DO NOT LINK HERE OR ELSE (Joe)

Is this a joke?  I can't tell.

The user agreement/privacy policy page at Dozier Internet Law, P.C.'s website contains, inter alia, the following language (emphasis mine):

Dozier Internet Law, P.C. has a lot of intellectual property on our site. For instance, we are the creators of all of the text on this website, and own the “look and feel” of this website. We also own all of the code, including the HTML code, and all content. As you may know, you can view the HTML code with a standard browser. We do not permit you to view such code since we consider it to be our intellectual property protected by the copyright laws. You are therefore not authorized to do so. In addition, you should not make any copies of any part of this website in any way since we do not want anyone copying us. We also do not allow any links to our site without our express permission, except that you must maintain the link in our Copyright Infringement Warning Button as it is designed. The name “Dozier Internet Law, P.C.", and similar derivatives of it, constitute our trademark and servicemark, and should not be used in any manner without our permission.

Oops.  I guess I should have referred to them as "cybertriallawyer.com" rather than as "Dozier Internet Law, P.C.," since the name is their trademark and I'm not authorized to use it in any manner.  I also probably shouldn't have linked to them, since they don't allow links to their site without permission, which I obviously don't have.  I also love the part about not being allowed to view their source code, which they acknowledge that I can do with any standard web browser (which I just did, thank you Firefox!).

Granted, I'm not an IP expert, I'm not even a lawyer yet, but wow, how bizarrely idiotic.  And according to their website, a lot their "internet lawyers" went to good law schools: Boston University, William & Mary, Tulane, George Mason.  Damn, did I just accidentally link to them again?

Incidentally, I really like this blog post in response, which quotes some of their source code before issuing this "agreement":

By reading this blog post in whole or in part, you agree that you shall waive any and all legal recourse against its author, maintainer, publisher, and web-host, in perpetuity, in all issues regarding the website of Dozier Internet Law, P.C. This agreement nullifies any previous user agreements engaged in between yourself and the author, maintainer, publisher and/or web-host of this website. You agree to waive any and all legal liability regarding website user agreements on the part of the author, maintainer, publisher and/or web-host in all countries, forever. Plus, you like, totally owe me ten bucks.

Dozier Internet Law, if you're reading this, consider that agreement adopted here.

Comments

[Rajesh Kumar]

I like that bit about "We also own all of the code". Perhaps this website should be kept in safe deposit locker and not be put on the internet - suppose someone reads it without permission :)

[40mph_dan]

Gotta be a joke. And it's hilarious!

[IG]

Check out the Dozier Internet Law blog:

http://johndozierjr.typepad.com/dozierinternetlaw/