the mash-ups?). Love the dogs. I also like the court reporter pecking at her stenotpe machine.
Clip from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Oct. 19, 2014.
Oliver and his team didn't stop with a cute video of their own. They went further, posting clips of nine canine justices and two lawyers that others could mash up with oral argument recordings. Some of the casting is apt: Justice Ginsburg, played by a Chihuahua, is petite; Justice Scalia, played by a Bulldog, is assertive and jowly.
The YouTube community has responded. Just a few days after the original broadcast, you can now watch the canine Court hear arguments in:
- Citizens United v. FEC (see Citizens United v. FEC (2010), Google Scholar)
- Hobby Lobby Stores v. Sibelius (see Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (2014), Google Scholar
- Bond v. United States (see Bond v. United States, 134 S.Ct. 2077 (2014), Google Scholar )
- Florida v. Jardines (see Florida v. Jardines, 133 S.Ct. 1409 (2013), Google Scholar)
- NLRB v. Noel Canning (see NLRB v. Noel Canning, 134 S.Ct. 2550 (2014), Google Scholar)
- Florida v. Harris (see Florida v. Harris, 133 S.Ct. 1050 (2013) Google Scholar)
- Holt v. Hobbs (not yet decided; see SCOTUS Blog page )
- Heien v. North Carolina (not yet decided; see SCOTUS Blog page )
I can't be alone in finding these amusing (otherwise, why would so many people have gone to the trouble of making the mash-ups?). Love the dogs. I also like the court reporter pecking at her stenotpe machine.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Fashion and Congress Do a Little Turn on the Legislative Catwalk
Piracy in fashion is nothing new, we've blogged about it many times before:
It is no shock to hear when a new lawsuit is filed over blatant infringement. The most recently discussed would be Converse's (owned by Nike) complaints against 31 companies (including Skechers, Wal-Mart, Ed Hardy, Ralph Lauren, and K-Mart) for trademark infringement. Articles discussing the details of the lawsuit can be found here, here, here and here. Dockets as well as copies of the complaints can be accessed on Bloomberg Law by UW law students (if you'd like to learn how, stop by the Reference Office or ask us here and a reference librarian can show you!).
Piracy in fashion is so last season but the lack of any real legal protection provided to fashion designers (and consumers who are unaware that they are purchasing counterfeits) keeps the piracy trend alive and thriving. The recently proposed Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act has some hoping that protection for fashion designers (and consumers) may be imminent. See a recent student note, Eyes off the Runway: How to Prevent Piracy in Fashion in the Harvard Negotiation Law Review Online for an in-depth discussion of the IDPPPA.
While we wait for legislators to recognize fashion's need for protection, perhaps counterfeiters and copycats should heed the sage words of the late, great Oscar De La Renta:
- The Law and Copycats
- Crocs Chomps on Lawsuit Victory Against Counterfeiters
- True Religion Wins Default Judgment in Counterfeit Suit
- Is C. Wonder a Tory Burch Rip-Off?
It is no shock to hear when a new lawsuit is filed over blatant infringement. The most recently discussed would be Converse's (owned by Nike) complaints against 31 companies (including Skechers, Wal-Mart, Ed Hardy, Ralph Lauren, and K-Mart) for trademark infringement. Articles discussing the details of the lawsuit can be found here, here, here and here. Dockets as well as copies of the complaints can be accessed on Bloomberg Law by UW law students (if you'd like to learn how, stop by the Reference Office or ask us here and a reference librarian can show you!).
| Photo Credit: www.converse.com |
Piracy in fashion is so last season but the lack of any real legal protection provided to fashion designers (and consumers who are unaware that they are purchasing counterfeits) keeps the piracy trend alive and thriving. The recently proposed Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act has some hoping that protection for fashion designers (and consumers) may be imminent. See a recent student note, Eyes off the Runway: How to Prevent Piracy in Fashion in the Harvard Negotiation Law Review Online for an in-depth discussion of the IDPPPA.
While we wait for legislators to recognize fashion's need for protection, perhaps counterfeiters and copycats should heed the sage words of the late, great Oscar De La Renta:
Style is more about being yourself.Rest in peace Oscar.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Former Washington Supreme Court Justice Robert Utter Dies
Justice Robert Utter, a UW Law grad '54, and former Justice on the Washington State Supreme Court, passed yesterday at 84.
Justice Utter served on the King County Superior Court (1959-69), the Washington Court of Appeals (1969-71), and the Washington Supreme Court (1971-95). He resigned from the Supreme Court to protest the death penalty.
Justice Utter also co-authored two books on the Washington Constitution with visiting UW Law professor Hugh Spitzer.
For more information about Justice Utter, see the Law Library's memorial page.
Justice Utter served on the King County Superior Court (1959-69), the Washington Court of Appeals (1969-71), and the Washington Supreme Court (1971-95). He resigned from the Supreme Court to protest the death penalty.
Justice Utter also co-authored two books on the Washington Constitution with visiting UW Law professor Hugh Spitzer.
For more information about Justice Utter, see the Law Library's memorial page.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Street Harassment is NOT Okay!
Have you ever experienced being groped or harassed while on public transit, in a crowd or maybe even just walking down a sidewalk in broad daylight? If so, did you report it?
Sadly, many victims of harassment are hesitant to report their harassers either because they are difficult to identify (in a crowd or in the dark), because they are ashamed, because they feel it is unsafe, or because street harassment and groping are sometimes not taken seriously by authorities. (The list for not reporting is tragically long).
This past weekend, one Seattle woman, Julia Marquand found herself groped by a complete stranger in the middle of the day while walking into a store. She confronted her harasser and even caught a photo of him with her phone. Marquand visited the Seattle Police Department to file a police report to an officer who was unfortunately uninterested in the incident and the photo. Marquand was informed that it was unlikely that the man could be charged.
Marquand decided to post the photo to her Twitter and Facebook accounts:
Sadly, many victims of harassment are hesitant to report their harassers either because they are difficult to identify (in a crowd or in the dark), because they are ashamed, because they feel it is unsafe, or because street harassment and groping are sometimes not taken seriously by authorities. (The list for not reporting is tragically long).
This past weekend, one Seattle woman, Julia Marquand found herself groped by a complete stranger in the middle of the day while walking into a store. She confronted her harasser and even caught a photo of him with her phone. Marquand visited the Seattle Police Department to file a police report to an officer who was unfortunately uninterested in the incident and the photo. Marquand was informed that it was unlikely that the man could be charged.
Marquand decided to post the photo to her Twitter and Facebook accounts:
This dude groped me in Seattle yesterday. Cops didn't want the pic. @seattlepd @KIRO7Seattle @strangerslog @komonews pic.twitter.com/O5NYF6NZue
— Julia Marquand (@JuliaMarquand) October 13, 2014
Fortunately, the tweet seemed to motivate some action by the Seattle Police Department who assigned Marquand's case to a detective:
@JuliaMarquand We've got a report and contact info on file & a detective will be contacting you shortly for add'l follow-up/investigation.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) October 13, 2014
Marquand's story has been covered by many outlets, read more at the Seattle Times, King5, SF Gate, and the Washington Times. If you would like more information about street harassment, read Huffington Post's Things You Can Do to Stop Street Harassment or check out a couple of organizations dedicated to ending street harassment:
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Update (Oct. 16, 2014)
According to the Seattle Times, the alleged groper photographed by Julia Marquand is a level 3 sex offender (who among many other sexual assault crimes, was arrested by UW police for indecent liberties). The man is now being investigated in connection with groping!
Monday, October 13, 2014
Indigenous Peoples' Day
By unanimous resolution last week, the Seattle City Council declared the second Monday in October (that's today!) Indigenous Peoples' Day in Seattle. See Seattle Swaps Columbus Day For "Indigenous Peoples' Day", NPR, Oct. 12, 2014; Seattle to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day, Seattle PI.com, Oct. 6, 2014.
Of course, your interest in indigenous peoples is not limited to one day. And we support that interest: you can use our Indian & Tribal Law Research guide 365 days a year.
Of course, your interest in indigenous peoples is not limited to one day. And we support that interest: you can use our Indian & Tribal Law Research guide 365 days a year.
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