Free Republic

In November, Maine’s public will be asked to decide whether lawful owners of firearms should be required to go to a gun dealer, pay a “reasonable fee” and be required to fill out a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473 to buy or sell a firearm. The referendum’s proponents claim that these requirements are easy, will make us safer, and that this will not be gun registration. Such claims are misleading. Who will determine the amount of this “reasonable fee”? Why should the owner of lawful property, which he or she may have owned for decades, be...

A Detroit woman says Apple owes her $2bn because the iGiant allegedly ripped off her smartwatch idea.Daisy Washington-Gross has sued [PDF] the Silicon Valley giant in US district court of eastern Michigan, alleging Apple's Watch infringes her patent. She claims she paid $325 to apply for a patent describing a "detachable bleeper disc digital gym shoe computer wrist watch" in July 1996, although her submission doesn't appear to have gone anywhere except the bin. El Reg could find no record of the application. Your move, Apple ... Washington-Gross's court filing Washington-Gross's letter to Magistrate Judge Anthony Patti is dated April...

The Associated Press — The Supreme Court has agreed to referee a pricy patent dispute between Samsung and Apple. The justices said Monday they will review a $399 million judgment against South Korea-based Samsung for illegally copying patented aspects of the look of Apple's iPhone. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, and Samsung are the top two manufacturers of increasingly ubiquitous smartphones. The two companies have been embroiled in patent fights for years. The justices will decide whether a court can order Samsung to pay Apple every penny it made from the phones at issue, even though the disputed features are...

So, I propose the following 6-step solution, which will likely displease both gun-rights and anti-gun folks alike. There needs to be a Federal database of all guns and gun owners. 7-day waiting period before a gun is purchased and background checks on every purchase. Elimination of unregulated gun selling / trading events. Every gun sold needs to be in the Federal registry. There should be a set standard for gun ownership. Currently, it is left in the discretion of local authorities who sometimes error incorrectly either way. If you have committed an aggravated felony you can’t have a gun. If...

For the last year and a half, the music industry has been gripped by a lawsuit over whether Robin Thicke’s 2013 hit “Blurred Lines” was merely reminiscent of a song by Marvin Gaye, or had crossed the line into plagiarism.

I was contacted yesterday by a good friend of mine who is a pastor attending the National Pastor's Conference this week. Ted Cruz was there and he said that there are 40 some odd Democrat Senators that have been working on legislation to alter or abolish First Amendment rights. I would guess from his tone that they are trying to get rid of right wing dissent and put the screws down on talk radio and other online sources. This was from someone I know very well and trust. He would not make something like this up. Anyone else heard about...

Think it’s hot in Texas these days? Just wait a few weeks, until the San Antonio City Council ends its summer hiatus and resumes work on a proposed change to its nondiscrimination ordinances that apparently will discriminate against all who take the Bible at its word and follow it.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote the efficient administration of Federal elections and to improve the experience of all voters, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Establishment. There is established the Presidential Commission on Election Administration (Commission). Sec. 2. Membership. (a) The Commission shall be composed of not more than nine members appointed by the President. The members shall be drawn from among distinguished individuals with knowledge about or experience in the administration of State or local elections, as...

Happier times... The National Enquirer -which first broke the Edwards/Hunter scandal in 2007- is now reporting that those close to the foolhardy egomaniac say he's lost 20lbs... is a "broken spirit" who's drinking heavily... and even entertains suicidal thoughts now that a trip to the Gray Bar Hotel seems possible- if not likely. Of particular concern is John Edward's former staffer Andrew Young, who's actually got an Edwards "sex tape" -for which Rielle Hunter is now suing- and wrote a book (published in February) regarding a cover-up that once had him claiming to be father of Edwards' and Hunter's love...

The youtube video is a strong statement against a very nasty anti-constitutional bill proposed in New York. It is well done. I found it worth watching.

Greetings all, My name is Arthur Conley and I am the owner and Executive Producer of Right Talk Radio at www.righttalkradio.com Right Talk Radio is a web based internet radio station focusing on the principles that founded America, The values that make her people great and the freedoms that allow us to be the shining city on the hill. Are you or have you ever wanted to be a talk show host, blogger, journalist, artist, web designer or columnist with, get this, a conservative agenda? Here's your chance! We're looking for people just like you! If you believe that America...

NEW YORK – A New York man is being sued for trademark infringement after he towed a 25-foot-long fake missile around Manhattan with the words "Viva Viagra" printed in blue on its sides. An attorney for Viagra-maker Pfizer Inc. says that the man's use of the company's logo could confuse consumers into thinking the rocket was an actual advertisement for the drug used to treat male impotence. But 48-year-old Arye Sachs of West Babylon says no one would be deterred from buying the blue pills because of he what he did. He says he knows because he's a "customer."

John Lennon's sons and widow, Yoko Ono, are suing the filmmakers of "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" for using the song "Imagine" in the documentary without permission....

Dear Mr. [REDACTED]: This letter will constitute notice to you, as Chairman of Premise Media Corporation, of the copyright infringement by your corporation, and its subsidiary, Rampant Films, of material produced by XVIVO LLC, in which XVIVO holds a copyright. It has come to our intention that Premise Media and Rampant Films has produced a film entitled "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," which is scheduled for commercial release and distribution on April 18, 2008. To our knowledge, this film includes a segment depicting biological cellular activity that was copied by computer-generated means from a video entitled "The Inner Life of a...

Back in May, the Justice Department issued some proposed legislation to tighten US intellectual property laws and to criminalize some forms of "attempted infringement." Now, legislation based on the proposals has been introduced in Congress by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), complete with stiffer jail terms for violaters and the controversial "attempted infringement" clause. H.R. 3155, the Intellectual Property Enhanced Criminal Enforcement Act of 2007, aims widely. Everything gets a section: unauthorized recording of films in theaters, circumventing copy protection, trafficking in counterfeit goods. The bill even directs the Attorney General to send federal prosecutors to take up permanent residence in...

"In Germany they first came for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me--and by that time no one was left to speak up." --Pastor Martin Niemoller. How very often do we see use of this famous statement from the beginning...

The Association of American Publishers has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging the Internet company's plans to scan and digitally distribute the text of major library collections would violate copyright protections. The group filed suit after lengthy discussions with Google's management about the company's Print Library Project broke down, the AAP said on Wednesday. As part of the project, Google is working to scan all or parts of the book collections of the University of Michigan, Harvard University, Stanford University, the New York Public Library and Oxford University. It plans to let people search the texts. The company also intends...

TORONTO -- Five years after 9-11, it's apparent that we all aren't getting along. And the political left is throwing plenty of mean punches. A case in point is that new Bush snuff movie, "Death of a President." Some might say that "snuff movie" is too strong a term -- but how else to describe a movie that clearly revels in the prospect of George W. Bush's being assassinated? Anyone who doubts that movies still have the power to stir up passions ought to come here, to the Toronto International Film Festival, which rates as the most important movie conclave...

Feds Target Internet Pirates, Seize $50 Million in Stolen Movies, GamesBy Mark Sherman Associated Press Writer Published: Jun 30, 2005 WASHINGTON (AP) - The government announced an 11-nation crackdown Thursday on Internet piracy organizations responsible for stealing copies of the latest Star Wars film and other movies, games and software programs worth at least $50 million. FBI agents and investigators in the other nations conducted 90 searches starting Wednesday, arresting four people, seizing hundreds of computers and shutting down at least eight major online distribution servers for pirated works. The Justice Department "is striking at the top of the copyright...

Major credit card companies will refuse to participate in Internet sales of cigarettes under a government agreement made Thursday.