Reader Dave asks an interesting question. Should GameStop be charging sales tax on an XBOX live membership card? Generally speaking, only “tangible goods” are subject to sales tax, though every state is different.
legal
Ford: Photos Of Your Car Are Copyright Infringement
By 1.14.08
Well, this seems misguided. A group of people who are members of the “Black Mustang Club” wanted to take some pictures of their cars and make a calendar using CafePress. Turns out, CafePress refuses to publish pictures of Ford cars due to claims of copyright infringement:
InfomercialScams.com Gets Sued Constantly
By 12.19.07
Over at the Consumer Law & Policy blog there is a post about the legal troubles of Justin Leonard, the owner of InfomercialScams.com, a site that posts unedited reviews of various infomercial products.
By 12.13.07
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Pillsbury has told a New York food co-op to stop using the phrase “bake-off” because they own it. Pillsbury coined the phrase back in 1949 (according to this unverifiable web source), and then trademarked it in the early 1970s (according to another). Now you know. (Thanks to Sarah!)
Should You Change The Title On Your House?
By 12.6.07
If you’re married and the two of you own your house, is your legal title recorded as “joint tenants” or “community property”? If you bought it recently, odds are good it’s “community property” (and it should also include “with right of survivorship”).
Is It Legal To Record My Customer Service Calls?
By 11.29.07
One important tool in dealing with companies is customer’s ability to record customer service calls, but many wonder if it’s legal or not. Well, until a company actually takes someone to court for doing it, we’ll never know for certain. However, we can look to the state by state wiretapping laws for guidance. Let’s begin.
57% Of Americans Don't Have Wills
By 11.21.07
A new Bankrate national poll says that 57% of Americans don’t have wills, even though 76% of respondents said they considered it an important thing to have. This writer doesn’t have a will, but then again, I don’t have kids, and my “heirlooms” are all made by consumer electronic companies. What about people with offspring? It’s even worse: 69% of parents with kids under the age of 18 don’t have wills, even though 88% of them say it’s important.
By 11.15.07
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Carey will be on the FOX Business Network, discussing our reader’s fabled dusty PS3, this Friday morning at 7:45 AM.
Is This Playstation 3 Too Dusty To Be Repaired Under Warranty?
By 11.14.07
We now have pictures of the Playstation 3 that Sony refused to repair under warranty because the unit was too dusty.
Inside The Mind Of A 9 Year-Old File-Sharer
By 10.29.07
TorrentFreak has posted an interview with a 9 year-old girl who uses LimeWire.
After Blogs Cry "Censorship," AT&T Says It Will Change Terms Of Service
By 10.10.07
After getting roundly whiplashed for having a clause in their Terms of Service that could be interpreted as meaning they reserved the right to terminate the service of any customer who criticized them, AT&T DSL reached out to several blogs today with the following commitment to change their ToS:
We are revising the terms of service to clarify our intent. The language in question will be revised to reflect AT&T’s respect for our customers’ right to express opinions and concerns over any matter they wish. And we will make clear that we do not terminate service because a customer expresses their opinion about AT&T.
We’ll reserve judgment until the pixels dry. As of now, their ToS is still the same.
Donning Copyright Cloak, DirectBuy Forbids Posting Of Cease And Desist Letter Sent To Consumer Opinion Site
By 10.9.07
DirectBuy got more pushback than they expected after sending a cease-and-desist to InfomercialScams.com over the site’s users calling the direct to consumer seller of furniture and home supplies a “scam” and a “nightmare.” Absurdly, DirectBuy even tried to threaten legal action if their cease and desist was published, saying it was copyrighted!
Is It Legal To Unlock The iPhone?
By 10.8.07
According to a Slate columnist, not only is it legal, but it’s ethical and fun. (Fun?) “I did just throw down more than $400 for this little toy,” he writes. “I’m no property-rights freak, but that iPhone is now my personal property, and that ought to stand for something.”
By 10.3.07
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A federal judge in California certified a class-action lawsuit against Target Corp on Tuesday. The suit claims that Target’s website is not accessible to the blind, and the plaintiffs have accused Target of violating state and federal anti-discrimination laws. “All e-commerce businesses should take note of this decision and immediately take steps to open their doors to the blind,” said the president of the National Federation of the Blind, a party to the suit. [Reuters]
Anonymous Businessman Settles Elderly Couple's Tax Nightmare
By 7.18.07
Remember the Atwoods? They were facing the possibility of losing their home after it was sold to pay $1.63 in property tax.
Elderly Couple Could Lose Home Over $1.63 Tax Bill
By 7.17.07
In 1996 a property tax bill for $1.63 was mailed to Kermit and Dolores Atwood. The bill never reached its destination, according to the Times-Picayune. Now, 11 years later, the Atwoods are in danger of losing their home.
How To Get A Cheap Divorce
By 7.6.07
Greenberg said the most common mistake couples make is to assume that justice is an absolute.
DS-MAX Tries To Shut Down Our IDT-Energy Investigation
By 6.12.07
UPDATE: Nu-Life Owns The Trademarks For Innovage AND DS-MAX
While reporting the results of our undercover investigation into IDT-Energy through one of their marketing outfits, a battle waged in the background between us and the current owners of the DS-MAX trademark.
