MJ on IP

The centerfold of Mother Jones magazine always is worth checking out, the one included in the March/April 2006 issue especially. It's devoted entirely to the politics of intellectual properties and contains some intriguing bits of information. A few highlights:

Someone evidently owns the rights to "The Internationale," the anthem of global communism.

The recording industry has sued about 16,000 people thus far in its campaign to stop file sharing.

The latest-greatest in IP are "sensory trademarks"--you know, like the Pillsbury Doughboy's creepy giggle.

Companies like rentamark.com now go prospecting for common words and phrases to copyright and trademark. Once they claim the rights, others will have to pay them for royalties.

Okay...so maybe those aren't highlights; they're lowlights. You get the picture. Now go buy the magazine.