As an American, let me say this about that: you got that right. Freakin' winner in the "Most Hypocritical Country In The History Of The World" contest, more Victorian than Queen Victoria (who was known to run around the Palace in the altogether).

                  mark

Qualcomm invented the cell phone.

I would go too google.com and enter '-slashdot Mouse/Pointer For a Person With Poor Motor Control.'

I want to interject that "My Sweet Lord" and "He's So Fine" are the EXACT SAME FUCKING SONG. Same melody, structure, and everything. Basically a cover, except you take out the cool girl group singing "sha la la" and add in some Hare Krishnas singing the Hare Krishna mantra.

If this had been made in Brazil, Chinese companies would still have copied the basic design. You can also get fake rolexes in China, and those are made in Switzerland (according to 3 seconds of Googling).

They didn't use the same factory, so the country of the original is a basically irrelevant point.

I'll have a necromantic ritual, bring up the shade of my late ex, and let her go kill them messily wherever they're hiding.

And if you think that's extreme, go find a fire ant nest and investigate it, preferably with bare feet.

                mark

Just from what's in the another post I read, I'd say that they were not "merely" racist, but threatening. I mean, that is the South, home to the KKK that murdered a hell of a lot for the "crime" of being black. That makes them dangerous.

And, of course, it's the kind of crap I'd expect from the majority of Greeks - classiism, racism, you-have-to-be-worth-money-to-get-in.... They've never had much of a rep beyond party, drinking, etc, and this goes back to my first time in college, long before most of you were born.

I see no reason to make Greeks part of the official college landscape. Most of 'em have nothing to do with actual learning... which is, allegedly, what you're paying that money for.

                      mark

You could easily spend more than $5000 getting braces or plastic surgery.

It would still be worth mining bitcoins, if somebody else was paying for the electricity.

For all the hate the US gets on Slashdot, it's still the country of record. It's hitting the big time. Top finance jobs are centered in the US. Top technology jobs are centered in the US. The movie and TV industries are largest in the US. 9 of the world's 10 best universities are in the US. Sure, such jobs are available in Nigeria, but the best most and the most talented tend to work in the US, and you're limiting your kid's future by not allowing it.

I know so, so, so many Chinese people (both PRC and Taiwan, Malaysia, etc.) killing themselves to get their kids in the US because it has the best school and the top jobs. Not to mention, my wife's parents, several of my best friend's parents, etc. NOT doing it, when it would be easy to fill out paperwork, just seems like irresponsible parenting.

Well, the software was sold in the US. And, charges against the dude were dropped. And it was 14 years ago. So I think it's understandable that it's no longer a burning issue.

But what you're saying would be equivalent to somebody else making their own show where kids turn into ninjas and attack warriors, not just somebody making their own Power Rangers mini-movie.

Similarly, there's a difference between being inspired by a band, and just re-doing their song without permission.

For all of you 20-yr-olds...

Bush & co did it first.

                  mark

It is protected by copyright, and calling it satire is obviously bullshit.

Usually companies let fan-works slide, and as long as your fan-film or fan-fiction or geeky video is just done for fun, why shouldn't the company allow it? It's just building good will and it's a super-fan only thing that doesn't really change what most people think of the brand. They still have legal rights to disallow it, but they choose not to.

This video, with recognizable stars and lots of money put into it and professional purposes (it seems to be a kind of work to put on the director's resume) went too far. I'm not at all surprised they aren't happy with it, and legally and ethically they have every right to get it off of the youtubes.

Letting Krebs know is a good idea... but email support at the bank, or even send the bank snail mail, with the info. Send it with delivery confirmation. And, at the bottom, add
cc: SEC
so they know you're serious. And really and truly, contact the SEC, which regulates banks, and esp. with all the bank problems lately, I'll wager they're really, really interested in this.

Oh, call them back, and ask for "their legal service address". That will get someone attention, for real.

Last option: get a lawyer to write a lawyer letter to the bank. This will also get their attention.

              mark