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Monday, January 02, 2006 |
Pickoff Moves, Not Really January 1st But I've Got It Off Anyway Edition
In the wake of torrential rains that turned the Rose Parade into a wet tiara contest, here comes the little column that could --
Year-End Wrapup Time
Time for the stories-of-the-year roundups:- LA Observed notes that the Carolyn Hughes/Derek Lowe affair topped RonFineman.com's biggest local TV stories of the year list. Perhaps Mr. Lowe should get some advice from his local agricultural extension in the future...
- LAist remarks upon the large number of new Dodgers this year, recommending fans purchase the team's media guide -- when they're not busy twittering at his "five ton gorilla", the code name for his project to become über-sports-team-owner in El Lay. Of course, all this may be 86'd now according to a report in the Daily News that has McCourt's bid solidifying the coalition to put an NFL team in the Coliseum.
OT: Joss Whedon On The Future Of TV
Heh:The networks will all be creating exciting, innovative new spin-offs of today's shows. Approximately 67 percent of all television will be CSI-based, including CSI: Des Moines, CSI: New York but a Different Part than Gary Sinise Is In and NCSI: SVU WKRP, which covers every possible gruesome crime with a groovin' '70s beat. (Jerry Bruckheimer will also have conquered Broadway with the CSI musical "FOLLICLE!" starring Nathan Lane as a frenetic but lovable blood spatter and Matthew Broderick as lint.)
Property, Schmoperty: Fantasy Baseball Company Sues MLB Over Box Scores
Over a year ago, I had this an argument with a friend who used to write for Marvel Comics over whether intellectual property was just that rather than a temporary and revokable license. His take was that (a) it was, and (b) because it kept people like him from getting ripped off. What this really comes down to, though, is just who has more lawyers and which side can afford to keep them fed. I bring this up because facts -- such as baseball box scores -- have generally been considered to be uncopyrightable. (Although compendia of such facts have been held to be copyrightable, generally the courts have taken a fairly narrow view of what this means.) Of late, MLB has tried to limit fantasy baseball publishers from using game statistics by clinging to the specious claim of "right of publicity". This is usually reserved for famous celebrities trying to control their names' attachment to commercial use, but in this instance it is nothing more than MLB trying to muscle in on someone else's business, something a Times article makes clear. CBC Distribution & Marketing, a Missouri company that sells fantasy baseball leagues and other related information, is suing MLB (PDF) because MLB insists that fantasy operators be licensed.I certainly hope they succeed, and in court as well. Jack Williams, a law professor at the University of Georgia, says "Ambiguity and uncertainty favors baseball. I don't think it's to Major League Baseball's benefit to get an answer [from the courts], because I don't think they're going to like the answer that they'd get."
OT: Buffy Mah Jongg Followup
Reader Bruce sent in the slide show of our Buffy mah jongg set to BoingBoing, who ran it recently. Not only was it a big hit at the annual New Year's Day games party we attend, but Helen just got an e-mail from somebody over at the CBC about doing an interview about it. Neat!Best moment with this set, Christmas Day: we made Becky sit with this thing in her lap while the three of us unwrapped our gifts. Then she tore into hers, and upon opening it up:
Becky: Where did you guys find a Buffy The Vampire Slayer mah jongg set? This is wonderful!Man, that is so cool to be able to say that.
Lorien, Helen, Rob: We made it!
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