Saturday 9 November 2013

Link Tank 09/11

After one of those nights ...

The fight for freedom of speech starts here

Copycats stop e-cigarette creator cashing in

California to propose protective goggles for porn stars

Iran's fake fast food brands

Mexico's soda tax and cola wars

Milton Keynes to trial driverless pods

343 French bastards say 'Hands off my whore'

Missouri University looks to ban nerf guns

Kindergarten pupils banned from touching each other in Canada

Pollution-eating fish


7 comments:

Fuming Ferret said...

Sob,sob,sob for our Vaping fans,you know, the ones who thought they could
shrug off the smoking ban by creeeping round with a LikoSticks perched in their silent mouthpieces. Remember the screaming claims "use em here ,use em there,use em anywhere" Did they think the BigDrugBoys would let their
billion dollar nice earner be wittled away by steaming vanilla tubes,not on your
smoke free nelly
Latest gang to receive a nudge from the "health lobby" AKA schhhhhhh
U NO U
Greater Manchester Buses and Trams
Signs are up WITH E CIG SYMBOL (nice)
<<<<<>>>>
Now then ,wait for it ,storms of protest,barricades,riots,disorder,massed ranks of militant vapers and their suppliers
In your dreams,like the tobacco fans before them, they will slither like shorn sheep into their gutters and backyards,maybe an odd twitter or two ,occasionally a splash on Facebook, or just subserviant silence.
Caeser at Allecia (Quote ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?

nisakiman said...

The Iran lookalike outlets story is reminiscent of a recent story from Bangkok:

"Thai authorities are considering a call from Starbucks, the kaisers of
corporate coffee, to arrest the owners of a hand-pushed coffee cart with
a curious name."


"Starbucks also filed an additional lawsuit against Starbung for
violating Articles 109 and 110 of the Thai Trademark Act B.E.2534. The
coffee chain asked Starbung to pay damages of THB300,000 plus 7.5%
interest and make a monthly payment of THB30,000 until the defendant
stops using the logo. That case is set to go to court on Feb. 10, 2014."


http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/10/18/bungholes-starbucks-demands-arrests-ip-case

You would think an international chain like Starbucks would be a little less heavy-handed given that their target here is a couple of blokes with a street stall in Bangkok. They should have taken the view that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but no, the humourless suits have gone for the jugular. Talk about a sledgehammer to crack a nut...

Rursus said...

“I am very encouraged by the early findings coming out of Australia
following implementation of plain packaging there. These add to, and
support, the wealth of existing evidence which consistently shows that
plain packaging would reduce the appeal of tobacco products to
consumers."

Source: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Tobacco-plain-packaging-5f1.aspx


Which "early findings" and "existing evidence" is he talking about? ;)

Dick_Puddlecote said...

The 'evidence' which says that people generally don't like ugly boxes as much as normal ones. Still nothing to say that this elementary observation actually reduces sales of course, but then politicians are easily-conned.

Dick_Puddlecote said...

I suppose it's a precedent thing they worry about. How eager they'll be to get involved with going after Iranian businesses is another thing entirely. ;)

nisakiman said...

Heh! Yes, I hadn't considered that aspect of it, but I guess even the suits will think twice about attracting the attentions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Thailand is a soft target by comparison.

JonathanBagley said...

Cigarette bans really are bans, as cigarette smoke has a strong smell, is composed of particles and takes a long time to dissipate. Ecig bans are not very effective as ecigs produce vapour, which hardly smells and dissipates very quickly. I do agree though, that we will probably, "slither like shorn sheep into their gutters and backyards."

I'm more worried about the ecig patent issue and what the patents which the large tobacco company have bought cover.