Showing posts with label licensing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label licensing. Show all posts

Judge Rules Nobody Owns "Happy Birthday To You"

by Ted Johnson.       A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the lyrics to “Happy Birthday to You” are not protected by copyright, concluding that Warner/Chappell Music does not hold a valid claim to the song. It raises the prospect that royalties will no longer be collected from public performances of the song in movies, TV shows and other         ... MORE

Guy Bentley: Good News For Cronies: Study Shows Regulations Are Strangling New Businesses At Birth

Protecting incumbent businesses from competition. Businesses are being strangled at birth and prevented from hiring workers, according to a new study looking at regulations across 215 industries. Using data on the extent of federal regulations, the Mercatus Center finds that a 10 percent increase in regulation leads to 0.5 percent fewer firm   ... MORE

Regulation Nation: New York City's Licensing Scheme Can Rake In Over $200,000 For One Hot Dog Vending Permit

by Kiri Tannenbaum. Greedy gov't policy restricts competition. While the typical New York City hot dog costs about the same ($2-$3) at every street cart, the fees the vendor pays can vary wildly. Some pay just a few thousand a year, while other vendors pay the city more than $200,000 just to have their carts in the right spots. According to the New York  ... MORE

California: Protect Your Driver's License Privacy

by Jeremy Gillula and Dave Maass.     The California Legislature wants the DMV to start issuing “Enhanced Driver Licenses” (EDL), similar to a REAL ID, that contain an RFID tag that could expose information about you from up to 30 feet away.  We need your help to bring S.B. 249 to a screeching halt by calling or emailing your state legislator today.  ... MORE

Walter E Williams: The Struggle For Economic Liberty

The war against Uber, Lyft and consumers.  Where public utility commissions decide who will have the right to go into the taxi business, a prospective entrant must apply for a "certificate of public convenience and necessity." Lawyers for the incumbent taxi owners, most often corporate owners or owner associations, appear at the hearing to argue that ... MORE

VIDEO: Walter E Williams - Common Sense

Occupational Licensing Hurts Just About Everyone

by Elizabeth Nolan Brown.     The White House Council of Economic Advisors gets it.  Horse masseurs.  Hair braiders.  Funeral attendants. Florists. All are subject, at least in some states, to "occupational licensing," defined by the Treasury Department as "a government permit allowing workers to legally practice." Since the 1950s, the     ... MORE

Greg Markle: Dentist Under Fire For Not Charging Enough

The ugly reason behind licensing laws.     A licensed dentist and orthodontist in Arkansas was told that he would lose his license after offering low-cost teeth cleanings to anyone without health insurance. Dr. Ben Burris runs eleven orthodontist offices in Arkansas. He started offering teeth cleanings for $69 for kids and $99 for adults in 2013, a    ... MORE

Lenny Bernstein: U.S. Faces 90,000 Doctor Shortage Within A Decade, Medical School Association Warns

A shortage created by government.      The United States faces a shortage of as many as 90,000 physicians by 2025, including a critical need for specialists to treat an aging population that will increasingly live with chronic disease, the association that represents medical schools and teaching hospitals reported Tuesday. The nation's shortage of   ... MORE

John Stossel: The Better Way

It's easy to "fire" a business that rips you off.   Just go to a different one. It's a lot easier to patronize another business than to get government to fix the problem. But bad businesses and the politicians they own, I mean influence, often don't want you to have that choice. I've written about how taxi companies don't like competition   ... MORE

Resolve To Make 2015 The Year Of Repealing Bad Laws

by George Leef.    A message to politicians. Look folks, I know that when you say you want to do what’s in the public interest, you mostly mean doing whatever helps you stay in office and calling it “the public interest.” Some of you, however, might actually want to do things that benefit the great mass of the people. This missive is directed   ... MORE

California Begins Issuing Drivers' Licenses To Illegal Aliens

by Jazz Shaw.    Welcome to 2015, with the usual hopes for new beginnings and fresh starts. Along with that, there is the expected flood of new laws going into effect all across the nation as proof of the various legislative bodies getting the work of the people done. The people of California in particular will see the fruits of their elected  ... MORE

Jose Pagliery: Expect Heavy FAA Drone Regulations

Government rapidly seeks to curb new freedom.  Farmers want drones to survey fields. Wedding photographers want them for moving aerial shots. They might soon need a pilot's license. By year's end, the Federal Aviation Administration will unveil proposed rules that apply to anyone flying a small drone that's even remotely for business   ... MORE

Jim Hightower: Rabid Florida Police SWAT At Barbers

Barney Fifes on steroids.     When it comes to policing an area, the good people of Orange Country, Florida are lucky, because they’ve got the astonishing law-enforcement team of DBPR and OCSO on the beat, eager to stop any possible criminal activity. Consider just one example of the truly-incredible vigilance of this dynamic policing duo.     ... MORE

Veronique de Rugy: Government Failure Is Baked In

Why the least government is the best government. On July 14, The New York Times reported that scientists at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had mishandled dangerous strains of anthrax and bird flu, failed to follow correct safety procedures after employees were exposed, and neglected to notify the appropriate         ... MORE