To Fox, ‘Fair and Balanced’ Doesn’t Describe Al Franken

The NYTimes Reports, a judge is being asked to decide an important question: who has the right to use the word “fair” and the word “balanced” together, connected by the word “and”?

Lawyers for Fox News Network, part of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, News Corporation, contend that Mr. Franken should not be allowed to use those words in the title of his new book due in stores next month, “Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right”

August 12, 2003 by Uncategorized 5

You may also like...

5 Responses

  1. Brian says:
    August 12, 2003 at 7:50 pm

    Ch-ching!
    Franken and his publisher must be jumping for joy about this suit, as it can only help book sales.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous Patron says:
    August 12, 2003 at 9:47 pm

    yup
    Seems likely.

    I don’t like that they also copied look and feel, and O’Reilley? on the cover as well… It would be a much cleaner case if they just used the words.

    The *OTHER* unbelieveable thing, is that some trademark guy allowed “Fair and Balanced” as a trademark, it’s nothing special, like say “Microsoft”, it’s more along the lines of “Green Apples” in being descriptive. If they’re allowing shit like that, I need to dig up some money so I can land me some properties to sue from.

    — Ender, Duke_of _URL
    ®

    Reply
  3. Fang-Face says:
    August 13, 2003 at 12:54 am

    Murdoch; unfair and overbalanced

    “The attempt to keep the public from reading Franken’s message is un-American,” . . .

    So sayeth Dutton spokeswoman Lisa Johnson. Well, duh! Murdoch is an Aussie, and the notion of rights and freedoms in Commonwealth countries is warped to say the least. Murdoch took an American citizenship for the sole purpose of expanding his media empire; which he couldn’t do in the U.S. without citizenship. This is a frivolous, dog-in-the-manger law suit and I hope some judge has the sense to toss Murdoch’s ass out into the street. Legalisticly speaking, we are already not allowed to talk about the news while standing on a street corner because of the DMCA. Now they’re trying to legislate what words people are not allowed to use.

    Reply
  4. Fiona says:
    August 13, 2003 at 4:28 am

    Re:Murdoch; unfair and overbalanced
    Murdoch is an Aussie, and the notion of rights and freedoms in Commonwealth countries is warped to say the least.

    Woah! Australia is nowhere near as dog-eat-dog as the US appears to be. We may not have a bill of rights, or the right to free speech, but we do have the all-aussie “Fair Go” which although lacking in legal statute, serves to punish those that violate it by public humiliation in the press.

    Example:

    “I’m going to sue you!”
    “Cripes… fair go mate!”

    See? Rights are in the system via this simple and effective tool.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous Patron says:
    August 13, 2003 at 11:12 pm

    Faux : by idiots for idiots….
    … we distory, you comply.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

LISNews Archives