著作権関連＆"Minorities"

Bush criticizes university 'quota system'--from CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/15/bush.affirmativeaction/index.html
President Bush: "All races must be treated equally under the law."
Calling it "fundamentally flawed," President Bush announced Wednesday his opposition to an affirmative action program at the University of Michigan that targets minority students and said his administration will challenge it before the Supreme Court.
有名なのはこの事件
↓
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA REGENTS v. BAKKE, 438 U.S. 265 (1978)

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Supreme Court upholds copyright extensions--from CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/15/scotus.copyrights/index.html
Decision seen as victory for movie, recording industry
In a victory for Congressional authority, the Supreme Court Wednesday allowed longer copyrights for thousands of so-called intellectual properties-- from Mickey Mouse films to Tom Clancy novels.
The 7-2 ruling will make it harder for Internet publishers and others who wanted to make a range of older material available to the public without paying large royalties to the copyright holders.
At issue was whether Congress unconstitutionally extended the terms of existing copyrights. The financial implications were potentially huge for publishers and owners of creative works such as movies, novels, commercials, and art.
Justices were asked to decide whether the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act unfairly kept a range of copyrighted material from the public domain. Named for the late congressman and entertainer, the law extended copyright terms by 20 years.
Under the act, so called "works for hire" owned by companies (television sitcom scripts, commercial jingles, etc.) now have a 95-year copyright. Works owned by their creators or their estates now last the life of the author, plus 70 years.
ディズニーは昔話をただで拾ってきてそれを約100年保護してもらうってねえ。

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Malvo may be tried as adult, judge rules--from CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/15/sproject.dcsniper.malvo.hearing/index.html
A judge ruled Wednesday that teenage sniper suspect John Lee Malvo will be tried as an adult, a decision that will make him eligible for the death penalty if he's convicted.
Virginia Juvenile Court Judge Charles Maxfield ordered Malvo to be tried as an adult in the October 14 shooting death of FBI analyst Linda Franklin, one of four sniper shootings that prosecutors say Malvo carried out.
Maxfield said there is probable cause to believe Malvo, 17, was involved in the shooting.
これは2002/11/13にも書いているけど、その続報。

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肌の色聞き５０万円賠償命令--from Sankei Web
http://www.sankei.co.jp/news/030115/0115sha063.htm
　賃貸住宅探しで肌の色を尋ねられ精神的苦痛を受けたとして、コンピューター会社に勤める埼玉県蕨市のインド人男性（２８）が同県戸田市の不動産業者「ニッケン住販」と担当社員、監督する立場の県に１２０万円の損害賠償を求めた訴訟で、さいたま地裁は１５日までに、同社と社員に計５０万円の賠償を命じる判決を言い渡した。
　田中壮太裁判官（豊田健夫裁判官代読）は「肌の色を電話で執拗（しつよう）に問いただしたのは違法甚だしい」と指摘。県への請求は「理由がない」と退けた。
　判決によると、男性は２００１年４月２９日午後２時ごろ、賃貸住宅を探すため同社に日本語で電話し、インド国籍で妻がいることなどを説明。
　応対した女性社員は「肌の色は何色か」「普通の色か」などと質問したため、男性が「普通の色とはどんな色ですか」と聞き返すと「日本人みたいな色」と答えたという。

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戸籍の性別訂正三たび却下—性同一性障害で東京家裁--from Kyoto Shimbun 2003.01.12
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/news/flash/2003jan/12/CN2003011201000198B2Z10.html
　体の性別に強い違和感を抱く性同一性障害のため、埼玉県川越市の埼玉医大で女性から男性への性別再指定手術（性転換手術）を受けた４０代の当事者が、女性から男性への戸籍の性別の訂正を申し立てたのに対し、東京家裁は１２日までに、訂正を認めない審判を下した。
　医学界公認の性転換手術を受けながら、裁判所で戸籍の訂正が認められなかったのは昨年８月、１２月に続き３件目。担当裁判官は、この当事者から直接事情を聴かないまま審判を下しており、当事者は「裁判ではなく、特別な立法を求めるしかないのか」と反発している。
　同家裁は戸籍法上、訂正の理由となる「錯誤」について「戸籍の記載が当初より真実に合致しない場合」と限定的に解釈。その上で、この当事者は「出生時は（外性器など）生物学的に女性」であり、錯誤に該当しないと判断した。