On Jan 6, 2008 12:31 PM, Craig White wrote: > > On Sun, 2008-01-06 at 11:32 -0700, Mike Schwartz wrote: > > On 1/6/08, Craig White wrote: > > > [...snip...] According to Roy > > > Beckerman, lawyer defending several RIAA targets, this is no accident > > > but rather the deliberate attempt by plaintiff (RIAA) to establish > > > precedent and thereby codify their view of fair use. > > > > > > Craig > > > --------------------------------------------------- > > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - [...] > > > > "So far", this has been a very interesting thread. > > I haven't followed (read) "all" of the links to outside interesting web pages, > > but I did check out > > http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=401886&threshold=0&commentsort=5&mode=flat&cid=21859278 > > a little bit, and it has a link to > > http://web.archive.org/web/20070516072606/http://www.riaa.com/issues/ask/default.asp > > which I found very interesting. > > HOWEVER, the main reason I am writing now, is that I noticed > > that der.hans picked up on something about the lawyer Ira Schwartz. > > (**NOTE**: no relation to me, as far as I know). > > It's just that, a lawyer named Ira M. Schwartz (probably the same guy) > > came and spoke to the Phoenix Chapter ACM (which I was the treasurer > > of "at the time) on Tues., Nov. 19, 1996. (The meeting was also jointly > > sponsored by the Phoenix Chapter of the IEEE Computer Society, and > > I think also a SPIN group too). Ira Schwartz had been invited to speak by > > the chairperson of the chapter, Tony Rizzo. The topic of his talk was > > "Software and the law" > > and the meeting was held at DeVry [2149 W Dunlap] and I can tell > > you (I was there) that the presentation was very interesting. I would even > > say, fascinating. Also, the speaker seemed to be knowledgeable and > > sorta "able to see both sides" on a very wide range of issues. Many of the > > issues he mentioned seemed to me, to be of the kind that strikes one as, > > "hey, that is really interesting, I haven't really thought about / realized some > > of that before, (but I probably should have!)". > > A few days ago (probably 01Jan2008) I e-mailed Tony, to ask him whether > > this lawyer (mentioned in this case) was the same guy. I still have some > > copies (paper) of the Newsletter that was mailed out announcing the meeting, > > [hence the amount of specific details included above, way more than > > my "off hand" recollection would have probably been limited to] > > and it says that, at the time, Ira M. Schwartz was > > << "the managing attorney for Schwartz & Associates, > > which emphasizes intellectual property law. > > [...] Schwartz is [1996] a frequent lecturer on copyright > > and computer law topics, [...]" >>. > > I may also have at least one electronic copy of that newsletter (probably in > > an MS-word format "older than Word 97!") lying around somewhere... > > -- I'd have to check, and so far I am too lazy -- > > so that will have to remain a definite "maybe". > > Per his prompt e-mail reply, Tony Rizzo apparently hasn't kept in touch > > with that lawyer / speaker (and - hey - it has been over 11 years), so he was > > not sure whether this (the lawyer mentioned in this thread) is the same guy. > > But I think he was local (living somewhere in the valley) at least, at > > that time > > [1996] so I think it is probably the same lawyer. > > Just thought this was interesting... > > (even though - as far as I know - this lawyer Ira Schwartz is no > > relation to me). > ---- > #1 - I previously provided links to the slashdot article about the 'old' > archived RIAA statements about fair use. That link however, is not the > position of the RIAA today. > > #2 - It's clear that your Ira Schwartz and the attorney for the > plaintiff RIAA v. Howell are one and the > same...http://www.deconcinimcdonald.com/attorneys/schwartz.html > > #3 - Clearly you weren't using an up to date version of Microsoft Word > 2003 or Word 2007 to open that old document because you would have been > prevented from doing that (sanitized for your protection). I hope that > you didn't violate Microsoft's intellectual property by using a > non-Microsoft program to open that file. > > Next time you run into Ira, you might want to inquire if he sleeps well > at night knowing that he earns his living by beating up citizens that > can't afford representation. At least in this instance, it was neither > an old lady nor a young kid but it appears that he did RIAA proud and > would likely get more opportunities to build on this distinguished > activity. > > Good to know that he isn't a relative but I recognize that all families > have their 'black sheep' - First hand proof that you can steal more > money with a pen than with a gun. > > Craig Thanks, Craig, for your comments. Here are some replies in response to some of them: > Clearly you weren't using an up to date version of Microsoft Word > 2003 or Word 2007 to open that old document [...] The copies of the old newsletter that I did read, (the ones I have found so far) are paper copies. Not electronic. Obviously some Hex editors can read any file that has bits in it - - an I might seriously consider doing so, if I find an old file that pre-dates "Word 97". Actually, now that I think about it, any program (such as OOo or Wordpad) that can read a *.rtf file, can probably read the old "Word 6.0" format... Hmmm... I might have to re-name the file [to a *.rtf name]; but that is speculation / future tense, since I may not be able to find the old file. > [...] if he sleeps well at night [...] Good one. ((maybe there is a course in law school that covers sleeping well...)) > all families have their 'black sheep' - [...] TRUE! And in this case PUNNY too (since "schwartz" [spelled without the "t" in German, because in German a "z" is always pronounced as a "tz" sound even without the "t") means "black". [der.hans could probably elaborate better than I could...] > Next time you run into Ira, [...] Not too often. Even Tony Rizzo has not kept in touch with Ira. -- Mike Schwartz Glendale AZ schwartz@acm.org --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss