Wednesday, August 13, 2003
This is a fair and balanced blog!
Faux News is suing to prevent publication of Al Franken's new book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right." Why? They claim it violates their trademark. Excuse me? Fair and Balanced is a trademark? I thought commonly used words and phrases, used in context, are not protected by trademark law ... not to mention that satire, especially political satire, generally trumps trademarks and copyrights (and don't get me started on the implicit lie in Faux' use of the phrase to begin with). Anyway ... as documented at Blah3, in protest of this blatant attempt to censor via misused trademark law, several hundred blogs (this one included) have added the "Fair and Balanced" tag to their titles.
Neal Pollack and Atrios have declared this Friday, August 15 2003, Fair and Balanced Friday:
You know what to do...
Faux News is suing to prevent publication of Al Franken's new book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right." Why? They claim it violates their trademark. Excuse me? Fair and Balanced is a trademark? I thought commonly used words and phrases, used in context, are not protected by trademark law ... not to mention that satire, especially political satire, generally trumps trademarks and copyrights (and don't get me started on the implicit lie in Faux' use of the phrase to begin with). Anyway ... as documented at Blah3, in protest of this blatant attempt to censor via misused trademark law, several hundred blogs (this one included) have added the "Fair and Balanced" tag to their titles.
Neal Pollack and Atrios have declared this Friday, August 15 2003, Fair and Balanced Friday:
Yes. This Friday, August 15, is Fair And Balanced day on the Internet. You are all hereby instructed to use the words Fair And Balanced in very creative ways on your various websites. My cosponsor in this effort, Atrios, informs me that many of you are already using "Fair And Balanced" in your taglines. Very good. Sometimes, I swear you don't even need instructions from me. But we can go further. Tell Fox News to take its Fair And Balanced slogan and shove it up its Fair And Balanced hole. Feel free to be more subtle than that, if you wish.
To repeat. This Friday is Fair And Balanced day. Use the slogan at will. I will not be keeping track of the uses on this site, because it made me tired last time, but I still trust that you will spread the virus in funny and creative ways. We cannot let Fox News beat us, people. If they sue one, they can sue all. Al Franken has resources. Fox News' next victim might not be so lucky.
You know what to do...
