Mickey Mouse Entering Public Domain (Sort Of)

Steamboat Willie is about to be ripe for exploitation.

Chinese Attack Critical Infrastructure

The US intelligence community and Silicon Valley are warning of a major threat.

Taco Bell Sues over Taco Tuesday Trademark

A regional chain registered it in 1989. Has it become generic?

Roald Dahl Books Bowdlerized

A team of “sensitivity readers” has taken the bad thoughts out of some beloved children’s literature.

FTC Wants to Ban Noncompete Clauses

A proposed rule would increase the freedom of a huge segment of the labor force.

Escalating the China Trade War

Biden is following Trump’s lead but doing it more competently.

US and UK Intelligence Leaders Warn of Increasing Chinese Threat

They’re stealing our secrets and working to undermine our elections.

Winnie the Pooh and Bambi Enter Public Domain

But only the original books, not the Disney adaptations.

Vaccine Patent Rights

Should live-saving drugs be protected intellectual property?

Vaccine Nationalism in a Global Pandemic

The US has more shots available than willing arms while those in the developing world are dying.

Rethinking Chinese Investment

Several trends are pointing in a new direction.

China And U.S. Reach Deal Averting Additional Tariffs

China and the U.S. have reached an initial trade deal that averts billions of dollars of new, inadvisable, tariffs, but the devil is in the details.

Trump Fine With Letting His Foolish Trade War Continue Past 2020 Election

President Trump said this morning that he’s fine with letting his trade war with the rest of the world continue all the way to the 2020 election.

Trump’s Trade War Could Force Economy Into Recession, Analysts Warn

Economic analysts are growing increasingly worried that the President’s trade war could push the world economy into recession, and take the American economy along with it.

Trump Announces New China Tariffs

President Trump announced a new round of tariffs on Chinese goods set to take effect on September 1st Another stupid move in a very dumb trade war.

China To Surpass U.S. In Box Office Revenue In 2020

A new report suggests that the Chinese movie-going market will surpass the American market in 2020.

Trump Escalates His Ill-Advised Trade War

As he had threatened, President Trump has imposed new tariffs on Chinese goods, making a bad situation even worse.

Pentagon Needs a New Pitch

Matt Bernius and I collaborated on an essay for Defense One.

Trump Emoluments Suit Moves Forward

200-odd Congressional Democrats are taking an odd route to go after corruption.

Ennui and the Mueller Report

The findings are a dispiriting Rorschach test.

Lanham Act is FUCT

The Supreme Court is likely to finish striking down restrictions on offensive trademarks.

Harvard Sued Over Ownership of Slave Photos

A racist scholar took some fascinating photos of an enslaved man in 1860. Now, his descendants want the rights to them.

Amazon Prime Removes Anti-Vax Documentaries

A powerful Congressman successfully pressured a media giant to pull content. We should be worried.

After 20-Year Delay, Works from 1923 Lose Copyright Protection

The damage done for Mickey Mouse in the name of Sony Bono is finally coming to an end.

Federal Judge Allows Congressional Emoluments Clause Lawsuit To Proceed

A Federal Judge ruled late last week that a lawsuit under the Foreign Emoluments Clause by more than 200 Congressmen and Senators can proceed forward.

Meet The New NAFTA, Pretty Much The Same As The Old NAFTA

Thanks to a last-minute agreement, the United States and Canada reached an agreement for a revised version of NAFTA. It’s a got a new name, but it’s basically NAFTA 2.0.

Trump’s New NAFTA Is Much Less Than Meets The Eye

President Trump’s much-hyped replacement for NAFTA doesn’t really amount to much and won’t amount to anything unless he can get Canada, and the U.S. Congress, on board.

The Cable Bundle is Dying. We’ll Miss it When it’s Gone.

As much as we hate paying $200 a month for television, the future is likely going to be worse.

Get Ready For An Expansion Of Trump’s Economically Ignorant Trade War With China

President Trump appears to be ready to expand his ignorant, counterproductive trade war with China.

Trump Escalates Trade War With China

The ill-advised move is sure to raise costs for businesses and consumers and roil global stock markets.

Trump Threatens New Tariffs In Expanding Trade War

President Trump once said that “trade wars are good and easy to win.” It’s only been three months since he started this war and we’re already finding out just how wrong he is about that.

Supreme Court Tosses Federal Law Barring Sports Betting

A big win for Federalism and common sense at the Supreme Court.

Donald Trump Wants To Help Make A Controversial Chinese Company Great Again

For some reason, the President wants to help a Chinese company that has been accused of being a security risk by American intelligence services.

Back to the TPP?

Trump suggests US might seek to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Trump Escalates His Trade War Rhetoric With Predictable Results

President Trump is continuing his dangerous and misguided trade war rhetoric,

As Trump Withdraws Into Fortress America, The World Moves On

President Trump has alienated America’s allies and friends, and they are acting accordingly.

One Year After Trump Withdrew, Canada Forms A New Trans-Pacific Partnership

Just over one year after President Trump’s foolish and ill-informed decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Canada has stepped in to rescue the deal.

John Anderson, Independent Candidate For President in 1980, Dies At 95

Most Americans are unlikely to remember John Anderson, but he was a harbinger of things to come.

Supreme Court: Denial Of Trademarks Because They Are ‘Disparaging’ Violates First Amendment

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Federal Government cannot deny trademark protection because a requested trademark is “disparaging” to a racial or ethnic group.

Federal Appeals Court Ruling Raises Doubts About Rulings Against Redskins Trademarks

A ruling in an unrelated case raises serious doubts about the law used to revoke the Washington Redskins trademarks because they are allegedly ‘disparaging.’

Foundation Seeks To Extend Copyright On Anne Frank’s Diary By Naming Her Father As Co-Author

The Foundation that holds the copyright on one of the most famous works about the Holocaust is seeking to extend their copyright in Europe by naming Otto Frank co-author of his daughter’s published diary.

Federal Judge Rules ‘Happy Birthday To You’ Copyright Invalid

A Federal Judge has ruled that the copyright to ‘Happy Birthday To You’ has been invalid for at least the past eighty years.

Chinese Courts Allow Blatant Ripoff of Air Jordan Brand

China adds to its status as the honey badger of intellectual property law.

Jawbone Sues Fitbit Over Patent Infringement

Jawbone is suing Fitbit for infringing a patent that should never have been granted.

Economy Grows at 5% For Only Second Quarter Since 2001

The Commerce Department had a Christmas present for investors, businesses, and consumers today.

F.B.I. Charges North Korea With Being Behind Hacking Attacks On Sony

The U.S. Government has formally charged North Korea with responsibility for the hacking attack on Sony. How to respond to that attack is a more complicated question.

iPhones and the US-China Trade Gap

Another example of the silliness of the “trade deficit” concept.