501-502: Colbert Report, "Judge, Jury & Executioner"

An introduction to intellectual property law:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

In class today, we looked at this set of questions that Judy put together for you:

1. What did the Thai student do that made the textbook company mad?
2. Please explain the “first sale doctrine.”
3. What does Stephen Colbert say are the implications if the Supreme Court rules against the Thai student?
4. Why did Stephen Colbert call Elvis Costello?
5. Why did Costello say he wanted 15 cents? What did he settle for instead?
6. What is Colbert's opinion of the case?

Useful phrases:

“I don't buy that”
garage sale
profit-sharing
“my take”
“a textbook case of ….”
“board games”

Stephen Colbert mentions eBay, and so we turned to the British Council for a relevant audio text, which you can access here. We reviewed the quiz included with the British Council lesson:

Listen to David giving his presentation about eBay in a business school seminar. Listen and correct the mistakes in this student’s notes on David’s presentation:

1. eBay was founded five years ago
2. eBay employs 12,600 people around the world
3. In 2005 the turnover was $ 5.55 million
4. From the beginning top eBay management had successful computer backgrounds
5. eBay has got shops all over the world
6. eBay is successful in Japan and Hong Kong