Week 4 EOC: What is Copyright?

Many have heard of copyright, but few grasp the importance. Studying and working in the field of creativity and design it is extremely important to be educated on how to product your work. 

What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.(1)

As a creative designer a specific form of copyright to be aware of is intellectual property:Intellectual Property refers to products that come from the creative mind. Intellectual property is imaginateion made real. Intellectual property is an asset just like your home, your car, or your bank account. Intellectual Property protection comes in the forms of: 

Patents, copyright, trademarks, or trade secrets. (2)

Understanding the complexity of copyright laws can be challenging; different situations refer to a different laws and forms of protection. 

CITED BLOG SOURCES 

1.) U.S. Copyright Office 

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html

2.) Understanding Intellectual Property: By Mary Bellis

http://inventors.about.com/od/patenttrademarkcopyright/u/Intellectual_Property.htm

3.) Copyright on a Napkin 
http://www.thewavingcat.com/2007/07/19/copyright-on-a-napkin/

Week 3 EOC: PG&E

How much money is your health worth?

In 1952 The small town of Hinkley California, located in the Mojave Desert, had its groundwater contaminated with hexavalent chromium. After many illnesses and deaths due to the intoxication, the situation ending up resulting in a multimillion dollar legal settlement against Pacific Gas and Electric  in 1996. The case was then dramatized in the Julia Roberts film Erin Brockovich who was the real life legal assistant that dug up all the dirt on PG&E making the settlement possible. all together a estimated 1,100 All together a estimated 1,100 people has serious effects due to PG&E that no amount of money can ever account for. 

PG&E was not only aware of the horrible effects that followed the use of chromium to the local residents but insinuated through the use of flyers that it could Benefit you health. The following was puled from the original PG&E FLYER 

Chromium occurs in  HYPERLINK "http://www.clwa.org/chromium.htm" \t "_blank" two forms. The form that is present in groundwater can cause health effects in high doses. The cleanup program, however, will result in chromium levels that meet the very conservative drinking water standards set by the EPA. In addition, the form of chromium that will be left on soils after irrigation is nontoxic. In fact, chromium in this form is a naturally occurring metal that is an essential ingredient in the human diet, one that is often included in multiple vitamin/mineral supplements.

Reading these words, one could reasonably think PG&E's hexavalent chromium was almost beneficial. Failure to properly identify the dangerous type of "chromium" it had dumped into the environment wasn't PG&E's only omission. The flyer made it sound like detection of contamination at the compressor station was a new development. It wasn't. PG&E first knew about plant contamination by at least 1965. (1)

PG&E did pay a multimillion dollar price for their actions but in reality no cost can compensation what the people had endure. "It wasn't just the people who lived by the (PG&E) plant who were affected but everyone living in Hinkley," said Stephen Wainer, an attorney for the defendants. (2) This case is pure cruelty the workers and local residence trusted PG&E, in the end got a some money and a life long fight for their health. Putting profits over humanity is a  typical and depressing level of greed. 

The case has become a landmark for other plaintiffs whose "Preconception" injuries would previously have been completely disregarded. (3) I can only hope this case continues to be a rock in the justice system, hoping that something positive could come from it. 

CITED BLOG LINKS:   

1.Erin Brockovich(Anderson v Pacific Gas & Electric)                                    

HYPERLINK "http://www.awesomestories.com/content/about_author.htm" \t "_blank" Author: Carole D. Bos, J.D. 

2.PG&E Settles final lawsuits over chromium 6 poisoning; Associated press
http://www.dailynews.com/20080404/pge-settles-final-lawsuits-over-chromium-6-poisoning

3.Erin Brockovich(Anderson v Pacific Gas & Electric)                                    

HYPERLINK "http://www.awesomestories.com/content/about_author.htm" \t "_blank" Author: Carole D. Bos, J.D. 

Week 2 EOC: The Supreme Court

THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

 The constitution of the United States of America clearly outlines in Article III the role of the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court has a special role to play in the United States system of government. The Constitution gives it the power to check, if necessary, the actions of the President and Congress.(1) The court is essential in american government as all major political issues pass through this system. Abortion is a current and heated issue in the Supreme Justice Court.

Supreme court case 410 U.S. 113 Roe V. Wade, appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District f Texas, demonstrates the issue of abortion clearly: A pregnant single woman (Roe) brought a class action challenging the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws, which proscribe procuring or attempting an abortion except on medical advice for the purpose of saving the mother's life. A licensed physician (Hallford), who had two state abortion prosecutions pending against him, was permitted to intervene. A childless married couple (the Does), the wife not being pregnant, separately attacked the laws, basing alleged injury on the future possibilities of contraceptive failure, pregnancy, unpreparedness for parenthood, and impairment of the wife's health. A three-judge District Court, which consolidated the actions, held that Roe and Hallford, and members of their classes, had standing to sue and presented justiciable controversies. Ruling that declaratory, though not injunctive, relief was warranted, the court declared the abortion statutes void as vague and overbroadly infringing those plaintiffs' Ninth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The court ruled the Does' complaint not justiciable. Appellants directly appealed to this Court on the injunctive rulings, and appellee cross-appealed from the District Court's grant of declaratory relief to Roe and Hallford.(2) Like all cases it is a sensitive issue, I personally feel every woman has the right to her body. Many take abortions to lightly, but the only woman living the situation and has a full understanding is the woman carrying the new born. I believe it is against the constitution to outlaw abortions.

The Supreme Court in America adjudicates on acts passed through the political system by Congress and President. The Supreme Court's task is to declare whether an act is constitutional or unconstitutional. The Supreme Court cannot initiate a bill/act - it can only adjudicate. Presidents appoint Supreme Court judges and the Court was to play a part in the outcome of the Election.(3) It is such a process when developing the court system because like the Roe v. Wade case parties involved are faced extremely challenging cases that required knowledge and a deep understanding on the American foundation.

  BLOG CITATIONS LINKS: 

1. The Role of the Supreme Court

2. Cornell Law School 

3. Supreme Court

Week 1 EOC: The Voice

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” A quote by the wonderfully famous coco chanel that I live by. My name is Brittany Norris and I am fashion. I have had the opportunity to work with designers and companies such as BCBGMaxazria, Michael Kors, Saks 5^th Avenue and currently Tory Burch. Watching the retail process is remarkable . A incredible amount of  work goes into developing the collections we see and love on the selling  floor. Many consumers are unaware of how much hard work, dedication, and most importantly passion, it takes to make the retail world spin round. 

I have years of experience as well as a education in retail management from Art Instuite of Las Vegas all preparing me for my ultimate goal of being a retail buyer. Being a buyer is by no means a simple job. Working with deadlines, vendors, budgets,  and the unexpected, is stressful as well as demanding.  I am going to be a buyer because I understand the importance of the job. I would love nothing more then to be able to decide what products are going to best benefit the consumers and do everything possible to deliver. 

The psychology of understanding the why behind the buy is the motivation for my fashion career. I am a detail oriented, trend savy, passionately focused individual which is why my dream will eventually become a reality.