I am upset
With all that is on my plate
These last few years
(the cancer scare, my husband leavingÉ kids 24/7)
I sometimes wonder if it is worth the hassle to continue
The last few months has been that way..
me thinkingÉ
wondering
why I still fight to stay here on the netÉ
And now I have been slapped with a patent infringement notice by Acacia research for creating audio content and for formerly having banners on my sites that link to sites that have audio and or video available to the surfers that visit them..

Many of you probably haven't heard of acacia research. I wouldn't except you too unless you follow the stock market. É

i guess the best way to explain it is to include this note drafted to John Doe Senator (click here)

some have a flair for decorating
i know I have a flair for living in dramatic proportions
full blown passions
the attention
the rage of emotions

society would say that is co-dependency issue
or rather the need for attention
mostly negative

but i believe they know nothing of passion
they
politicians
preachers
the sheep walking the roads of conformity
making everything
bland and tasteless
white wash everything
they do have soap boxes
they are apathetic

i want nothing of that palatable journey

no matter what sickness they call this thing I have
this hunger
need
desire
lust!
it is a good thing to feel
even if it is pain
it is a good thing to know where the line is drawn
even if it is drawn through one you love
it is a good thing to take a stand and fight
even if it is against common notion that peace in our times is worth the compromise.

Do you see the ramifications?

Possible offenders include universities that offer lectures and courses on-line; adoption agencies that post videos of prospective adoptees; volunteer organizations like the American Council of the Blind that archive audio from blind poets and musicians as well as news services, on-line radio and webmasters who make their content accessible to the general public. The list of offenders goes on and on: artists, entertainers, businesses, churches that archive prayers and sermons; political parties/candidatesÉ and any john doe that puts up audio clips of his family or video of the babies first stepsÉ

It is like patenting airÉ

Some people have asked why not ask the software manufacturers that make audio and video possible to license these patents. Well, according to an Acacia representative, "It makes more sense from a business perspective for us to license the user of the technology É rather than trying to license a software manufacturer that is giving away the software or licensing it for small amounts on a one-time sale,"

Greed - Power - Corrupts absolutelyÉ

Acacia is relying on lawyer sense to make everyone they contacted pay their licensing fee - to not fight this. In 1999, the American Intellectual Property Law Assn. said the average patent infringement case in California cost each party $2 million.

So what to do.. I am still naive enough to think letters can make a difference.. I have a form letter here that you can help me circulate. Read it over - feel free to edit it - but send something to your political representative...

Don't bury your head and the sand and wait for someone else to fight this. There can be NO PEACE IN OUR TIMES if our freedoms are taken away.

Oceania

click here for the form letter