Ipse Dixit

This is the oral argument from Eldred v. Ashcroft , 537 U.S. 186 (2003). Here is the summary from Oyez: Facts of the case Under the Copyright and Patent Clause of the Constitution, Article 1, section 8, "Congress shall have Power...to promote the Progress of Science...by securing [to Authors] for limited Times...the exclusive Right to their...Writings." In the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act (CT...

In this episode, Will Slauter , Associate Professor at Université Paris Diderot, discusses his new book, " Who Owns the News?: A History of Copyright ," which is published by Stanford University Press. Slauter begins by explaining that the question, "Who owns the news?" has had different answers at different points in time. He describes the history of the news, beginning in 16th century England, a...

In this episode, Katherine Macfarlane , Associate Professor of Law at the University of Idaho College of Law, discusses her work on how disabilities affect law students and lawyers, and how we can better accommodate people with disabilities. She begins by explaining the legal obligations that law schools and law firms have to accommodate people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabiliti...

In this episode, Stephanie Hoffer , Professor of Law at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, discusses her article " Making the Law More ABLE: Reforming Medicaid for Disability ," which was published in the Ohio State Law Journal. Hoffer begins by describing how the ADA requires the federal and state governments to provide financial assistance to people with disabilities, and how that...

On April 11, 1951, NBC radio broadcast "Mr. District Attorney Solves 'The Case of the Money Machine.'" Here are the liner notes: 5256. Mr. District Attorney. April 11, 1951. NBC net. "The Case Of The Money Machine". Sponsored by: Vitalis, Sal Hepatica, Bufferin. A former worker in a mental hospital breaks in and steals one of the inmates who happens to be a mathematical genius. An act in the carni...

In this episode, Peter Karol , Professor of Law at New England Law Boston, discusses his article " Permissive Certificates: Collectors of Art as Collectors of Permissions ," which will appear in the Washington Law Review. Karol begins by describing certificates of authenticity and how they are used in the art market. Then he explains what conceptual art is and how conceptual artists use certificat...

In this episode, Jeremy Sheff , Professor of Law and Director of the Intellectual Property Law Center at St. John's University School of Law, discusses his article " Jefferson's Taper ." Sheff begins by describing Thomas Jefferson's "Parable of the Taper," found in a letter to Isaac McPherson, in which Jefferson argues that there is no natural right of property in inventions, which are a fire than...

In 1977, the Department of Commerce and the Advertising Council published a booklet titled "The American Economic System...and Your Part In It," which was distributed for free to anyone who wanted a copy. The booklet is available here . Naturally, the Ad Council also prepared a massive advertising campaign for the economics education program, which the New York Times described here . I found this...

In 1973, while he was a member of Cincinnati City Council, Jerry Springer recorded this 45 single, advocating to preserve the Cincinnati Union Terminal. The terminal was built in 1933, but train service to the terminal ended in 1973. Nevertheless, Union Terminal was the model for the Justice League's Hall of Justice in the 1970s Hanna-Barbera cartoon "Super Friends." The City Council voted the ter...

In 1973, Missouri State Auditor John Ashcroft and Missouri State Representative Max Bacon self-published an LP of "gospel" songs. The manufacturer was American Artists Custom Records. The album was produced by Winnie Swaim, and engineered by Joe Higgins. Here is the track list: SIDE 1 Why Me, Lord 2:44 Reach Out to Jesus 2:25 Jesus Hold My Hand 2:22 The Broken Vessel 3:38 King Jesus 2:13 Unseen Ha...

In 1973, at the height of the Watergate scandal, a record label called "Mr. G Records" released the song "Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell and Dean," written by Bob Warren and supposedly performed by "The Creep," as a 45 single . The same track is on both sides, a typical comic song featuring barroom piano. Apparently , the song initially got some airplay, until listeners started complaining. Here a...

In 1966,  Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen  (R-IL), known by his detractors as "The Wizard of Ooze" for his unctuous demeanor, recorded an LP titled " Gallant Men: Stories of the American Adventure ." The record was an unexpected success, and Dirksen recorded two more LPs. In 1969, Dirksen recorded this album of PSAs for the National Guard, encouraging Americans to be patriotic and volun...

In this episode, Barton Beebe , John M. Desmarais Professor of Intellectual Property Law at New York University School of Law, discusses his open-source trademark casebook and open-source publishing in general. Beebe describes what open-source publishing is, the different open-source publishing options available to authors, and why legal scholars publishing casebooks should consider open-source op...

In December 1966, the documentary film "Freedom's Finest Hour" was broadcast on national television. The film told the story of the American Revolution and the ratification of the Constitution, from the perspective of a colonist from Boston, played by Ronald Reagan. In 1967, Decca released an adaptation of the film's soundtrack on LP. The record was written by Sam Thomas, produced by Alec and Sam...

In this episode, Martin Jordan Minot, a student at the University of Virginia School of Law and the University of Virginia History Department, discusses his note " The Irrelevance of Blackstone: Rethinking the Eighteenth-Century Importance of the Commentaries ," which was published in the Virginia Law Review. Minot begins by describing who Blackstone was and why his Commentaries have come to be se...

In this episode, Robin J. Effron , Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, discusses her article " Trade Secrets, Extraterritoriality, and Jurisdiction ," which was published in the Wake Forest Law Review. Effron begins by describing what trade secrets are and how Congress has recently created and expanded federal trade secret protection, ostensibly in response to foreign trade secret misappropri...

William Claude Dukenfield (1880-1946), better known as " W.C. Fields ," was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer. He appeared in many plays and movies, always playing a hard-drinking misanthrope. In 1946, shortly before his death on Christmas Day, Fields recorded a spoken-word album, which consisted of 2 tracks: "Temperance Lecture" and "The Day I Drank a Glass of Water." The recording...

In this episode, Catherine A. Hardee , Associate Professor of Law at California Western School of Law, discusses her article in progress, "Schrödinger’s Corporation: The Paradox of Religious Sincerity In Heterogenous Corporations." Hardee begins by describing how the Supreme Court has looked to the religious beliefs of shareholders in order to determine whether a business corporation has a "sincer...

In 1977, the American Automobile Dealers Association released this 7" record, titled "America's Automobile Man" to promote automobile use. Side 1 consists of the 3:42 song/PSA "America's Automobile Man," with music, lyrics, and narration by Ralph Harrison. Side 2 consists of 5 radio spots, on a range of different automobile-themed subjects. Among other things, NADA suggests that Epictetus would ha...

In 1965, Norman Dacey published "How to Avoid Probate!," in which he advised people to avoid the probate "racket" by using an inter vivos trust. Dacey was a financial planner from Connecticut, not a lawyer. When he began advising his clients to use inter vivos trusts, the Connecticut Bar Association filed an unauthorized practice of law charge against him. In response Dacey published his book, whi...

In 1748, the English writer John Cleland published the novel "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure," popularly known as "Fanny Hill." Cleland wrote Fanny Hill while he was confined in a London debtor's prison, and it is considered the first pornographic novel. It is an "epistolary novel," consisting of two letters from Fanny Hill to an unnamed friend, describing her youth as a prostitute. Fanny Hill was...

In 1748, the English writer John Cleland published the novel "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure," popularly known as "Fanny Hill." Cleland wrote Fanny Hill while he was confined in a London debtor's prison, and it is considered the first pornographic novel. It is an "epistolary novel," consisting of two letters from Fanny Hill to an unnamed friend, describing her youth as a prostitute. Fanny Hill was...

In this episode, Maybell Romero , Assistant Professor at the Northern Illinois University College of Law, discusses her article " Profit-Driven Prosecution and the Competitive Bidding Process ," which was published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. Romero begins by observing that many municipalities have privatized criminal prosecution, contracting out the job of prosecutor to the lo...

In this episode, Christopher L. Sagers , Professor of Law at Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, discusses his new book, "United States v. Apple: Competition in America," which will be published by Harvard University Press. The book uses the United States v. Apple antitrust case to investigate antitrust policy and whether it is consistent with how people think about compe...

In 1748, the English writer John Cleland published the novel "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure," popularly known as "Fanny Hill." Cleland wrote the novel while he was confined in a London debtor's prison, and it is considered the first pornographic novel. Fanny Hill is an "epistolary novel," consisting of two letters from Fanny Hill to an unnamed friend, describing her youth as a prostitute. Fanny H...