Frivolous lawsuit

[Thorin]

I'm actually quite surprised this happened, but the frivolous lawsuit against The Oatmeal (a webcomic) has been dropped!

https://www.eff.org/press/releases/charles-carreon-drops-bogus-lawsuit-against-oatmeal-creator

Basically, FunnyJunk stole (displayed without attribution) The Oatmeal's comics for years, The Oatmeal's creator wrote a blog post about FunnyJunk stealing his stuff, and a year later was served with a demand for payment in a cease and desist letter from FunnyJunk.  Instead, he posted the cease and desist letter and ridiculed it, and then set up a fundraiser for the demanded payment, stating explicitly that he would donate it rather than give it to FunnyJunk.  FunnyJunk's attorney (an asshat) donated $10 to the fundraiser, then sued The Oatmeal's creator and indiegogo.com (the site used for the fundraiser) to try and stop them from donating the money (he claimed he had rights over how all the money was handled, since he'd donated 0.00495% of it).

Man, the US needs to add some kind of public ridicule process for frivolous-lawsuiting asshatters like this Charles Carreon.  Like, put him in the public stockade for a day, or something.

[Mr. Analog]

The US of A would grind to a halt if frivolous lawsuits were no longer possible...

[Thorin]

Err, wouldn't the exact opposite happen?  It would return to being an economic and productive powerhouse?

[Tom]

Err, wouldn't the exact opposite happen?  It would return to being an economic and productive powerhouse?

Nooo. thats what would happen if you made copyright more strict. and longer. don't forget longer.

And more patents. PATENT ALL THE THINGS.

[Mr. Analog]

Err, wouldn't the exact opposite happen?  It would return to being an economic and productive powerhouse?

No, I'm sure more people are employed by the Legal industry than all big 3 auto makers combined.

The road to recovery starts by removing peoples' sense of entitlement, which is going to be a daunting task in the US. I spill hot coffee in my crotch it's clearly YOUR problem for making such hot coffee! The solution of course is to add a warning label.

Even if the whole world was covered in warning labels and nerf padding people are dumb enough and egocentric enough to get in trouble and blame someone else for it.

[Darren Dirt]

Err, wouldn't the exact opposite happen?  It would return to being an economic and productive powerhouse?

No, I'm sure more people are employed by the Legal industry than all big 3 auto makers combined.

bold = pretty much the only "manufacturing" still in America. (i.e. the source of past "economic powerhouse" status)

[Mr. Analog]

Err, wouldn't the exact opposite happen?  It would return to being an economic and productive powerhouse?

No, I'm sure more people are employed by the Legal industry than all big 3 auto makers combined.

bold = pretty much the only "manufacturing" still in America. (i.e. the source of past "economic powerhouse" status)

That's a pretty big misconception actually, most consumer products are made abroad but they frequently contain components made in America. Industrial and heavy manufacturing is still going strong...

[Thorin]

If they all left the frivolous lawsuit industry, just think how much _productive_ work they could attain!

That sense of entitlement goes hand in hand with the "American dream" of making it big, getting rich quick, and retiring.

Also, Tom, nice sarcasm there