Week 6: Illicit, What do you think?

Today we watched a National Geographic documentary in my Friday Afternoon class, Contracts & Negotiations. The film was called Illicit and is all about the illegal trade market. In the past I’ve downloaded songs through peer sharing networks or by borrowing friends CD’s and ripping the songs to my computer. I never used to think much about the process until now. As it turns out; every time someone purchases a knock off product or any item of an illicit nature they are contributing to a greater criminal organization. Just the thought that purchasing a fake Rolex helps to fund human trafficking makes me sick. Most people would claim the two transactions are not even related. I was among those people, until today. It makes a lot of sense when you really think about it. Let’s assume an organization wants to smuggle some fake Louis Vuitton hand bags into the United States from China. It is common sense that the organization would need to grease the wheels of the system, maybe bribe some customs officials. Now that the officials are paid off and in play it would be easier for the organization to leverage any prior activity against the official. In essence, the organization would have the official in their pocket. Much as certain drugs are considered “gateway” drugs. The smuggling in of knock off hand bags and designer clothing is a “gateway” event for the organization. After this they can move on to smuggling drugs, then slave labor. That’s not even the worst of it. What if the organization gets an opportunity to smuggle plutonium or the machinery needed to build an Atomic Bomb into the United States? When do we draw the line? If people exist in a constant state of apathy and think that their actions don’t affect the greater populace then they are horribly misinformed. I’ve known plenty a person who believe that voting is a waste of time. They say things like “what will 1 vote matter anyway?” The truth is that type of thought process is contagious. The same can be said for buying illicit brands. It may not seem like a big deal yet, but one day it will. I am glad to say that I do not want to be part of this system. Today was a real eye opener.

Week 4 EOC: 10 Important Vocabulary Terms

1. Patent
2. Patent Infringement
4. Filing Date
5. USPTO
6. Filing Date
7. Issue Fees
8. Allowance
9. Internet Patent
10. Blocking Patent

EOC Week Three: Jeopardy

I have never truly been a fan of the television game show Jeopardy. I have anything against it; it just feels somewhat boring to me; reminiscent of the old show M*A*S*H, which I also never really got into. Not to suggest that I avoid watching the show by any means. If someone happens to be watching Jeopardy when I walk into the room I will usually sit down and join in with guessing the answers aloud. I would never be so rude as to ask them to change the channel. At times like these I acquire a vague understanding of the interest surrounding the program. Still, I always believed Jeopardy to be a game show that only grandparents watched. I wonder what types of lives people live that draw them into watching Jeopardy so religiously. In either event I am not one of those people, nor do I intend to be. I am, however, being drawn into a more intimate relationship with the series. Today Mr. Pinto assigned a Jeopardy project for his Contracts, Negotiations and Copyrights class at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. For the project, I need to create a Jeopardy game using the definitions from our book. Everyone has the same project so I am excited to see how many people are choosing the same words, if any. As I flip through my book in search of a definition to use I notice a recurring process in my head. First I ask myself if the definition is too simple; a definition so common that merely using it suggests a non-existent belief that my colleagues are of a lower average intelligence. An example of such a term would be one of the $100 level questions which reads; “paid to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office when obtaining a patent”; the answer being “Fees”. It seems like common knowledge, but is it? Then there are times when I come a across a term in my book that I myself could not possibly guess. An example of such a term would be one of the $500 level questions which reads; “This organization was created by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade(GATT) for the purpose of enforcing the intellectual property and other trade agreements contained in that treaty”; the answer being “World Trade Organization”. So a new process arises in my mind. If the creator of a game cannot even conclude the correct answer to his own game without the text from which it’s derived, how could he expect the other players to? In closing; this project will challenge the way I think and force relationships between terms that I otherwise would never know. It’s a great exercise in learning methodologies.

EOC Week 2: What Do You Think of Lawyers?

In my experience lawyers have been opportunistic people who represent others with the intention of a big pay day. Logically speaking, as an attorney it makes a lot of sense to want the big pay day; law school isn’t cheap. But does that justify the extent some attorneys go to in order to secure their own interests? This thought process brings to the forefront of my mind the film “Law Abiding Citizen.” A fictitious story about a District Attorney who cared more about his conviction rate than the pursuit of justice, that was until the victim of one of the criminals he made a deal with forced him to see the other side of things. I have never needed a defense attorney to mitigate an alleged criminal offense. I have never needed a lawyer to sue someone, though I am considering jumping on board a class action lawsuit against the prescription drug Accutane. My personal experience with lawyers is limited to having an attorney write an intimidating letter to a Magazine company. In this experience I was scammed into signing up for a sweepstakes, which sounded too good to be true. It was too good to be true, in fact. I signed up for 3 magazine subscriptions and soon realized that the rate I was paying was much higher than the newsstand price. I decided to become self righteous and refuse to pay them anymore, but they told me that I signed a contract and if I didn’t pay I would be taken to collections. Sure enough, a few months later, I received a notice from a collection agency. The amount they were claiming I owed them, including an “early termination fee,” was $800. I attempted to settle the issue without the need for a lawyer, but they wouldn’t have any of it. They forced me to seek out the aid of an attorney. The attorney wrote them a letter and no more than a week later I received a notice informing me that all costs were forgiven. The general population may think of lawyers as greedy, evil people, but I know that is not true. Sometimes it’s nice to know a lawyer.

Week 1: EOC About Me

I am a student at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. I am currently enrolled in the Game Art & Design program. Choosing to chase this dream, of working in the video game industry, was almost a no brainer. Playing video games is one of my favorite things to do. As a game designer I will be able to share the worlds of my imagination with others; I will allow them to meet colorful characters and defeat treacherous villains. Computer technology will only continue to become more powerful and affordable. Video games will become more immersive. I have many stories locked away in my mind. As much as I wish I could simply describe the stories to others, I know that just isn’t good enough. Creating worlds that others can manipulate would be a dream come true. I know it will not be easy work. It will be hard work with long hours, but my scholastic career at the Art Institute of Las Vegas will prepare me for it. I approach every project I am assigned at school with the same level or quality that I will commit to my career in the video game industry. If I wish to be successfully I must first train myself in the practice of success.