No, the Internet Has Not Killed the Printed Book. Most People Still Prefer Them.; New York Times, 9/2/16

Daniel Victor, New York Times; No, the Internet Has Not Killed the Printed Book. Most People Still Prefer Them. :

"Even with Facebook, Netflix and other digital distractions increasingly vying for time, Americans’ appetite for reading books — the ones you actually hold in your hands — has not slowed in recent years, according to a study by the Pew Research Center...

Lee Rainie, the director of internet, science and technology research for Pew Research, said the study demonstrated the staying power of physical books.

“I think if you looked back a decade ago, certainly five or six years ago when ebooks were taking off, there were folks who thought the days of the printed book were numbered, and it’s just not so in our data,” he said."

IP Offices Focus On Educating Younger Population About IP Protection; Intellectual Property Watch, 9/6/16

Catherine Saez and Alexandra Nightingale, Intellectual Property Watch; IP Offices Focus On Educating Younger Population About IP Protection:

"Intellectual property rights awareness campaigns are increasingly targeting the younger population, as early as primary school, according to several country presentations at the World Intellectual Property Organization enforcement committee this week. WIPO is also developing an Education Took Kit for teachers of children aged 5 to 18. However for some countries, this education should encompass a broader view on IP than only enforcing rights."

You've Gotta Love This Stranger Things / X-Men Mash-Up; Gizmodo, 8/29/16

Germain Lussier, Gizmodo; You've Gotta Love This Stranger Things / X-Men Mash-Up:

"With all the 1980s influences used in Stranger Things, there’s little doubt that the Duffer brothers thought of Eleven as a bit of a mutant. In another universe, maybe she was a member of the X-Men—which is why this mash-up by artist Lance Schibi is so fun.

It takes the cover of X-Men #134, the first appearance of Jean Grey at Dark Phoenix, and flips it to the upside down world of Stranger Things."

Behind the EpiPen controversy are questions about patents granted to drugmaker; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9/4/16

Samantha Liss, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Behind the EpiPen controversy are questions about patents granted to drugmaker:

"Drugmaker Mylan NV has received the brunt of criticism for alleged price-gouging on the lifesaving EpiPen, but other factors — and players — contributed to the monopoly it enjoys today, say experts familiar with the drug industry.

First approved in 1987, the EpiPen is protected from competition until 2025 by four patents. Three of those patents were awarded within the last six years."

Seattle salon shares trademark warning for small businesses; King5.com, 9/1/16

[Video] Heather Graf, King5.com; Seattle salon shares trademark warning for small businesses:

""The fact that they're spelled differently in this case really doesn't offer much protection," said attorney Robert Cumbow of Miller Nash Graham & Dunn. "How much do they look alike? How much do they sound alike? How close are they in meaning? And in this case, they look a lot alike. There's one extra extra letter in them. And they sound identical."

Cumbow said he knows it's a costly and frustrating experience for small business owners. His advice is for those business owners to do extensive research before choosing the name of their company.

"You've got to do your homework," he said. "So the very first thing for someone who is choosing a name for their business, product, or services is to get a search done, and make sure you aren't accidentally picking a name or product name that somebody else is already using.""

Pro athletes and the things they trademark; CNN Money, 8/19/16

Ahiza Garcia, CNN Money; Pro athletes and the things they trademark:

"Olympians know what they're worth.

That's why they trademark their names, catchphrases and logos -- things they think might turn into money-making ventures down the line. Sprinter Usain Bolt, for instance, trademarked an icon of the "lightening bolt" stance he's so well known for.

And it's not just Olympians -- plenty of pro-athletes seek trademarks to make money outside of their playing careers...

Bolt can't trademark the actual physical pose -- only symbols, words, phrases and designs can be trademarked, according to Professor J. Gordon Hylton of the University of Virginia School of Law.

Also, applicants must show that their trademark will be used on commercial goods, and it can't go unused for more than three years."

Europe’s copyright cop-out; Politico, 9/1/16

Chris Spillane and Axex Spence, Politico; Europe’s copyright cop-out:

"Fifteen years of bitter battles between old media and disruptive digital upstarts over copyright have led the European Commission’s long-awaited reforms of the system down a blind alley.

Instead of a coherent vision that produces winners and losers, the draft proposals on the so-called copyright directive fudge crucial questions about how artists can earn money in the digital age, and whether generations of internet users can avoid committing a crime for unwittingly accessing protected intellectual property...

Streamlining and modernizing a patchwork of copyright laws is a cornerstone of the Commission’s digital single market strategy, which aims to pump €415 billion into Europe’s economy annually by breaking digital barriers across the EU. A final version of the proposal is due to be proposed by the Commission on September 21, and then goes to the European Parliament and EU states for approval, which will likely be highly contentious."