Dept. of Homeland Security Enforces Expired Patent

Fouquet writes "Apparently the Department of Homeland Security does not have enough to do in keeping the US safe, and now is enforcing copyright law as well. The AP reports that a toy store owner in Oregon was requested by Homeland Security officials to remove a potentially copyright-infringing Rubik's cube-like toy from her shelves. The patent for Rubik's cube was issued in 1980, and so it is expired."

NO NO NO

[wirwzd]

Now this is one overlord I DO NOT welcome.....

Ahh, America

[Mark_MF-WN]

Ahh, America -- land of the moron. Where the nation's anti-terrorism forces bravely persecute toy-store owners for "violation" of expired patents.

waste of resources

[Coneasfast]

wait up a second, are you telling me, that the homeland security agents have nothing better to do than take off a rubiks cube clone? surely there must be something.

"One of the things that our agency's responsible for doing is protecting the integrity of the economy and our nation's financial systems and obviously trademark infringement does have significant economic implications,"

a Rubiks Cube Clone??? Seriously, i could eat a bowl of alphabits and crap a better Bullshit argument.

Re:So which is it?

[ajakk]

These are all different you know... They are? In /. land, all IP is the same, and it is all BBBBBBBAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD.

Uh huh

[mr.henry]

This is a surprise? Here [dailytexanonline.com] is a nice quote on abuse of the Patriot Act:

"Within six months of passing the PATRIOT Act, the Justice Department was conducting seminars on how to stretch the new wiretapping provisions to extend them beyond terror cases," said Dan Dodson, a spokesman for the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. "They say they want the PATRIOT Act to fight terrorism. Then, within six months, they are teaching their people how to use it on ordinary citizens."

two words

[Anonymous Coward]

fucking awesome.

Seriously, I'm happy I live in a country that will protect me from the ROUGE RUBICS CUBE!

Of course!

[theparanoidcynic]

Puzzles are an atempt to destroy our national security! If our children had puzzels they, they might become smart, and ask questions. We can't have children asking questions now can we? They'll never make good sheeple that way!

Re:But we all know...

[ravenspear]

Ok, who modded me troll?

Come one now, this is /. I have to stand up for my right to make totally asinine posts completely devoid of any relevant subject matter related to the article which I haven't even read.

Just the facts ma'am

[StikyPad]

"Aren't there any terrorists out there?" she said.

Terrorists? Do you think we'd be mucking around in Iraq if we knew where to find terrorists??

Now just put down the cubes and nobody gets hurt.

Patents are important for security

[the_other_one]

Terrorist suppliers cannot be allowed to sell the tools of evil with just one click.

The terrorist must always click twice.

I think I say it for everybody

[mrpuffypants]

but that is fucking RETARTED.

Re:rUSsiA

[myowntrueself]

The only reason I would go to the USA would be to help in the next revolution.

And that wouldn't look good on a visa application...

Conspiracy Theory

[The_Real_Nire]

Perhaps all newer true Rubix cubes are embedded with some sort of micro chips/sensors, (perhaps even microphones and/or cameras!) which can detect if and how long it took a person to solve it, then these individuals are added to some sort of watch list, because they arent the typical dumb sheep the government wishes to rule. But I digress

Re:Fear of powers

[StikyPad]

For example, you tend to ask for a search warranty if someone wants to search your house.

My search warranties always seem to expire right before I really need them.

Re:Uh... yeah.

[anon*127.0.0.1]

I've figured it out. The Rubiks cube was actually invented by some commie, wasn't it? So the All-American Majick Cube would actually be HELPING our economy, by making sure part of the profits didn't go to those godless communists.

So, if the Dept of Homeland Security confiscated the American cubes.... they must be agents of the Soviet Government. Thats the only thing that makes sense.

Re:Useless summary.

[anthony_dipierro]

With a name like "Magic Cube" if the toy is anything at all like a Rubic's Cube then it almost certainly does infringe on the Rubic's Cube trademark.

Yeah, cause how dare they call a six-faced object with square faces a "Cube". I mean, they even capitalized the C!

Re:Oh come on

[Doc Ruby]

That's right, "boys will be boys". OK if I call DHS on you, for that suspicious glow from your basement around Midnight every night? You can explain it all to the press properly when they get there to pick through the wreckage.

the real story

[cpu_fusion]

The article fails to mention that three of the six sides were arranged to spell out "WMD."

Re:Just the facts ma'am

[kubrick]

Do you think we'd be mucking around in Iraq if we knew where to find terrorists?

You've gone over there to make some more, I'd thought. Can't have a war on terrorism without terrorists, after all...

Because he is smarter than Kerry.

[Anonymous Coward]

proof [vdare.com] Sorry, sometimes I can't help myself.

Re:Fear of powers

[cammoblammo]

Their job was to stop the sale of an illegal knockoff. They did so. Kudos.

Your job is to read the article. You didn't do so, because if you did you'd know that no trademark was infringed, and the patent's already expired.

Being /. though, this still earns you kudos, or at least karma.

Re:So which is it?

[Russ Nelson]

Yeah, it made me want to moderate the story [-1, Confused].
-russ

obligatory monty python...

[Imoen1337]

Nobody expects the homeland security! Our primary weapons are expired copyrights, and rubik's cubes...

oh damn, let me come in again.

Re:It's a case of priorities

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm with Angry here, piss off and leave the rest of us alone. And that includes your stupid advertisements and corporations.

No I don't want your stupid shoes, burgers, cars, television, movies or any of the rest of the crap you sell that brings no meaning to my life.

And for fucksake it is spelt colour and stop giving the letter z such a hard time. Its already coming last, it does not need all the extra work you crazy bastards seem to think it needs to get back into shape.

And no, shooting at me with a broad and interesting range of weapons is not going to change my mind.

Piss off you crazy redneck Yankie bastards

Re:Fear of powers

[Anonymous Coward]

No one gives a shit when perception overrules fact.

That has to be one of the most idiotic things I have ever had the misfortune to have read, and I read Slashdot a lot.

Re:And why are you people voting for Bush?

[kir]

ooo#### THREAD END ####ooo

Godwin's law applies.

Re:sorry...

[dbIII]

"Homeland Security" WHAT WW2 B war movie did they drag that from?

I dont see the problem - it's a perfectly uber name.

I feel much safer now

[MrMartini]

I will rest well tonight, knowing that Homeland Security is protecting me from possibly illegal toys. That was a close one, too - I live in Oregon!

Wow, IP is confusing!

[PenguiN42]

So the toy would have been copyright-infringing, except that its patent was granted 24 years ago, which means that its trademark is now expired.

And I thought I had figured this whole IP thing out. Man. *scratches head*

Re:Fear of powers

[kikta]

There is a live trademark... for a "manipulative puzzle"

So they've trademarked my girlfriend's personality?

end of the world

[timster]

The Red Sox won the World Series under a total lunar eclipse. The leader of the moderate Palestinians is on his deathbed. The Israeli coalition government is about to fall apart over the Gaza withdrawal plan. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has a serious case of thyroid cancer. All this less than a week before one of the most contentious US Presidential elections in history.

And now, Slashdot editors confuse copyright, trademark, and patent law all together at once, creating a sort of Grand Unified Theory of IP Confusion which was obviously the purpose of Slashdot.

So yeah, the end of the world.