Self-proclaimed LawGeek, EFF attorney, and fellow Copyfighter Jason Schultz posted a neat little comparison of the Long Room Library at Trinity College in Dublin and the Jedi Archives in Star Wars: Episode 2: Attack of the Clones (George Lucas: Public Domain Pirate). See for yourself:
Jason notes that "Lucas can't be sued for copyright infringement because the Long Room Library was built between 1712-1732. Lucky for him there wasn't a Thomas Burgh Copyright Term Extension Act back then. I mean theft is theft, right? Just like shoplifting a CD from a music store." Well, here is something that is still in copyright, but Hollywood thinks can be stolen:
The first photo, according to the Museum of Hoaxes (Lady Liberty on Lake Mendota) is thanks to:
Jim Mallon and Leon Varjian, the two leaders of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's notorious Pail and Shovel (P&S) party ... [who had] promised to buy the Statue of Liberty and bring it to Wisconsin. Being men of their word, they actually made good on their campaign vow, much to everyone's surprise....Varjian claimed that the statue had been flown in by helicopter, but that the cable holding it had snapped causing Lady Liberty to crash through the ice until only the top of her head and her arm remained above water.The other photo is from some bogus disaster movie, called The Day After Tomorrow or some such pretentious nonsense.
via Satellite News
Note (as you probably know) that one of those responsible for the Lake Mandota prank, Jim Mallon, was also one of the creators of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Joe
Posted by Joe Gratz on June 30, 2004 10:30 PM | Permalink to Comment(A proud UW-Madison alum)