Monday, April 21, 2008

Case with a Limerick

Krell v. Henry, 2 K.B. 740 (King's Bench, 1903): guy rents a room to watch the king march in a parade, the king cancels, is he liable to pay the rent? no....however is he liable to a limerick? You better bet your crown jewels!


"Oh Say, Can You See?"

Said Henry to Krell, You can't sue
Though I've rented your room with a view
Now (Oh Damn! Dearie Me)
There's nothing to see
For they've cancelled the spectacle due

What you've got (Said Vaughan Williams L.J) [ed. note, this is the judge]
Is a license to watch, by day
What you both contemplated
Has now been frustrated
So there'd be nothing to pay

-George Marshall, 19 Sept 1986
Wow, not only is there a limerick, but it was written 83 years later the same year that "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco topped the charts

FYI: The King in 1903 was Edward VII

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kozinski: MCA filed a counterclaim for defamation based on the Mattel representative’s use of the words “bank robber,” “heist,” “crime” and “theft.” But all of these are variants of the invective most often hurled at accused infringers, namely “piracy.” No one hearing this accusation understands intellectual property owners to be saying that infringers are nautical cutthroats with eyepatches and peg legs who board galleons to plunder cargo. In context, all these terms are nonactionable “rhetorical hyperbole,” Gilbrook v. City of Westminster, 177 F.3d 839, 863 (9th Cir. 1999).

The parties are advised to chill. AFFIRMED.