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August 22nd EFF Benefit Party at the DNA Lounge 90

Posted by chrisd from the attend-or-just-donate dept.
Jamie Zawinski writes "Mark your calendars: on Thursday, August 22nd, we're throwing a benefit party for the EFF at DNA Lounge in San Francisco! In addition to great music from DDR, Kid606, and many others, you can also witness the carnage of the first ever Wil Wheaton versus Barney Celebrity Boxing Match! Can Wil, with his backing from the EFF, protect free speech and parody on the Internet and defeat Barney and his team of corporate lawyers? You can also join us earlier in the evening and meet Wil at a special VIP party: see the DNA Lounge announcement or the EFF press release for more details." Even if you can't attend, isn't now a good time to renew your membership?
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August 22nd EFF Benefit Party at the DNA Lounge More

August 22nd EFF Benefit Party at the DNA Lounge

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  • DDR? (Score:2, Funny)

    by httpamphibio.us ( 579491 )
    Are we talking about music from Dance Dance Revolution? If so, is that going to be because people are playing DDR soundtrack cd's or because the game is going to be there?

  • Take This Seriously, Buddy (Score:3, Insightful)

    by capt.Hij ( 318203 ) on Tuesday July 30, 2002 @07:30AM (#3977125) Homepage Journal
    The "boxing match" sounds hilarious, and the event appears like it would be gobs of fun. Unfortunately, though, a lot of people don't take the EFF seriously, and they don't take their goals seriously. It is counter-productive if our political representatives come to think of the RFF as simply a bunch of irreverent nerds.

    Personaly, I am an irreverent nerd, and after years of not going to therapy I've come to like it. I also am willing to recognize that others haven't reached that point in their social development. The EFF is an important organization doing good work, but they need to be more careful in how others perceive them if they want to be an effective lobbying organization.

    And, yes this is a rather sad statement.

    • Good point. As an EFF member, I prefer that they focus their efforts on more serious issues.

      What the hell is the issue with Barney? It seems that they put some sort of juvenile parody on their site, to which Barney's lawyers responded with a cease and desist order. It may be that the EFF was in the wrong. If so, then just drop it! It seves no purpose to engage in further pointless juvenile behavior.

      Doesn't the EFF know that copyright owners are obliged to defend their copyrights? These people are not the enemy. For the most part, they are just honest folks trying to make a buck.
      • Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • Re:Take This Seriously, Buddy (Score:4, Informative)

        by vidarh ( 309115 ) <vidar@hokstad.com> on Tuesday July 30, 2002 @08:12AM (#3977227) Homepage Journal
        Copyright owners have no obligation to defend their copyrights. You may be thinking about trademark owners, who may lose trademark protection if they don't protect their mark.
        • In this case, I mis-typed. Barney is indeed covered by trademark law rather than copyright law.

          I was under the impression that copyright owners also needed to defend their copyright, or else the work would revert to the public domain. It may simply be that failure to formally register a copyrighted work makes it harder to defend in court against claims of public domain status. AFAIK, This is what happened to the guy who made the "Have a Nice Day" smiley-face buttons back in the 70's.
          • These days registration of copyright is only a way of publicly documenting the origination of a copyrighted work in case of disputes over who created the work, and that's about it. In any country that is a signatory to the Berne convention (most of the world), the creation of a work that can be covered by copyright is automatically covered by copyright. In other words, if you write a book, paint a painting, or even write an e-mail, the work is covered by copyright automatically whether or not you have registered it as long as you have not explicitly relinquished copyright by stating that the work is public domain.

            That said, courts will limit copyright protection for works for various reasons, and copyright law does not give protection to everything: Try to claim copyright on a word or a short phrase and you'll most likely be laughed out of court in most countries if you try to "defend your copyright". In such cases you are much more likely to succeed in obtaining trademark protection.

            (ObDisclaimer: IANAL)

      • You obviously didn't read the "Barney" [eff.org] link in the article. If you had, you would find that the EFF was hosting a site that posted the parody, they didn't put it up themselves, the site is no longer hosted by the EFF, and there is a long standing legal precedent of parody being protected by the First Amendment.

        You know, the First Amendment, one of the laws that EFF members like you and I pay the EFF to defend online.
    • It is counter productive for an organization that get the majority of it's support from the technology sector and geeks and related parts of the public to try to pretend they are something else, as that will only serve to alienate potential members and supporters.

      As for being taken seriously, numbers (of voters that may turn against you if you don't listen) and money (for lawyers to fight stupid laws when people don't listen) is far more important than being seen as some old, stuffy institution.

    • Maybe this boxing match will also resolve an ages-old argument: Who do geeks hate more, Wesley Crusher or Barney?
    • Now I can wear my Throw Barney out an airlock T-Shirt!
    • Oh, come on. If the former Attorney General of the United States, Janet Reno can get away with hosting a Dance Party [yahoo.com] to kick off her race for Governor of Florida, I think the EFF can throw a little dance party without losing too much credit.

    • Is there something wrong with geeks kicking back and partying once and a while?

      I'm sure if an EFF ref. stood before Congress, he wouldn't box with Barney the dinosaur with Kid606 kicking away in the background...

  • Barney (Score:5, Funny)

    by MullerMn ( 526350 ) <andy@nospaM.andrewarbon.co.uk> on Tuesday July 30, 2002 @07:44AM (#3977150) Homepage
    That letter to the lawyers threatinging the EFF with regards to the Barney parody (linked in the blurb above) is a good fun read.

    All it's missing is the line "Say my name, Bitch" at the end.

  • This collides with the slashdot meetup [meetup.com] date of next month....
    • The Slashdot meetup starts at 7:00pm. The DNA Lounge doesn't open until 8:00pm, and that's if you want to pay $50 for "VIP" entry. Otherwise it starts at 9:00pm.

      Also, DNA Lounge is a 21+ venue, while the three possible locations for the meetup are all restaurant/bars, and thus are all ages.

      Go to the meetup first, and then the EFF benefit. Probably many people will do this together.

      BTW, there's a Yahoo discussion group/mailing list for Slashdot in San Francisco at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/slashdot-sf [yahoo.com]. Discussion of meetup location choices, and the EFF benefit conflict has been going on there.

      -= Lunatic

  • Slashdot must really hate Wil Wheaton (Score:3, Funny)

    by Kj0n ( 245572 ) on Tuesday July 30, 2002 @08:14AM (#3977229)
    This is already the fourth time that his website gets slashdotted.

  • Why bother? (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    You can also join us earlier in the evening and meet Wil at a special VIP party

    Why do that, when I could just wait around for Wil to post a comment here and then strike up a conversation like a Star Trek obssesed stalker with no life?

    Wil, I'm outside your house!
    • Why do that, when I could just wait around for Wil to post a comment here and then strike up a conversation like a Star Trek obssesed stalker with no life?

      Wil, I'm outside your house!

      I'm not coming out until you put on your pants.

  • East Coast (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Olinator ( 412652 ) <olc+sdot&hex,cs,umass,edu> on Tuesday July 30, 2002 @08:29AM (#3977281) Homepage
    These benefits in SF are nice and all for those of us who live somewhere out there or can afford airfare, but it'd be awful nice if the EFF would put together some high profile get-togethers in Boston or New York, somewhere us rightcoasters can get to without having to surrender umpteen forms of ID [slashdot.org] along the way.

    Here's an idea: make sure there's a benefit scheduled to coincide with LISA [usenix.org] in Philly. I'll go!

    Ole

    PS. EFF, if you're listening -- get your damn secure site fixed -- the last time I tried to donate, the site barfed; I had to print out a page with my CC info filled in and fax it -- and I still never actually got billed.

    • Re:East Coast (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Or how about chicago or atlanta?

      I am sick of all the california dweebs getting the fun.

      time to set off those charges on the san-andreas and get rid of the worthless sliver of this country known as california.
  • Aren't Barney jokes a little... oh I don't know... 1994?

    • Re:Barney? (Score:2, Funny)

      by Soko ( 17987 )
      Aren't Barney jokes a little... oh I don't know... 1994?

      No! NO! Until that purple, sugar coated, white gumed (LOOK AT THE UGLY THING SOMETIME - HE HAS NO TEETH!!) lame ass excuse for corporate brainwashing of our kids is dead, I will continue to parody and make him the butt of as many jokes as I can. A pox on him.

      Hey, maybe we could resurect another '90s joke, and convince Jerry Falwell that Barney is Tinky-Winky's gay live in. Adds new meaning to "I love you, You love me...". GAHHH!

      (*Cranks up 7Dust to clear the stench of the Barney song from his head*)

      Soko

  • Good Lord (Score:3, Funny)

    by fritter ( 27792 ) on Tuesday July 30, 2002 @09:15AM (#3977416)
    ...you can also witness the carnage of the first ever Wil Wheaton versus Barney Celebrity Boxing Match! Can Wil, with his backing from the EFF, protect free speech and parody on the Internet and defeat Barney and his team of corporate lawyers?

    Obviously I haven't really woken up this morning and this is some kind of weird Slashdot dream.

  • I support the EFF, but this posting lacks content. The classified ads are diluting /.

    First, "Wanna Work for Dave Taylor & American McGee?"
    http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/07/ 28/143820 6&mode=thread&tid=127

    Now this.

  • The absolute best part.... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Lumpy ( 12016 ) on Tuesday July 30, 2002 @09:22AM (#3977459) Homepage
    is the link in the main story that is kinda- hidden. Click on the barney link and read. in fact this needs to be printed and given to every CEO.

    This is what lawyers are supposed to do.. in legaleze completely smack the face of the scumballs that send out threats like candy-grams.

    This letter in it's own made me renew right away.

  • Why should I join? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by bruthasj ( 175228 ) <bruthasj@@@yahoo...com> on Tuesday July 30, 2002 @09:26AM (#3977477) Homepage Journal
    You know, I believe in liberty. But that doesn't mean I immediately grasp blindly to anyone's political agenda. Now I am not being condescending on anyone here, but would like to get a broader perspective here.

    There may be a scale issue here, where I just don't belong on that far side of the scale. What should I do?

    And, please, give me some counter-arguments too. Why should I *not* join the EFF?

    I'd hate to join a group where I can't agree with 100% of their political agenda. I'd rather not debate the issues, but want a perspective from all sides on the scale... Of course, this site might well be one-sided on the issue.
    • If you want to know EFF's political agenda, head on over to their web site, and you can find out in detail.

      I personally donated some cash because I am a Canadian citizen. I can't "write my congressman" because I'm not a citizen in the country where lobbyists working for commercial entities are trying to limit my rights! So the best I can do is lend monetary support to a group that can do a much better job of fighting them than I can. God knows I've lent enough "monetary support" to the bad guys ...
    • And, please, give me some counter-arguments too. Why should I *not* join the EFF?
      I'm an EFF contributor, but I can think of one thing against them: they keep losing! At the MPAA-vs-2600(with EFF) trial, I thought there were several things should have been attempted, but weren't. (Granted, IANAL.) Sometimes I wonder at their overall competence and if we're not getting best possible bang for the buck. (Still, it's something. If I'm getting $50 of justice per $100 I spend, that's better than $0. ;-)

      Oh, and I was pretty surprised and disappointed [slashdot.org] at their stand on the Microsoft SmartTags thing. But I think that might have been an anomaly.

  • Obviously, someone knew he was going to get slashdotted. Wil's website [wilwheaton.net] has already batten'd the hatches and is off the net in order to protect his poor, long-suffering host from the strangling bandwidth. No word from Wil as to when it, and the forums, will be back up.

    IRC chat is still available on the Undernet (no pithy comments, please) on channel #wwdn.

  • Ode to Wil (Score:2, Offtopic)

    by LittleGuy ( 267282 )
    I blog you
    You blog me
    Ten quadloos on Wesley C
    While the MonkeyBoxers
    RAWK with defeaning fain
    Purple Lizard will be drained
  • I saw "means at are disposal". Don't they have the squiggly green underlines?
  • First the Mozilla party on a Wednesday and now the EFF Benefit on a Thursday. How about doing this sort of stuff on a weekend so people can actually attend?
    • DNA has regular scheduled events on weekends that aren't as compatible with things like Mozilla, EFF, etc.

      Or to put it another way: Jaime hates the music played at his own club on weekends, so if there's going to be a party there that he wants to go to, it's not going to be on a Friday or Saturday. (:

      As well, Fridays and Saturdays at DNA are already crowded with non-geek types. A Mozilla/EFF/etc. party combined with one of those nights would be a major clash.

      -= Lunatic
  • OK.... maybe I'm bitter, but being a long term Open Source hacker (Icecast, Liveice, Cgicast etc), EFF donator, and DJ in San Francisco you'd imagine there'd be some room for me on the DJ lineup. Hell the DNA Lounge even uses streaming software descended from my first open source mp3 streaming code.

    Hell - I even released the first open source software that let people DJ live with mpeg audio (back then layer 2 was more established and needed less CPU). Since then I've reverted to good old vinyl, but Kid 606 is one of the better known DJ's who are forging new paths in live vinyl free performances.

    Oh... and I don't suck either.... (listen to me a DJSnM.com)

    Hell.... I'll DJ *and* fight Wil Wheaton and Barney at the same time....

    • Re:Where's The Open Source DJ's (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Well, dontcha think you should be bitchin' to jwz? What is the general slashdot populace going to do to satisfy your current dilemma?
  • Incidentally, Kid 606 f***ing rocks! I wish I lived in SF.

  • It's just a freakin pinata. I want to see Wheaton square off with the real thing. Well, they could at least get a guy in a purple foam suit. Maybe I'll crash this event in costume and call WW to the mat. "Stop picking on paper effigies and fight someone your own size!"
  • ...my version of the story mentioned that this is not the first time that Wil Wheaton has worked to raise funds for the EFF. Last year, he was on The Weakest Link. See http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/11/27/021423 0&mode=nested&tid=158 [slashdot.org] for details.

    So, did he win tons of money for our favorite organization? How did he do? :) The EFF apparently got $10,000 [slashdot.org] just because he showed up. I tried searching the comments for "win" but didn't find anything.

  • The notice on IDs says "No exceptions".

    I wonder if this includes John Gilmore? (Chief Cypherpunk, owner of toad.com, and suer of airlines for requiring IDs.)

  • EFF: Your letter contains two legal claims, neither of which is defensible under existing law.

    Senator's cash register: *Kerching*

    Barney: OK kids, how about now? Hehe!

    EFF: Shit.

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