fair and balanced - Page 2

rah · August 13, 2003, 09:18

Yeah, I can see AL now. My new book is out, now how am I going to promote it and keep it from being ANOTHER bomb.

READS PAPER THAT FOX HAS SUED. PERFECT.

Defiant · August 13, 2003, 09:29

He is up to #4 now and he is thanking FOX for the publicity.

SpencerH · August 13, 2003, 10:06

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
When?

ferinstance

I saw him give a talk at some big journalists club (I think) in washington where he blasted Clinton with him in attendance.

The Mad Monk · August 13, 2003, 10:31

Yes, but was he funny?

SpencerH · August 13, 2003, 11:04

yes

Boris Godunov · August 13, 2003, 18:23

Quote:

Originally posted by Defiant
The only chance of Franken's book to sell is to use an icon's trademark, maybe this way he will sell within 90% of what Coulter's book sales. When you can't beat them, join them.

Four of Al Franken's previous books have all made the New York Times Bestseller list, including the #1 selling Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot.

That's more national bestsellers than I see anyone here with...

Nubclear · August 13, 2003, 18:52

Coultergeist.

Dis · August 14, 2003, 02:16

he was funny on SNL

but since he has left, he has done nothing funny.

And how can Fox copyright "fair and balanced" Dumbass Spike Lee just found out how hard it is to copyright words. He lost his battle against TNN. TNN is now called Spike tv.

Urban Ranger · August 14, 2003, 04:50

Quote:

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous
reminds me of the time that Fox attempted to sue the owners of the whyfiles.com or .org or something like that because it was infringing on their ownership of the title "X-Files"

ROTFLMAO

Were they really that stupid?

Boris Godunov · August 14, 2003, 07:18

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
And how can Fox copyright "fair and balanced" Dumbass Spike Lee just found out how hard it is to copyright words. He lost his battle against TNN. TNN is now called Spike tv.

Uh, not quite...they settled with Spike, he didn't "lose." I doubt his main intent was to actually prevent them from using the name, but rather to get some attention and money over the matter.

Defiant · August 14, 2003, 08:34

He had one #1, Beat up on Rush book, the rest were duds, his show, Lapline, lackyline, whatever lasted two seasons, he is a dork. He can only get this book to the top with Fox's help.

Ned · August 14, 2003, 09:58

I haven't been following Franken's carreer, but he seems to have become a hard-left advocate rather than a comic.

From a trademark law point of view, I think FOX will win easily. I wonder what Franken is smoking if he continues this litigation.

DinoDoc · August 14, 2003, 10:00

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
I doubt his main intent was to actually prevent them from using the name,

They weren't using his name!

GePap · August 14, 2003, 10:32

Oh, yeah, Franken needs FOX's help to sell books..

I thought it was the spanking he gave O'Reilly at that press event that was goign to do it.

Franken does rather well for himself with his books, as Borsi has pointed out. As for sinking to Ann Coulter's level, hardly. Sinking to the level f many ohter partisans, perhaps, but an Coulter goes just a bit deeepr into the muck than the rest.

Quote:

From a trademark law point of view, I think FOX will win easily. I wonder what Franken is smoking if he continues this litigation.

HOw would they possibly win? First of all, the book is satire (which by itself makes the lawsuit seem trivial and spitefull, as FOX's comments show). Second, how can one possibly trademark "Fair and Balanced"? That is like sayiong CNN can trademark: "Most trusted", or before that "MOst watched".

chequita guevara · August 14, 2003, 10:35

Faux news is going after everyone remotely critical of them. I honestly think someone should sue them over the "Fair and Balanced" trademark, since it's false advertizing.

Anyway, Faux news is going after a small maker of t-shirts that parody Faux news.

They taunted antiwar activists with their marque in Times Square.

Frankly, I don't think they are just ideologically unbalanced, they are mentally unbalanced.

DinoDoc · August 14, 2003, 10:38

Quote:

Originally posted by GePap
Oh, yeah, Franken needs FOX's help to sell books..

Obviously he does. At least on the promotion side of things. Boris didn't even know Franken had a new book coming out.

PS How did they taunt you, che?

GePap · August 14, 2003, 10:42

Quote:

Obviously he does. At least on the promotion side of things. Boris didn't even know Franken had a new book coming out.

And one persons ignorence tells you what? I did not know Ann Coulter had a book out for a long time...doesn;t mean that cause I did not know, or somoene did not know it would not be selling. (do you know which is the biggest fiction best seeler now, of your head, or which big author is about to come out with something?)

All of Franken's previous books have made the top 10, why this would be different, given the state of the times, I fail to understand. BUt FOX's idiocy will help sales, if only from curiosity seekers.

DinoDoc · August 14, 2003, 10:48

You're no fun.

CygnusZ · August 14, 2003, 10:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Ned
I haven't been following Franken's carreer, but he seems to have become a hard-left advocate rather than a comic.

From a trademark law point of view, I think FOX will win easily. I wonder what Franken is smoking if he continues this litigation.

Why do you think Fox can win this? Al Franken has two things going for him:

1) His book is a work of political satire, and is therefore explicitly is granted protection against trademark/copyright infringment.

2) "Fair and Balanced" is a common English phrase. Maybe Fox can prevent another company from using it as a logo, but they cannot expect to stop ANY use of the phrase.

Fox news is wasting taxpayer money with a frivelous lawsuit, and if it wins it'll encourage a large rash of lawsuits from other parties offended by works of political satire.

mrmitchell · August 14, 2003, 10:53

Quote:

I did not know Ann Coulter had a book out for a long time.

I did.

It was all over the godfrickingdamned media, too. Any nut can write a ****ing neocon book and become some kind of a celebrity. Augh.

(It's REALLY funny, though, when neocons whine about liberals being in charge of the media...after they hear it from Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter...

)

GePap · August 14, 2003, 11:04

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
You're no fun.

Damn it, that is a lie!

*Gepap charges DinoDoc with libel

*Gepap drops charge after lawyer tells him he can't win

hmmmm.... You win this time Dino, this time

Quote:

It was all over the godfrickingdamned media, too. Any nut can write a ****ing neocon book and become some kind of a celebrity. Augh.

After it came out, yes. franken's book has yet to come out (nice for Amazon to seel this before they come out).

Q Classic · August 15, 2003, 16:25

i tried reading coulter's latest book. i really did.

i just couldn't bring myself to read past the first chapter because my head hurt so much.

i'm expecting the same from this franken book.

i don't need one of these nuts to tell me that the other side lies. it's obvious that everybody spins everything, and anybody who can't see that is blinded by their own idiotic ideology.

Sava · August 15, 2003, 16:31

Since Fox started this lawsuit, Franken's book jumped to number 1 on Amazon.

I'll buy it. I bought the Rush book, and it was funny.

Gatekeeper · August 15, 2003, 16:39

If it hadn't been for FOX filing its lawsuit against Al Franken, I probably would never have heard of, let alone buy, Franken's book. Now I'm tempted to, just to see why FOX is frothing at the mouth.

Gatekeeper