Hmm, according to this item from Boing Boing, former South Dakota State Representative and convicted rapist Ted Alvin Klaudt is claiming that the very use of his name without permission is a copyright infringement, and that anyone using the name of former South Dakota State Representative and convicted rapist Ted Alvin Klaudt without prior written authorization owes him money. According to the news story:
A letter and an accompanying document labeled ''Common Law Copyright Notice'' said former state Rep. Ted Alvin Klaudt is reserving a common-law copyright of a trade name or trademark for his name. It said no one can use his name without his consent, and anyone who does would owe him $500,000...
The letter said anyone seeking to use Klaudt's name would have to file a written request 20 days in advance. It also said he would pursue charges and other legal action against anyone who violated the notice.
Doesn't sound like like legal theory is this guy's strong suit, though chutzpah apparently is. But given that former South Dakota State Representative and convicted rapist Ted Alvin Klaudt is a guest of the state of South Dakota -- and will be for the next 52 years -- I'm not overly worried about the consequences of having forgotten to send him a written request. Besides, I'm pretty sure inmates don't have Internet access.
You can probably already guess what political party former South Dakota State Representative and convicted rapist Ted Alvin Klaudt belonged to.
(Odd factoid about this story: former South Dakota State Representative and convicted rapist Ted Alvin Klaudt's current home is the Mike Durfee State Prison -- which was formerly the University of South Dakota, Springfield before it was closed and converted into a prison. Not relevant, just odd.)
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