By Brent T. Yonehara INTRODUCTION There has been recent controversy regarding the use of the Washington Redskins trade name.[1] Today, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) summarily cancelled six trademark registrations held by the Pro Football, Inc..[2] Many people, including President Obama, have objected to the continued use of the REDSKINS mark.[3] While there …
#TwittersPatents: Analysis of @Twitter’s Patent Strategy
By Brent T. Yonehara INTRODUCTION There has been a lot of commentary on Twitter, Inc.’s lack of patent portfolio.[1] It has only increased in light of Twitter’s recent disclosure that growth potential has begun to wane with unique users remaining stagnant at around 255 million users.[2] Furthermore, its chief operating officer resigned resulting from poor …
Big Data: A Review of the Emerging Phenomenon
INTRODUCTION A new phenomenon is turning the world of technology upside-down. It is “Big Data.”[1] In this digital age, our everyday electronic necessities utilize an increasing amount of data. Multiply this by all of our spouses, colleagues, and neighbors and this makes all of this into a really big stack of data. Further multiply this …
VOTING MACHINES, SECURITY, AND THE ROLE OF SOFTWARE PRACTITIONERS
By Brent T. Yonehara Undoubtedly, the right of suffrage is a fundamental matter in a free and democratic society. Especially since the right to exercise the franchise in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of other basic civil and political rights, any alleged infringement of the rights of citizens to vote must be carefully …
THE CAPTIVE AUDIENCE DOCTRINE: A RETURN TO “DEGENERATE” ART OR TRUE REGULATION OF OFFENSIVE ART?
By Brent T. Yonehara Modern art is Communistic because it is distorted and ugly, because it does not glorify our beautiful country, our cheering and smiling people, and our material progress. Modern art . . . has become the purveyor of a destructive, degenerate, ugly, pornographic, Marxist, anti-American ideology. – Representative George Dondero[1] A cleansing …
CITIZENS UNITED v. FEC: THE CORRUPTION OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL PROCESS THROUGH INDEPENDENT CORPORATE EXPENDITURES
By Brent T. Yonehara Introduction There are myriad reasons on how corporate special interests have decimated the American political system. Jack Abramoff traded gifts for votes and tax breaks in a scandal that rocked Congress in 2005.[1] Big Tobacco contributed $46.7 million to defeat a recent California ballot measure to tax cigarettes to fund cancer …