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  14. <description>Technology, Law, Baseball, and Rock &#039;n&#039; Roll</description>
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  23. <title>* Drawing That Explains Whether Your &#8220;AI&#8221; Product Is Cool</title>
  24. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17437.html</link>
  25. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17437.html#comments</comments>
  26. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  27. <pubDate>Sun, 17 Mar 2024 21:17:29 +0000</pubDate>
  28. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  29. <category><![CDATA[17 Seconds]]></category>
  30. <category><![CDATA[Copyright Law]]></category>
  31. <category><![CDATA[Drawings]]></category>
  32. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  33. <category><![CDATA[Ink]]></category>
  34. <category><![CDATA[Patent Law]]></category>
  35. <category><![CDATA[Startups]]></category>
  36. <category><![CDATA[Trademark Law]]></category>
  37. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17437</guid>
  38.  
  39. <description><![CDATA[This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #118: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly. Res ipsa loquitur. In related news, on March 12, 2024, the United States Patent and Trademark Office and United States Copyright Office published a joint study on non-fungible tokens (NFTs). 17 Seconds is a publication for clients and other VIPs. Powered by &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17437.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* Drawing That Explains Whether Your &#8220;AI&#8221; Product Is Cool"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  40. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  41. <h3>This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #118: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly.</h3>
  42. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  43. <p><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-14-drawing-explains-cool-ai-products.png"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-14-drawing-explains-cool-ai-products-781x1024.png" alt="" width="525" height="688" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17438" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-14-drawing-explains-cool-ai-products-781x1024.png 781w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-14-drawing-explains-cool-ai-products-229x300.png 229w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-14-drawing-explains-cool-ai-products-768x1007.png 768w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-14-drawing-explains-cool-ai-products-1172x1536.png 1172w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-03-14-drawing-explains-cool-ai-products-1562x2048.png 1562w" sizes="(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /></a></p>
  44. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  45. <p><i>Res ipsa loquitur.</i></p>
  46. <p>In related news, on March 12, 2024, <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/us-patent-and-trademark-office-and-us-copyright-office-conclude-joint-study">the United States Patent and Trademark Office and United States Copyright Office published a joint study on non-fungible tokens</a> (NFTs).</p>
  47. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  48. <p><img decoding="async" src="http://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15536" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-150x150.png 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  49. <p><i><small><b>17 Seconds</b> is a publication for clients and other VIPs.  Powered by Mailchimp and the beat of a different keyboard player.  <a href="http://eepurl.com/dn95JX">Click here to subscribe to <b>17 Seconds</b></a>.</small></i></p>
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  54. <slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
  55. </item>
  56. <item>
  57. <title>* USPTO Unilaterally Enacts $400 &#8216;Microsoft Tax&#8217; On Patent Applications</title>
  58. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17433.html</link>
  59. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17433.html#respond</comments>
  60. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  61. <pubDate>Sat, 17 Feb 2024 22:17:41 +0000</pubDate>
  62. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  63. <category><![CDATA[17 Seconds]]></category>
  64. <category><![CDATA[Clocktower Law]]></category>
  65. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 30s]]></category>
  66. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 40s]]></category>
  67. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  68. <category><![CDATA[Erik's Favorites]]></category>
  69. <category><![CDATA[Ink]]></category>
  70. <category><![CDATA[Microsoft]]></category>
  71. <category><![CDATA[Open Source]]></category>
  72. <category><![CDATA[Patent Law]]></category>
  73. <category><![CDATA[Patent Law 101]]></category>
  74. <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
  75. <category><![CDATA[Worst Practices]]></category>
  76. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17433</guid>
  77.  
  78. <description><![CDATA[This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #117: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly. I have seen some ill-conceived policies rolled out by the USPTO in my time, but the requirement that patent applications be submitted in Microsoft&#8217;s proprietary DOCX format is one of the worst. When I became a patent attorney in 1995, patents were &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17433.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* USPTO Unilaterally Enacts $400 &#8216;Microsoft Tax&#8217; On Patent Applications"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  79. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  80. <h3>This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #117: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly.</h3>
  81. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  82. <p><img decoding="async" src="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2006-12-05-uspto-seal-131x131-1.jpg" alt="" width="131" height="131" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-17432" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2006-12-05-uspto-seal-131x131-1.jpg 131w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2006-12-05-uspto-seal-131x131-1-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 131px) 100vw, 131px" /></p>
  83. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  84. <p>I have seen some ill-conceived policies rolled out by the USPTO in my time, but the requirement that patent applications be submitted in Microsoft&#8217;s proprietary DOCX format is one of the worst.</a></p>
  85. <p>When I became a patent attorney in 1995, patents were filed in paper, filing receipts were postcards.  Clocktower sent/received our last postcard in 2007.</a></p>
  86. <p>Around 2007, Clocktower started filing patents electronically as image PDFs.  The USPTO then OCRed the image PDFs into renderable text.  This lasted until around 2010, when PDFs with renderable text were allowed to be filed.  PDFs may not be perfect, but multiple applications produce accurate PDFs of the source documents.</a></p>
  87. <p><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Microsoft+lobbying+USPTO">Then the USPTO got in bed with Microsoft</a>.</a></p>
  88. <p>On 2024-01-17, the USPTO enacted a $400 Microsoft tax for those with the temerity not to file patents in the DOCX format (<a href="https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx">https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx</a>).</a></p>
  89. <p>Clocktower will not be bullied into using a buggy proprietary file format from a monopolistic tech giant that has no commitment to open source standards (such as the ODT format used by the <a href="http://www.openoffice.org/">OpenOffice.org</a> project).  We will continue to work to minimize our time on make-work projects that increase costs for our clients.</a></p>
  90. <p>For more on Clocktower&#8217;s commitment to open source, see the &#8220;Open Source&#8221; category on our website (<a href="https://www.clocktowerlaw.com/category/open-source">https://www.clocktowerlaw.com/category/open-source</a>) and on Erik&#8217;s blog (<a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/category/open-source">https://www.giantpeople.com/category/open-source</a>).</a></p>
  91. <p>For more on the DOCX debacle, see the &#8220;Non-DOCX Penalty&#8221; category on Carl Oppedahl&#8217;s &#8220;Ant-Like Persistence&#8221; blog (<a href="https://blog.oppedahl.com/category/patents/non-docx-penalty/">https://blog.oppedahl.com/category/patents/non-docx-penalty/</a>).</a></p>
  92. <p>And, I don&#8217;t know, write to your representatives in Congress or something.</a></p>
  93. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  94. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15536" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-150x150.png 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  95. <p><i><small><b>17 Seconds</b> is a publication for clients and other VIPs.  Powered by Mailchimp and the beat of a different keyboard player.  <a href="http://eepurl.com/dn95JX">Click here to subscribe to <b>17 Seconds</b></a>.</small></i></p>
  96. <p><!-- end sig --></p>
  97. <p><!-- end article --></p>
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  100. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  101. </item>
  102. <item>
  103. <title>* Clocktower Red Sox Talk (Exclusive Invitation)</title>
  104. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17425.html</link>
  105. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17425.html#respond</comments>
  106. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  107. <pubDate>Wed, 17 Jan 2024 22:17:15 +0000</pubDate>
  108. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  109. <category><![CDATA[17 Seconds]]></category>
  110. <category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
  111. <category><![CDATA[Boston Red Sox]]></category>
  112. <category><![CDATA[Clocktower Law]]></category>
  113. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 10s (Teens)]]></category>
  114. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 20s]]></category>
  115. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 30s]]></category>
  116. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 40s]]></category>
  117. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  118. <category><![CDATA[Erik's Favorites]]></category>
  119. <category><![CDATA[Ink]]></category>
  120. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17425</guid>
  121.  
  122. <description><![CDATA[This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #116: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly. As you may know, I am a huge Red Sox fan. I started attending games in the 1970s with my Dad, family, and friends. We would drive down from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to Boston, Massachusetts, where my Dad would search the Back &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17425.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* Clocktower Red Sox Talk (Exclusive Invitation)"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  123. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  124. <h3>This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #116: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly.</h3>
  125. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  126. <figure id="attachment_15724" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-15724" style="width: 525px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2009-08-12_17-51-21-Tom-Heels-and-Erik-Heels-at-Fenway-Park-for-Boston-Red-Sox-baseball-game-768x1024.jpg" alt="2009-08-12_17-51-21 Tom Heels and Erik Heels at Fenway Park for Boston Red Sox baseball game.jpg" width="525" height="700" class="size-large wp-image-15724" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2009-08-12_17-51-21-Tom-Heels-and-Erik-Heels-at-Fenway-Park-for-Boston-Red-Sox-baseball-game-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2009-08-12_17-51-21-Tom-Heels-and-Erik-Heels-at-Fenway-Park-for-Boston-Red-Sox-baseball-game-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2009-08-12_17-51-21-Tom-Heels-and-Erik-Heels-at-Fenway-Park-for-Boston-Red-Sox-baseball-game.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-15724" class="wp-caption-text">2009-08-12 &#8211; Tom Heels and Erik Heels at Fenway Park for Boston Red Sox baseball game.</figcaption></figure>
  127. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  128. <p>As you may know, I am a huge Red Sox fan.  I started attending games in the 1970s with my Dad, family, and friends.  We would drive down from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to Boston, Massachusetts, where my Dad would search the Back Bay for free parking.  Then we&#8217;d walk (usually a long way) to Fenway Park.</p>
  129. <p>I was not much of an athlete growing up, but I did enjoy playing pickup baseball, hockey, and other sports in high school.</p>
  130. <p>My love of baseball (in general) and the Red Sox (in particular) spilled over into adulthood.  As a Dad of five sons, I coached Little League baseball almost continuously for nearly 20 years.</p>
  131. <p>Also for about 20 years, my MIT friend John Reardon (and his family) have owned and managed a Red Sox season ticket package.  For the past 15 years or so, Clocktower has been buying about 25% of John&#8217;s season tickets.  But this year he has passed the torch to Clocktower, who will be taking over the season tickets.</p>
  132. <p>I first sat in these seats with John, for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_American_League_Championship_Series#Game_5">Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS</a>, which is still the most exciting game I have ever attended.  (The Red Sox were losing 0-7 in the 7th inning and came back to win 8-7.)</p>
  133. <p>Baseball teaches us many things, all of which are relevant to Clocktower.  Things like fairness.  I have always said that baseball is the most fair of all of the team sports.  It ain&#8217;t over until it&#8217;s over (see Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS, above).  Things like giving, giving back, teamwork, and more.</p>
  134. <p>Some of my favorite articles about baseball &#8211; and why it is so important to me &#8211; are included below.</p>
  135. <p>Now, I would like to extend to all of you the <b>invitation to join a new Google Groups group: Clocktower Red Sox Talk</b>.  This will be a many-to-many discussion.  Those who join will have an opportunity (but not an obligation) to purchase (at cost) some of the 52 (or so) games in this season ticket package.  We can also chat about baseball in general, such as how cool it is that 2024 is the 20th anniversary of the historic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Boston_Red_Sox_season">2004 Red Sox</a> team, which broke the so-called curse and brought home the World Series championship for the first time in 86 years.</p>
  136. <p>Just shoot us an email (by either replying to this newsletter or directly to info@clocktowerlaw.com) and let us know if you are interested.  Thanks and go Sox!</p>
  137. <h3>Related Articles</h3>
  138. <ol>
  139. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/15726.html">* 2018 Red Sox Win World Series!</a> (2018-10-29)<br />
  140. And why baseball is the greatest game.</li>
  141. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/13551.html">* Rename Yawkey Way Yaz Way</a> (2017-08-22)<br />
  142. Red Sox Nation should rally around its founding father, Carl &#8220;Yaz&#8221; Yastrzemski, and convince Boston Red Sox ownership to rename Yawkey Way to Yaz Way.</li>
  143. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/4792.html">* Red Sox World Series Game 6: More Than A Game</a> (2013-10-31)<br />
  144. A top 10 moment at Fenway with my best friend.</li>
  145. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/2191.html">* Thomas R. Heels And Helena E. Heels</a> (2010-05-09)<br />
  146. An article for Mother&#8217;s Day.</li>
  147. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/1078.html">* Epic Comeback: Red Sox Win ALCS Game 5 Over Rays 8-7</a> (2008-10-17)<br />
  148. Down to their last 7 outs and trailing 7-0, the Boston Red Sox staged one of the most amazing comebacks in history.  And I was there.</li>
  149. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/954.html">* Red Sox Win 2007 World Series</a> (2007-10-29)<br />
  150. Red Sox defeat Rockies 4-3, Sox sweep series.</li>
  151. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/892.html">* Red Sox Perfect Game</a> (2007-10-03)<br />
  152. A perfect game with my son.</li>
  153. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/758.html">* Nine Principles Of Baseball And Life</a> (2007-05-02)<br />
  154. Philosophy of Baseball: How to Play the Game of Life.</li>
  155. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/501.html">* Erik Heels In A Suit And Red Sox Hat</a> (2005-11-16)<br />
  156. The photo that I wanted the ABA to publish.</li>
  157. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/133.html">* Red Sox Thoughts: What It Means To Be A Red Sox Fan</a> (1999-10-18)<br />
  158. An email message promoted from my email archives to my blog on the last day the 2004 Red Sox were world champions (10/26/05).</li>
  159. </ol>
  160. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  161. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15536" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-150x150.png 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  162. <p><i><small><b>17 Seconds</b> is a publication for clients and other VIPs.  Powered by Mailchimp and the beat of a different keyboard player.  <a href="http://eepurl.com/dn95JX">Click here to subscribe to <b>17 Seconds</b></a>.</small></i></p>
  163. <p><!-- end sig --></p>
  164. <p><!-- end article --></p>
  165. ]]></content:encoded>
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  167. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  168. </item>
  169. <item>
  170. <title>* Please Do Not Read This Newsletter, But If You Do, Then Please Read The &#8216;Generative Ground Beef&#8217; Section</title>
  171. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17421.html</link>
  172. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17421.html#respond</comments>
  173. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  174. <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:17:26 +0000</pubDate>
  175. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  176. <category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
  177. <category><![CDATA[Boston Red Sox]]></category>
  178. <category><![CDATA[Clocktower Law]]></category>
  179. <category><![CDATA[Copyright Law]]></category>
  180. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  181. <category><![CDATA[Ink]]></category>
  182. <category><![CDATA[LawLawLaw.com]]></category>
  183. <category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
  184. <category><![CDATA[Patent Law]]></category>
  185. <category><![CDATA[Startups]]></category>
  186. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17421</guid>
  187.  
  188. <description><![CDATA[LawLawLaw #53 &#8211; Technology, Law, Baseball, Rock &#8216;n&#8217; Roll. Startup Stuff Since the last LawLawLaw, the big news in startup world is that exits have declined. So maybe more exits in 2024? Technology Stuff * Mathematicians Discover Elusive &#8216;Einstein&#8217; Shape: &#8216;The Miracle That Disrupts Order&#8217; (2023-04-11) https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/the-miracle-that-disrupts-order-mathematicians-invent-new-einstein-shape/ Law Stuff First, some nick-nacks and misc. Then &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17421.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* Please Do Not Read This Newsletter, But If You Do, Then Please Read The &#8216;Generative Ground Beef&#8217; Section"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  189. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  190. <h3>LawLawLaw #53 &#8211; Technology, Law, Baseball, Rock &#8216;n&#8217; Roll.</h3>
  191. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  192. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2014-12-08-lawlawlaw-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15555" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2014-12-08-lawlawlaw-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2014-12-08-lawlawlaw-logo-color-300x300-transparent-150x150.png 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2014-12-08-lawlawlaw-logo-color-300x300-transparent-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  193. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  194. <h3>Startup Stuff</h3>
  195. <p>Since the last LawLawLaw, the big news in startup world is that exits have declined.  So maybe more exits in 2024?</p>
  196. <h3>Technology Stuff</h3>
  197. <p><b>* Mathematicians Discover Elusive &#8216;Einstein&#8217; Shape: &#8216;The Miracle That Disrupts Order&#8217; (2023-04-11)</b><br />
  198. <a href="https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/the-miracle-that-disrupts-order-mathematicians-invent-new-einstein-shape/">https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/the-miracle-that-disrupts-order-mathematicians-invent-new-einstein-shape/</a></p>
  199. <h3>Law Stuff</h3>
  200. <p>First, some nick-nacks and misc.  Then we&#8217;ll cover the latest trends in so-called artificial intelligence.</p>
  201. <p><b>* New Economic Initiative Would Require Companies Go Back To Naming Products What They Do Plus &#8216;O-Matic&#8217; (2023-07-06)</b><br />
  202. <a href="https://www.theonion.com/new-economic-initiative-would-require-companies-go-back-1850597038">https://www.theonion.com/new-economic-initiative-would-require-companies-go-back-1850597038</a></p>
  203. <p>Which reminds me of the SNL sketch referenced here:</p>
  204. <p><b>* Trademarks For Product And Service Names (2007-10-04)</b><br />
  205. Trademarking product and service names.<br />
  206. <a href="https://www.clocktowerlaw.com/3050.html">https://www.clocktowerlaw.com/3050.html</a></p>
  207. <p>The USPTO has created a &#8220;Design Patent Bar&#8221; with lower standards that the regular &#8220;Patent Bar.&#8221;  So you are not qualified to sit for the Patent Bar but you can prosecute design patents?  What could go wrong?!</p>
  208. <p><b>* Design Patent Bar Now Reality (2023-11-15)</b><br />
  209. <a href="https://patentlyo.com/patent/2023/11/design-patent-reality.html">https://patentlyo.com/patent/2023/11/design-patent-reality.html</a></p>
  210. <p><b>* Patent Grants Down 3% in 2023 (2023-12-29)</b><br />
  211. But we need to see the per-capita numbers. If the population increases by 5%, then I&#8217;d expect issued patents to increase by 5%.  Math, people.<br />
  212. <a href="https://patentlyo.com/patent/2023/12/patent-grant-total.html">https://patentlyo.com/patent/2023/12/patent-grant-total.html</a></p>
  213. <p>I dislike the term &#8220;artificial intelligence&#8221; because it is neither: it is not artificial, it is math.  It is not intelligent, it is math.  I also dislike the term &#8220;generative AI&#8221; because we&#8217;re not really generating anything, we&#8217;re merely dealing with logical inputs and outputs.  Take a meat grinder, for example.  You input beef, grind it, and ground beef is the output.  Perhaps &#8220;generative ground beef&#8221; is what we should call it.</p>
  214. <p>That said, I know copyright fair use when I see it.  And ingesting huge amounts of copyrighted material to train LLM models is not fair use, full stop.  I predict that copyright infringers like OpenAI will get sued out of business.</p>
  215. <p><b>* More Authors Sue OpenAI For Copyright Infringement (2023-09-12)</b><br />
  216. <a href="https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/09/12/authors-sue-openai-copyright-infringement/id=166698/">https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/09/12/authors-sue-openai-copyright-infringement/id=166698/</a></p>
  217. <p><b>* Game Of Thrones Author Sues ChatGPT Owner OpenAI (2023-09-21)</b><br />
  218. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66866577">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66866577</a></p>
  219. <p><b>* Spotify Will Not Ban AI-Made Music, Says Boss (2023-09-25)</b><br />
  220. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66882414">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66882414</a></p>
  221. <p><b>* AI Risks Largely Overlooked By Business Leaders (2023-11-12)</b><br />
  222. <a href="https://douglevin.substack.com/p/ai-risks-largely-overlooked-by-business">https://douglevin.substack.com/p/ai-risks-largely-overlooked-by-business</a></p>
  223. <p><b>* Sports Illustrated Accused Of Publishing AI-Written Articles (2023-11-28)</b><br />
  224. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67560354">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67560354</a></p>
  225. <p><b>* Sports Illustrated Publisher Fires CEO Ross Levinsohn After AI Scandal (2023-12-12)</b><br />
  226. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67619015">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67619015</a></p>
  227. <p><b>* New York Times Sues Microsoft And OpenAI For &#8216;Billions&#8217; (2023-12-28)</b><br />
  228. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67826601">https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67826601</a></p>
  229. <h3>Baseball Stuff</h3>
  230. <p>I use the word &#8220;baseball&#8221; loosely.</p>
  231. <p><b>* Patrice Bergeron Announces Retirement From Boston Bruins (2023-07-23)</b><br />
  232. <a href="https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2023/7/25/23806901/patrice-bergeron-announces-retirement-boston-bruins-national-hockey-league-center-selke-stanley-cup">https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2023/7/25/23806901/patrice-bergeron-announces-retirement-boston-bruins-national-hockey-league-center-selke-stanley-cup</a></p>
  233. <p><b>* Craig Breslow Becomes New Head Of Baseball Operations For Red Sox (2023-10-24)</b><br />
  234. <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/2023/10/24/23931179/report-craig-breslow-becomes-new-head-of-baseball-operations-for-red-sox">https://www.overthemonster.com/2023/10/24/23931179/report-craig-breslow-becomes-new-head-of-baseball-operations-for-red-sox</a><br />
  235. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-craig-breslow-head-of-baseball-operations">https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-craig-breslow-head-of-baseball-operations</a><br />
  236. <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/2023/10/25/23931652/meet-the-new-guy-boston-red-sox-hire-craig-breslow-cbo-gm-chaim-bloom-analysis">https://www.overthemonster.com/2023/10/25/23931652/meet-the-new-guy-boston-red-sox-hire-craig-breslow-cbo-gm-chaim-bloom-analysis</a></p>
  237. <p><b>* Erik Heels Bet On The Red Sox, Won Some Money, And Had Zero Fun (2023-11-03)</b><br />
  238. Based on the sports betting ads on TV, I thought that betting would be more fun. And that this blog post would be longer.<br />
  239. <a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17397.html">https://www.giantpeople.com/17397.html</a></p>
  240. <p><b>* Red Sox Trade Alex Verdugo To Yankees For 3 Pitchers (2023-12-05)</b><br />
  241. Based on Verdugo&#8217;s post-trade comments, this should reinvigorate the Red Sox Yankees rivalry.<br />
  242. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/yankees-red-sox-alex-verdugo-trade">https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/yankees-red-sox-alex-verdugo-trade</a><br />
  243. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/alex-verdugo-traded-to-yankees-for-3-pitchers">https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/alex-verdugo-traded-to-yankees-for-3-pitchers</a><br />
  244. <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/2023/12/5/23990115/red-sox-trade-alex-verdugo-to-yankees-for-prospects">https://www.overthemonster.com/2023/12/5/23990115/red-sox-trade-alex-verdugo-to-yankees-for-prospects</a></p>
  245. <p><b>* Red Sox Trade For 2-Time Gold Glove OF Tyler O&#8217;Neill From Cards (2023-12-08)</b><br />
  246. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/tyler-oneill-trade-red-sox-cardinals">https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/tyler-oneill-trade-red-sox-cardinals</a></p>
  247. <p><b>* Shohei Ohtani: Baseball Star Joins LA Dodgers In Record $700M Deal (2023-12-09)</b><br />
  248. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67673620">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-67673620</a></br /><br />
  249. <a href="http://joyofsox.blogspot.com/2023/12/ohtani-announces-hes-signing-with.html">http://joyofsox.blogspot.com/2023/12/ohtani-announces-hes-signing-with.html</a></p>
  250. <p><b>* Yoshinobu Yamamoto Signs With Dodgers On $325 Million Deal (2023-12-22)</b><br />
  251. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1222056337/yoshinobu-yamamoto-becomes-the-highest-paid-mlb-pitcher-in-joining-the-dodgers">https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1222056337/yoshinobu-yamamoto-becomes-the-highest-paid-mlb-pitcher-in-joining-the-dodgers</a></p>
  252. <h3>Music Stuff</h3>
  253. <p>We lost some great artists since the last LawLawLaw newsletter was published.</p>
  254. <p><b>* David Crosby: US Rock Legend Dies Aged 81 (2023-01-19)</b><br />
  255. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64341315">https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64341315</a></p>
  256. <p><b>* Burt Bacharach, One Of Pop&#8217;s Greatest Songwriters, Dies Aged 94 (2023-02-09)</b><br />
  257. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64587070">https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64587070</a><br />
  258. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64586383">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64586383</a></p>
  259. <p><b>* Harry Belafonte Obituary: A US Icon Of Music, Film And Civil Rights (2024-04-25)</b><br />
  260. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-11811290">https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-11811290</a><br />
  261. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65390525">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65390525</a></p>
  262. <p><b>* Singer-Songwriter Gordon Lightfoot Dies Aged 84 (2023-05-02)</b><br />
  263. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65455240">https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65455240</a></p>
  264. <p><b>* Tina Turner: Music Legend Dies At 83 (2023-05-24)</b><br />
  265. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/65669653">https://www.bbc.com/news/65669653</a></p>
  266. <p><b>* Tony Bennett: Legendary New York Crooner Dies Aged 96 (2023-07-21)</b><br />
  267. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66271090">https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66271090</a></p>
  268. <p><b>* Robbie Robertson, Leader Of The Band &#8220;The Band,&#8221; Dies Aged 80 (2023-08-09)</b><br />
  269. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66457469">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66457469</a></p>
  270. <p><b>* Jimmy Buffett: Margaritaville Singer Dies Aged 76 (2023-09-02)</b><br />
  271. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66694147">https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66694147</a></p>
  272. <p>And this (along with skinny jeans) is one of the dumbest trends: the return to vinyl, a far inferior music storage medium.  Why would you want to play a vinyl record that deteriorates every time you play it?  CD audio (and 5x MP3 compression) remain far superior.</p>
  273. <p><b>* Vinyl Records Outsell CDs For First Time In Decades (2023-03-13)</b><br />
  274. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/64919126">https://www.bbc.com/news/64919126</a></p>
  275. <p>Related:</p>
  276. <p><b>* MP3 vs. CD: The Beer Test (2008-12-07)</b><br />
  277. Unless you&#8217;re a dog, a whale, or a computer, you&#8217;re not going to be able to tell the difference between a good MP3 and CD audio.<br />
  278. <a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/1236.html">https://www.giantpeople.com/1236.html</a></p>
  279. <h3>Other Stuff</h3>
  280. <p><b>* The So-Called &#8220;Culture Wars&#8221; (2023-03-16)</b><br />
  281. &#8220;Political cartoonist Jen Sorensen recently published this cartoon at The Nib about the harmful mischaracterization of human rights battles as mere &#8216;culture wars.'&#8221;<br />
  282. <a href="https://kottke.org/23/03/the-so-called-culture-wars">https://kottke.org/23/03/the-so-called-culture-wars</a></p>
  283. <p><b>* Big, Small, Loud, And Quiet Are Relative Terms &#8211; The Thing They&#8217;re Relative To Is A Sewing Machine (2023-03-24)</b><br />
  284. <a href="https://xkcd.com/2754/">https://xkcd.com/2754/</a></p>
  285. <p><b>* The New Rubik&#8217;s Cube World Record Is Just 3.13 Seconds (2023-06-16)</b><br />
  286. <a href="https://kottke.org/23/06/the-new-rubiks-cube-world-record-is-just-313-seconds">https://kottke.org/23/06/the-new-rubiks-cube-world-record-is-just-313-seconds</a></p>
  287. <p><b>* 52 Interesting Things I Learned In 2023 (2023-12-26)</b><br />
  288. <a href="https://kottke.org/23/12/52-interesting-things-i-learned-2023">https://kottke.org/23/12/52-interesting-things-i-learned-2023</a></p>
  289. <h3>END (OF STUFF)</b><br /></h3>
  290. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  291. <hr />
  292. <p><i><small>Since 2001, <a href="http://www.lawlawlaw.com/">LawLawLaw</a><small><sup>TM</sup></small> has documented trends in technology, law (mostly patents and trademarks), baseball (mostly Red Sox), and music (mostly rock).  <a href="http://eepurl.com/gBKCWD">Click here to subscribe to <b>LawLawLaw</b></a>.<small></i></p>
  293. <p><!-- end sig --></p>
  294. <p><!-- end article --></p>
  295. ]]></content:encoded>
  296. <wfw:commentRss>https://www.giantpeople.com/17421.html/feed</wfw:commentRss>
  297. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  298. </item>
  299. <item>
  300. <title>* Trademark Examination Suspension</title>
  301. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17412.html</link>
  302. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17412.html#respond</comments>
  303. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  304. <pubDate>Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:17:01 +0000</pubDate>
  305. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  306. <category><![CDATA[17 Seconds]]></category>
  307. <category><![CDATA[Clocktower Law]]></category>
  308. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  309. <category><![CDATA[Ink]]></category>
  310. <category><![CDATA[Trademark Law]]></category>
  311. <category><![CDATA[Trademark Law 101]]></category>
  312. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17412</guid>
  313.  
  314. <description><![CDATA[This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #115: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly. The USPTO examines trademark applications in the order they are filed, but trademark rights are determined by the first to use (and filing a trademark application counts as &#8220;constructive use&#8221;). So a suspension letter does not mean that you have lost your &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17412.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* Trademark Examination Suspension"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  315. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  316. <h3>This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #115: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly.</h3>
  317. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  318. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  319. <p>The USPTO examines trademark applications in the order they are filed, but trademark rights are determined by the first to use (and filing a trademark application counts as &#8220;constructive use&#8221;).  So a suspension letter does not mean that you have lost your trademark rights.  A trademark application is typically suspended when (1) there is another similar U.S. application with an earlier filing date, (2) a U.S. application is based on a foreign application, and the U.S. application needs to be put on hold until examination of the foreign application is done, or (3) a third-party dispute (opposition or cancellation) is pending.</p>
  320. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  321. <hr />
  322. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15536" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-150x150.png 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  323. <p><i><small><b>17 Seconds</b> is a publication for clients and other VIPs.  Powered by Mailchimp and the beat of a different keyboard player.  <a href="http://eepurl.com/dn95JX">Click here to subscribe to <b>17 Seconds</b></a>.<small></i></p>
  324. <p><!-- end sig --></p>
  325. <p><!-- end article --></p>
  326. ]]></content:encoded>
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  328. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  329. </item>
  330. <item>
  331. <title>* Patent Prior Art &#8211; Duty To Disclose</title>
  332. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17409.html</link>
  333. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17409.html#respond</comments>
  334. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  335. <pubDate>Fri, 17 Nov 2023 22:17:32 +0000</pubDate>
  336. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  337. <category><![CDATA[17 Seconds]]></category>
  338. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  339. <category><![CDATA[Ink]]></category>
  340. <category><![CDATA[Patent Law]]></category>
  341. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17409</guid>
  342.  
  343. <description><![CDATA[This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #114: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly. Both the inventor(s) and their lawyer(s) have an ongoing duty to disclose information to the USPTO that is material to patentability as long as the patent application is pending (37 CFR 1.56, AKA Rule 56). All individuals covered by Rule 56 have &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17409.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* Patent Prior Art &#8211; Duty To Disclose"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  344. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  345. <h3>This Is Our &#8220;17 Seconds&#8221; Newsletter #114: 17 Seconds = Useful Info Quickly.</h3>
  346. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  347. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  348. <p>Both the inventor(s) and their lawyer(s) have an ongoing duty to disclose information to the USPTO that is material to patentability as long as the patent application is pending (37 CFR 1.56, AKA Rule 56).  All individuals covered by Rule 56 have a duty to disclose to the USPTO all material information they are aware of regardless of the source of or how they become aware of the information.  <em>A finding of &#8216;fraud,&#8217; &#8216;inequitable conduct,&#8217; or violation of duty of disclosure, with respect to any claim in an application or patent, renders all the claims thereof unpatentable or invalid.</em></p>
  349. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  350. <hr />
  351. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15536" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-150x150.png 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  352. <p><i><small><b>17 Seconds</b> is a publication for clients and other VIPs.  Powered by Mailchimp and the beat of a different keyboard player.  <a href="http://eepurl.com/dn95JX">Click here to subscribe to <b>17 Seconds</b></a>.<small></i></p>
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  354. <p><!-- end article --></p>
  355. ]]></content:encoded>
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  357. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  358. </item>
  359. <item>
  360. <title>* Acton Toyota of Littleton 01460 &#8211; Veterans Beware!</title>
  361. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17402.html</link>
  362. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17402.html#respond</comments>
  363. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  364. <pubDate>Sat, 11 Nov 2023 16:11:08 +0000</pubDate>
  365. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  366. <category><![CDATA[Air Force]]></category>
  367. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 20s]]></category>
  368. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 30s]]></category>
  369. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 40s]]></category>
  370. <category><![CDATA[Worst Practices]]></category>
  371. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17402</guid>
  372.  
  373. <description><![CDATA[Veterans should avoid Acton Toyota of Littleton like the plague. In May 2023, my wife and I went to Acton Toyota of Littleton (221 Great Rd, Littleton MA 01460) to buy a new car. (Acton Toyota used to be in Acton but moved to Littleton, hence the odd name.) It was, by far, the worst &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17402.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* Acton Toyota of Littleton 01460 &#8211; Veterans Beware!"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  374. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  375. <h3>Veterans should avoid Acton Toyota of Littleton like the plague.</h3>
  376. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  377. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-06-23_15-35-13-acton-toyota-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="394" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17403" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-06-23_15-35-13-acton-toyota-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-06-23_15-35-13-acton-toyota-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-06-23_15-35-13-acton-toyota-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-06-23_15-35-13-acton-toyota-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-06-23_15-35-13-acton-toyota-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /></p>
  378. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  379. <p>In May 2023, my wife and I went to <a href="https://www.actontoyota.com/">Acton Toyota of Littleton</a> (221 Great Rd, Littleton MA 01460) to buy a new car.  (Acton Toyota used to be in Acton but moved to Littleton, hence the odd name.)  It was, by far, the worst car-buying experience of my life.</p>
  380. <p>I&#8217;m a USAF veteran, I served on active duty from 1989 to 1992.  One of the best benefits of being a past/present member of the military (or a descendent of one) is membership in <a href="https://www.usaa.com/">USAA</a>.  USAA is a financial services and insurance company in Texas that caters exclusively to military members and their family members.  I&#8217;ve been a member of USAA since 1987, longer than I&#8217;ve been connected to any other company or organization.</p>
  381. <p>I buy or lease a new or use car about every 2.5 years.  I&#8217;m a good and loyal customer.  But I&#8217;m never returning to Acton Toyota of Littleton.</p>
  382. <p>The sales person was fine and the sales process was fine.  But the financing portion was a nightmare.  I came to the dealership pre-approved from USAA.  All the dealership had to do was fax one piece of paper to USAA and they would have been be paid in full.  But USAA does not pay for ancillary services, such as extended warranties and the like.  And this is where the dealership makes its money.</p>
  383. <p>We repeatedly said that we did not want to finance with Acton Toyota, that we had already financed with USAA.  But Acton Toyota threatened to take the car away from us if we did not finance with them.  Other high-pressure sales tactics were used to push various ancillary products on us, none of which we purchased.  Due to pandemic-induced supply chain issues, inventory was low, and we had to wait six weeks for the car.  There were plenty of people who would have bought this car (which was not even close to our first choice) with financing from Acton Toyota.</p>
  384. <p>So we financed with Acton Toyota (with worse terms than USAA offered), picked up the car six weeks later, and will never return to Acton Toyota.</p>
  385. <p>If you are a military veteran, then you should avoid Acton Toyota of Littleton like the plague.  Because you won&#8217;t be able to use one of your best military-related benefits: your USAA membership.</p>
  386. <h3>Related Posts</h3>
  387. <ol>
  388. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/9965.html">* Vet My Bio For Veterans Day #VetMyBio</a> (2016-11-10)<br />
  389. Served in the military? Add &#8216;veteran&#8217; to your bio.<br />
  390. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vet-my-bio-veterans-day-vetmybio-erik-j-heels/</li>
  391. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/526.html">* Captain Erik Heels Honorably Discharged From The United States Air Force</a> (2006-03-02)<br />
  392. I will have much to say about my Air Force years when the time is right.</li>
  393. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/4204.html">* United States Air Force Oath Of Office</a> (1988-05-26)<br />
  394. Also known as the United States Uniformed Services Oath of Office.</li>
  395. <li><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/4202.html">* United States Armed Forces Code Of Conduct</a> (1984-08-31)<br />
  396. Also known as the Prisoner of War (POW) Code of Conduct.</li>
  397. </ol>
  398. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  399. <p><!-- end sig --></p>
  400. <p><!-- end article --></p>
  401. ]]></content:encoded>
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  403. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  404. </item>
  405. <item>
  406. <title>* I Bet On The Red Sox, Won Some Money, And Had Zero Fun</title>
  407. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17397.html</link>
  408. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17397.html#respond</comments>
  409. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  410. <pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2023 19:17:46 +0000</pubDate>
  411. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  412. <category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
  413. <category><![CDATA[Boston Red Sox]]></category>
  414. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  415. <category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
  416. <category><![CDATA[Worst Practices]]></category>
  417. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17397</guid>
  418.  
  419. <description><![CDATA[Based on the sports betting ads on TV, I thought that betting would be more fun. And that this blog post would be longer. Whenever I receive a scratch lottery ticket as a gift, I tend to sit on it for a long time (months some times). Maybe I&#8217;ll win, maybe I won&#8217;t, but I &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17397.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* I Bet On The Red Sox, Won Some Money, And Had Zero Fun"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  420. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  421. <h3>Based on the sports betting ads on TV, I thought that betting would be more fun. And that this blog post would be longer.</h3>
  422. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  423. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-03-remember-to-bet-sticky-note-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-17398" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-03-remember-to-bet-sticky-note-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-03-remember-to-bet-sticky-note-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-03-remember-to-bet-sticky-note-100x100.jpg 100w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-03-remember-to-bet-sticky-note.jpg 763w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  424. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  425. <p>Whenever I receive a scratch lottery ticket as a gift, I tend to sit on it for a long time (months some times).  Maybe I&#8217;ll win, maybe I won&#8217;t, but I like to draw out the fun!</p>
  426. <p>So when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling_in_Massachusetts">sports betting became legal in Massachusetts in August 2022</a>, I figured that I would bet on the 2023 Red Sox season.</p>
  427. <p>I often will buy (or at least consider buying) products/services that are advertised at me.  I figure I&#8217;m the target market, and if I need (or want) the product/service, then what the heck!</p>
  428. <p>Since I&#8217;m not a better/gambler/gamer (and I think those terms are synonyms), I had to learn some of the lingo.  Like &#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportsbook">sportsbook</a>,&#8221; which apparently means &#8220;bookie&#8221; except nicer sounding.</p>
  429. <p>I was aware that there are two major sports &#8220;gaming&#8221; apps: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DraftKings">DraftKings</a> and the other one (whose name I can never remember).  Since DraftKings is a Boston-based company, and since I can never remember the name of the other one, I went with DraftKings.  Now I&#8217;m supporting the local economy AND Red Sox advertisers &#8211; double win!</p>
  430. <p>Setting up the account was harder that I thought it would be, but maybe that&#8217;s a good thing?  Picking the games to bet on was easy.  I&#8217;ve been sitting in (and buying a bunch of) my friend John&#8217;s Red Sox season tickets since 2008, and in those games, the Red Sox have a ridiculously good .641 winning percentage (which is 104 wins in a 162-game season).</p>
  431. <p>So for the 2023 season, I bought tickets (two each) to 12 games and decided to bed $100/game on the 12 games.  Did you know that you can&#8217;t bet on future games?  Except for the next-scheduled game.  So I had to bet one-by-one on the games.  And I don&#8217;t always go.  I went to 2 games this year and gave away tickets to 10 games.</p>
  432. <p>For the first game, I got a slight jolt of adrenaline after placing my bet.  But there was no party.  David Ortiz did not show up in my living room to spray me with champagne.  I did not play with friends (as suggested by the ads).  In fact my friends thought that I was crazy.  But I knew that this was a sure thing!</p>
  433. <p>Then a funny thing happened.  After 8 games, I forgot to bet on game number 9.  Now what was I supposed to do?  The whole experiment was based on betting on all 12 games.  I couldn&#8217;t just skip one game and resume betting.  Seemed wrong.  So I stopped betting after 8 games and declared the experiment over.</p>
  434. <p>The Red Sox went 5-3 in the first 8 games (the ones I bet on), and they went 0-4 in the last 4 games (the ones I did not bet on).  If only my bookie &#8211; er sportsbook &#8211; had reminded me to bet!</p>
  435. <p>Since I won money, I did not end up supporting the local economy, so that was a fail.  I also did not have any fun, so that was a fail.</p>
  436. <p>But I did not get addicted to gambling, so that was a win.  And I donated my winnings &#8211; $146.04 &#8211; to <a href="https://www.actonc.org/">my local church</a>.</p>
  437. <p>In summary, I won money betting on the Red Sox in 2003 and had zero fun doing so.  I&#8217;ve deleted the sportsbook app from my iPhone.  There&#8217;s a lesson in here somewhere.</p>
  438. <p>P.S. Congrats to Major League Baseball (MLB) for producing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Series_television_ratings">least-watched World Series in history</a>!  Maybe there is more wrong with MLB than just legalized betting.</p>
  439. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  440. <p><!-- end sig --></p>
  441. <p><!-- end article --></p>
  442. ]]></content:encoded>
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  444. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  445. </item>
  446. <item>
  447. <title>* Trademark Certificate Of Registration</title>
  448. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17394.html</link>
  449. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17394.html#respond</comments>
  450. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  451. <pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2023 21:17:30 +0000</pubDate>
  452. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  453. <category><![CDATA[17 Seconds]]></category>
  454. <category><![CDATA[Clocktower Law]]></category>
  455. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 30s]]></category>
  456. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 40s]]></category>
  457. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  458. <category><![CDATA[Ink]]></category>
  459. <category><![CDATA[Trademark Law]]></category>
  460. <category><![CDATA[Trademark Law 101]]></category>
  461. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17394</guid>
  462.  
  463. <description><![CDATA[17 Seconds #113. Useful Info Quickly. It is difficult to say exactly how long it takes from the filing of your application to the receipt of a final Certificate of Registration, because numerous factors can arise during examination that can lengthen the process. However, if there are no substantive or procedural problems and no third &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17394.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* Trademark Certificate Of Registration"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  464. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin article --></p>
  465. <h3>17 Seconds #113. Useful Info Quickly.</h3>
  466. <p><!-- begin image --></p>
  467. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2017-04-11-clocktower-logo-trademark-cor-86895393-793x1024.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="678" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-17393" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2017-04-11-clocktower-logo-trademark-cor-86895393-793x1024.jpg 793w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2017-04-11-clocktower-logo-trademark-cor-86895393-232x300.jpg 232w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2017-04-11-clocktower-logo-trademark-cor-86895393-768x992.jpg 768w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2017-04-11-clocktower-logo-trademark-cor-86895393-1190x1536.jpg 1190w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2017-04-11-clocktower-logo-trademark-cor-86895393-1586x2048.jpg 1586w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2017-04-11-clocktower-logo-trademark-cor-86895393.jpg 1687w" sizes="(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /></p>
  468. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  469. <p>It is difficult to say exactly how long it takes from the filing of your application to the receipt of a final Certificate of Registration, because numerous factors can arise during examination that can lengthen the process.  However, if there are no substantive or procedural problems and no third party files a Notice of Opposition, then it may be possible to obtain a Certificate of Registration within 11-13 months from the application&#8217;s filing date.</p>
  470. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  471. <hr />
  472. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15536" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-150x150.png 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  473. <p><i><small><b>17 Seconds</b> is a publication for clients and other VIPs.  Powered by Mailchimp and the beat of a different keyboard player.  <a href="http://eepurl.com/dn95JX">Click here to subscribe to <b>17 Seconds</b></a>.<small></i></p>
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  475. <p><!-- end article --></p>
  476. ]]></content:encoded>
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  478. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  479. </item>
  480. <item>
  481. <title>* Meet Piper The Dog! (OR: Of Patents, Puppies, and Priorities)</title>
  482. <link>https://www.giantpeople.com/17387.html</link>
  483. <comments>https://www.giantpeople.com/17387.html#respond</comments>
  484. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Erik J. Heels]]></dc:creator>
  485. <pubDate>Sun, 17 Sep 2023 21:17:30 +0000</pubDate>
  486. <category><![CDATA[*All]]></category>
  487. <category><![CDATA[17 Seconds]]></category>
  488. <category><![CDATA[Best Practices]]></category>
  489. <category><![CDATA[Clocktower Law]]></category>
  490. <category><![CDATA[Erik In His 50s]]></category>
  491. <category><![CDATA[Erik's Favorites]]></category>
  492. <category><![CDATA[How To]]></category>
  493. <category><![CDATA[Ink]]></category>
  494. <category><![CDATA[Milestones]]></category>
  495. <category><![CDATA[Patent Law 101]]></category>
  496. <category><![CDATA[Trademark Law 101]]></category>
  497. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.giantpeople.com/?p=17387</guid>
  498.  
  499. <description><![CDATA[So after 47 years of being cat-owned, I got a dog! More accurately, our family adopted a rescue puppy from a local shelter. Meet Piper! She&#8217;s a little bit beagle, a little bit whippet, and probably some other stuff. And she is a lot of work after having been rescued from Louisiana in July. So &#8230; <p class="link-more"><a href="https://www.giantpeople.com/17387.html" class="more-link">Continue reading<span class="screen-reader-text"> "* Meet Piper The Dog! (OR: Of Patents, Puppies, and Priorities)"</span></a></p>]]></description>
  500. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!-- begin image --></p>
  501. <figure id="attachment_17388" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-17388" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-15-erik-heels-and-piper-the-dog.jpg" alt="Erik J. Heels and Piper The Dog at the world headquarters of Clocktower Law LLC" width="1024" height="768" class="size-full wp-image-17388" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-15-erik-heels-and-piper-the-dog.jpg 1024w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-15-erik-heels-and-piper-the-dog-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-15-erik-heels-and-piper-the-dog-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 706px) 89vw, (max-width: 767px) 82vw, 740px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-17388" class="wp-caption-text">Erik J. Heels and Piper The Dog at the world headquarters of Clocktower Law LLC</figcaption></figure>
  502. <p><!-- end image --></p>
  503. <p>So after 47 years of being cat-owned, I got a dog!  More accurately, our family adopted a rescue puppy from a local shelter.  Meet Piper!  She&#8217;s a little bit beagle, a little bit whippet, and probably some other stuff.  And she is a lot of work after having been rescued from Louisiana in July.</p>
  504. <p>So what does this have to do with patents, you might ask?  Quite a bit, as it turns out.</p>
  505. <p>This is Clocktower&#8217;s 23rd year, and in that time, we can count on one hand the number of times that we&#8217;ve had to work over the weekend.  Clocktower is a family-friendly firm.  Clocktower is my extended family.  When one of us is on vacation (or preoccupied with a new puppy), the others pick up the slack.</p>
  506. <p>When you get a puppy, you have to accept what I like to call &#8220;the hierarchy of things.&#8221;  People come before pets, pets come before plants, and plants come before inanimate objects.  So if someone in your family is deathly allergic to dogs, then you don&#8217;t adopt a dog.  And if your new puppy chews at the corner of your new ottoman, then you have to conclude that you like your puppy more than your furniture.  (I joke around that we got a new dog because we hate our family room furniture!)</p>
  507. <p>Similarly, with patent law, we have to deal with the USPTO and statutory deadlines, some of which are flexible, some of which are not.  Twice per week, we meet to review deadlines and the like to make sure that our priorities are correct.  What this means is that if your (patent or trademark) matter is on fire, then you go to the front of the line.  But if your matter is not on fire, then somebody else is likely ahead of you.  We generally have three or six months to respond to the USPTO on all patent and trademark matters, so we don&#8217;t always get to things immediately.  But we&#8217;re pretty good at prioritizing.</p>
  508. <p>So if you have not heard from us in a few weeks, then thank you for your patience.  We will put your fire out before the deadline.  Or we might be on vacation.  Or dealing with the remnants of a thunderstorm downburst or Hurricane Lee.  Or we might be puppy training.</p>
  509. <p>Also, ottomans are over-rated.</p>
  510. <p>Piper thanks you, too!</p>
  511. <figure id="attachment_17389" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-17389" style="width: 400px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-08-22-piper-the-dog.jpg" alt="Piper The Dog" width="400" height="400" class="size-full wp-image-17389" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-08-22-piper-the-dog.jpg 400w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-08-22-piper-the-dog-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-08-22-piper-the-dog-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-08-22-piper-the-dog-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-17389" class="wp-caption-text">Piper The Dog</figcaption></figure>
  512. <p><!-- begin sig --></p>
  513. <hr />
  514. <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15536" srcset="https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent.png 300w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-150x150.png 150w, https://www.giantpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2014-12-08-17seconds-logo-color-300x300-transparent-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
  515. <p><i><small><b>17 Seconds</b> is a publication for clients and other VIPs.  Powered by Mailchimp and the beat of a different keyboard player.  <a href="http://eepurl.com/dn95JX">Click here to subscribe to <b>17 Seconds</b></a>.<small></i></p>
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  517. <p><!-- end article --></p>
  518. ]]></content:encoded>
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