On his alienship’s secret service

Scientology has never been the most open group of folks in world. Well, that’s putting it very nicely. The truth is, Scientologists have never been anything but well, religious, in their attempts to keep the doors closed and the windows tinted. Very few actually know what goes on inside the “Church of Scientology,” and the ones who do know, and are attempting to publish their knowledge, are being hunted down like felons.

Scientology leaders are now cracking down on heretics to the faith on eBay, via a loophole in the website’s anti-copyright infringement programs.

It seems that the notoriously litigious church has been using eBay’s Verified Rights Owner Program (VeRO) to keep ex-Scientologists, hoping to recoup some of the amounts that they spent on church-mandated gear, from selling their E-meters and other materials via the online auction giant. The VeRO system was developed to enable copyright and intellectual property holders to challenge the listing of counterfeit products. But the system is not entirely foolproof. As [reporter Scott] Pilutuk explains, the uninitiated may think that there is an actual grievance process involved in VeRO, with eBay verifying the claim of infringement. But apparently eBay “essentially deputizes” said intellectual property holder, who can then go in and remove the listing themselves.

Pilituk admits that the system makes sense for manufacturers such as Rolex and Gucci, who would have little recourse otherwise. But he argues that Scientology cannot claim the E-meters for sale have been counterfeit or that their sale violates any trademark or patent law.

A merry heart doeth like good medicine

I am in a library as I write, and I just now laughed out loud at this and embarassed myself.

Good to know not everyone in MLB right now is doom and gloom.

How Bout Them Patriots?

My friend Drew Kulp wins the post-Super Bowl Facebook status update war with that great line.