HOW TO BECOME A LICENSED NBA AGENT?

If you ever wanted to represent NBA players, check out this site for the information on getting certified as an agent:

Agent application -- NBA Agent Application

TEN WORST PATENTS EVER!

10 WORST PATENTS - According to Cracked.com

COLD BOOT ATTACKS ON ENCRYPTION KEYS (Don't get hacked!)

Encryption software may not be foolproof if someone has access to your computer at the proper time.

...Contrary to popular assumption, DRAMs used in most modern computers retain their contents for seconds to minutes after power is lost, even at operating temperatures and even if removed from a motherboard. Although DRAMs become less reliable when they are not refreshed, they are not immediately erased, and their contents persist sufficiently for malicious (or forensic) acquisition of usable full-system memory images. For the rest of the abstract, click here.

2007 STATE-BY-STATE TAX INCENTIVES FOR THE MOTION PICTURE/FILM INDUSTRY (Including FEDERAL)

(Current as of October 2, 2007)

If you are an up & coming filmmaker who is interested in looking for the state that provides the best tax incentives, you may be interested in checking out this MPAA.org report that summarizes each states' respective incentives:

http://www.filmusa.org/incentive-summaries/

HOUSE CONSIDERS INCREASE IN PENALTIES FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

HOUSE CONSIDERS A STEEP INCREASE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

(Source: California State Bar -- IP Section: www.calbar.ca.gov/ipsection)

H.R. 4279, Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007, or “PRO-IP,” which is pending in the House of Representatives, creates an intellectual property division within the Department of Justice and an intellectual property office within the Executive Office of the President.

PRO-IP would also increase statutory damages in copyright cases by letting copyright holders recover individually for each work in a copyrighted compilation. For example, each song on a CD could be counted as a separate infringement for the purpose of calculating statutory damages.

Pro-IP was introduced to the House on December 5, 2007 and presented to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property on December 13, 2007. At that hearing, consumer rights group Public Knowledge argued that statutory damages already impose disproportionate penalties for infringement and pointed out that copyright owners can already get actual damages in those cases where statutory damages are not enough. A Department of Justice attorney said she was concerned that a new executive office of IP enforcement would undermine DOJ independence.

On the other hand, the bipartisan committee sponsoring PRO-IP said it will stem what one representative called the “tsunami” of counterfeiting and piracy. The bill is supported by some labor unions and industry groups. It would also, of course, be a boon to plaintiffs’ lawyers, who can collect exponentially more damages on behalf of their clients, and an additional hammer over the heads of alleged infringers.

For some additional information:

Text of the bill is at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.4279

Bill tracking:http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h4279/show

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Press Release:http://judiciary.house.gov/newscenter.aspx?A=887

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Hearing Page with Webcast:http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings.aspx?ID=191

webcast: http://judiciary.edgeboss.net/real/judiciary/courts/courts121307.smi

Some Commentary:Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy: http://www.pr-inside.com/announcement-from-the-coalition-against-r351401.htm

Jim Hoffa, Teamsters, testimony in favor of PRO-IP: http://sev.prnewswire.com/entertainment/20071213/DC0983113122007-1.html

LA Times Editorial: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-ip23dec23,0,1049654.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail

Arts Technica Commentary: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080129-statutory-damages-not-high-enough.htmlhttp://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080205-white-paper-pro-ip-acts-damage-increases-are-dangerous.html

EFF Commentary: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2007/12/pro-ip-act-increase-infringement-penalties-and-drastically-expand-government-enforhttp://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/01/update-pro-ip-act-roundtable-statutory-damages