Protecting Twain: Intellectual property lawyers assess in The National Law Journal how the Mark Twain Foundation is claiming a copyright on the first volume of Twain's autobiography despite its planned publication outside the protective window for an unpublished work. The Autobiography of Mark Twain: Volume 1 goes on sale Nov. 15.
Watch Out: The Obama administration is planning to step up its approach to policing the Internet with new laws and a new position to oversee online privacy initiatives, The Wall Street Journal reports. The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to unveil the strategy in a report in the coming weeks.
Calling All Artists: Over the past year or so, an often-ignored ruled that reserved lofts in SoHo for working artists has seen a re-awakening of sorts, The New York Times reports. Lawyers are advising clients about the artist certification requirement. According to The Times : "It has never been entirely clear who qualifies as an artist; the applications and even the names of the two judges who decide are not available to the public."
Judicial Mood Swings: Pennsylvania's Judicial Conduct Board has filed misconduct charges against a magisterial district judge who allegedly told an attorney to "shut up," threatened to hold another in contempt of court and called a criminal defendant a "scumbag," The Legal Intelligencer reports via Law.com. In other judicial misconduct news, a San Diego County judge resigned from the bench to settle discipline charges over her taping of courtroom proceedings in the hope of securing her spot on a "Judge Judy"-style television show, The Recorder reports.
Painting in Providence: Artists in Providence are painting temporary murals on seven shuttered buildings as part of a program to revitalize neighborhoods struggling with foreclosure and disinvestment, The Providence Journal reports. Artists painted three mural last year on foreclosed homes in the city's Smith Hill neighborhood.
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