A woman who runs a small toy store in Oregon was recently visited by DHS agents, who demanded that she remove a toy called Magic Cube from her shelves, as it infringed on the patent for Rubik's Cube. She quickly complied, fearful that they'd shut her down, and only later contacted The Toysmith Group to learn that the patent on Rubik's cube had expired, and the Magic Cube did not infringe on the rival toy's trademark.
As far as copyrights go, the copyright on Rubik's Cube is one I'd support - they came up with a good, original toy that was wildly successful, and should be able to reap the profits without worrying about knockoffs. But the copyright is expired, and Rubik is not to blame here. Why on earth are DHS agents concerning themselves with the rights on toys??? The Department of Homeland Security was founded "to protect the American homeland and the safety of American citizens", not to pursue small businessmen, even if they are selling a product that was manufactured illegally, which this woman was not. In such a case a different agency should go after the manufacturer. Aargh. This bothers me.
There must be something wrong with me, because this doesn't make me feel one bit more "secure."
Orwell was off on the date by 20 years, but other than that . . .