Friday fantasies

The IPKat's much-appreciated The Onion is poking fun at veteran actor Paul Newman, "honoured for achievements in salad dressings". Newman, unlike the retiring UK prime minister Tony Blair, does seem to have paid proper attention to the protection of his name and likeness. It seems appropriate that, in his old age, the star of Cool Hand Luke and other masterpieces can exploit on salad dressings the reputation earned in his salad days. Podcast here


Andre Heitz (WIPO) is still the IPKat's friend, notwithstanding the fact that he has sent him this link to a behaviour-altering patent for US cats (it is not clear whether non-American moggies conduct themselves in the same manner). According to Market Wire:

"The Scratch Lounge's simple, yet functional design has substantially improved upon the conventional cat scratcher by tapping into a whole new aspect of cat psychology. Cats have an instinctual need to scratch and compress. Now for the first time cats can do both of these things in one place. Inventor Frank Novak says, "Most cats immediately jump into the Scratch Lounge as if they have been waiting for it to arrive."

The Scratch Lounge received a US Utility Patent # 7,117,821 for its unique design that cats use ten times longer than conventional scratchers. The Scratch Lounge has also received the Editor's Choice Award for 'Best New Product' of 2006 by Pet Product News".

The truth is sometimes less exciting than the myth Part 1. After reporting on the ruling that Beate Uhse must pay damages to German footballers Michael Ballack and Oliver Kahn for using their names to sell her vibrators, the IPKat now learns - via the excellent and reliable Margaret Marks (Transblawg) that the Landgericht 'decision' was actually a settlement. Kahn and Ballack sued for 60,000 euros each but agreed to accept 50,000. Thanks, Margaret!

Right: Michael Ballack celebrates his negotiated settlement


The truth is sometimes less exciting than the myth Part 2. The IPKat's old friend Jim Davies (Bell Dening) was the first of several people to send him this item on the 'shock horror' revelation that an English judge (Judge Peter Openshaw: copy-protected picture here) didn't know what a website was. More on judicial ignorance, real or apocryphal, here.