77“416
`
`TRADEMARK
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`In re the application of
`
`Sills, Mickey
`
`Serial No. 761386817
`
`Filed: 03/25/2002
`
`Trademark: Scanty Clothing
`
`Trademark Law Office 108
`
`Attorney: Micheli, Angela
`
`Date: December 1, 2003
`
`\../\-/\../\./\.-/%/\-.p/\,/\—/\—/
`
`CERTIFICATE OF US EXPRESS MAIL
`
`] hereby certify th this correspondence is being sent via US
`Express Mail to th Co rnissioner for Trademarks on December
`
`12/31;2oo3 rsurru
`
`o1 rc:54o3
`
`00000035 76335817 Commissioneimtioorg "llliademarks
`
`2900 Crystal Drive
`Alexandria, VA 22202-3514
`
`NOTICE OF APPEAL
`
`The Applicant hereby appeals to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board from the Final
`
`Rejection of the Examiner dated May 29, 2003. An appeal fee is attached hereto.
`
`Respectfu ly s bmitted,
`
`Date: December 1, 2003
`
`Bovino La Group, PC
`8730 Sunset Boulevard
`West Wing, 6m Floor
`West Hollywood, CA 90069
`Telephone: (877) 496-1648
`Facsimile: (310) 861-5702
`
`Notice of Appeal
`
`-1ofl-
`
`Hllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
`
`12-02-2003
`
`US. Patent & TMOfcJTM Maj] Rent 0; 339
`
`

`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`TRADEMARK
`
`In re the application of
`
`Sills, Mickey
`Serial No. 76/386817
`Filed: 03/25/2002
`Trademark: Scanty Clothing
`
`)
`
`l
`I
`i
`3
`
`______:_.________._)
`
`Trademark Law Office 108
`Attorney: Micheli, Angela
`Date: December 1, 2003
`
`CERTIFICATE OF US EXPRESS MAIL
`
`I hereby certify that
`Express Mail to the
`I, 2003.
`
`is correspondence is being sent via US
`om issioner for Trademarks on December
`
`Signed: Commissioner for Trademarks
`
`2900 Crystal Drive
`Alexandria, VA 22202-3514
`
`REQ QUEST FOR ORAL HEARING
`
`The Applicant hereby requests an oral hearing in the appeal to the Trademark Trial and
`
`Appeal Board from the decision of the Examiner of Trademarks refusing registration.
`
`Respectfii y submitted, Date: December 1, 2003
`
`Bovino Law Group, PC
`8730 Sunset Boulevard
`West Wing, 6”‘ Floor
`West Hollywood, CA 90069
`Telephone: (877) 496-1648
`Facsimile: (310) 86 1 -5 702
`
`Request for Oral Hearing
`
`-1of1-
`
`

`
`
`
`TRADEMARK
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`In re the application of
`
`Sills, Mickey
`Serial No. 76/386817
`Filed: 03/25/2002
`Trademark: Scanty Clothing
`
`)
`
`3
`3
`3
`i
`
`Trademark Law Office 108
`Attorney: Micheli, Angela
`Date: December 1, 2003
`
`CERTIFICATE OF US EXPRESS MAIL
`
`is correspondence is being sent via US
`I hereby certify that
`m '
`ioner for Trademarks on
`cember
`Express Mail to the
`
`l, 2003.
`
`Signed:
`
`Commissioner for Trademarks
`
`2900 Crystal Drive
`Alexandria, VA 22202-3514
`
`REQUEST FOR REMAND
`
`The Applicant hereby requests that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board remand the
`
`above-referenced matter to the Trademark Attorney for further consideration of the
`
`Applicant’s trademark application and/or trademark.
`
`Respect
`
`ly submitted,
`
`Date: December 1, 2003
`
` Bovino La Group, PC
`8730 Sunset Boulevard, West Wing, 6"‘ Floor
`West Hollywood, CA 90069
`Telephone: (877)496-1648; Facsimile: (310) 861-5702
`
`Request for Remand
`
`-Iof]-
`
`

`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`TRADEMARK
`
`In re the application of
`
`Sills, Mickey
`
`Serial No. 76/386817
`
`Filed: 03/25/2002
`
`Trademark: Scanty Clothing
`
`Commissioner for Trademarks
`
`2900 Crystal Drive
`Alexandria, VA 22202-3514
`
`Trademark Law Office 108
`
`Attorney: Micheli, Angela
`
`Date: December 1, 2003
`
`\_/\./\_/\-/\_/‘-.—/\_/$/\-—/\-—/
`l, 2003. Signed:
`
`CERTIFICATE OF US EXPRESS MAIL
`
`this correspondence is being sent via US
`I hereby certify th
`Express Mail to lh Co
`cember
`
`REVOCATION OF PRIOR POWERS OF ATTORNEY AND
`
`GRANT OF NEW POWER OF ATTORNEY
`
`The Applicant of the above-identified trademark application and/or trademark hereby
`
`revokes all powers of attorney previously given and appoints the following attorney to
`
`prosecute this application to register, to transact all business in the Patent and
`
`Trademark Office in connection therewith, and to receive the certificate of registration:
`
`Joseph F. Bovino
`
`Please send all correspondence for this application and/or trademark to the following
`
`address:
`
`P°“’°" 0‘ A“°""e¥
`
`' 1 °f2'
`
`IllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllll
`
`1202-2003
`U.S. Patent 6. TMOTCITM Mail H691 D1. 999
`
`

`
`
`
`Bovino Law Group, P.C.
`
`8730 Sunset Boulevard
`
`West Wing, 6"‘ Floor
`
`West Hollywood, CA 90069
`
`Please direct any calls to J
`
`h F. Bovino at 877-496-1648.
`
`Date: November 29, 2003
`
`
`
`Mickey Sills
`2306 24"‘ s
`Santa Mon c California 90405
`'C‘E8:2. CAE
`
`
`
`of America
`
`Power of Attorney
`
`-2of2-
`
`

`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`TRADEMARK
`
`In re the application of
`
`Sills, Mickey
`
`Serial No. 76/386817
`
`Filed: 03/25/2002
`
`Trademark: Scanty Clothing
`____h_________________J
`
`\-/\-/\.-“N-v"-_¥‘--H\--/\-./\&
`
`Trademark Law Office 108
`
`Attorney: Micheli, Angela
`
`Date: December 1, 2003
`
`CERTIFICATE OF US EXPRESS MAIL
`
`I hereby certify that this correspondence is being sent via US
`Express Mail to th Corn issioner for Tradem
`on December 1,
`
` Commissioner for Trademarks
`
`2900 Crystal Drive
`Alexandria, VA 22202-3514
`
`AIVIENDMENT AI\H) RESPONSE TO OFFICE ACTION
`
`In response to the Office Action dated May 29, 2003, the Applicant hereby requests: (i)
`
`amendment of the above-identified application for registration of the mark — which has
`
`been narrowed to the word “SCANTY” alone -- on the Supplemental Register established
`
`by the Act of July 5, 1946; and, in the alternative, (ii) reconsideration of the application
`
`for registration of the mark on the Principal Register, for the reasons stated herein.
`
`WWWMWWMWWW
`
`12-02-2003
`U.S. Patent Er TMO1‘cJ'TM Mail Rept D1. #39
`
`Amendment and Response
`
`1
`
`

`
`
`
`AMENDMENT AND RESPONSE:
`
`Please change the application from one seeking registration of the mark “SCANTY” on
`
`the Principal Register to one seeking registration of the mark “SCANTY” on the
`
`Supplemental Register.
`
`Please amend the paragraph of the application reciting the applicant’s use of the mark
`
`“SCANTY” to add the following sentence to the paragraph: The mark sought to be
`
`registered is in lawful use in interstate commerce on or in connection with the goods or
`
`services.
`
`Please also consider the application for registration of the mark “SCANTY” on the
`
`Supplemental Register and, in the alternative, on the Principal Register, for the reasons
`
`stated herein.
`
` i
`
`
`1. THE “SCANTY” MARK IS ARBITRARY OR AT MOST SUGGESTIVE BUT
`
`NOT MERELY DESCRIPTIVE OF APPLICANT’S GOODS
`
`Applicant acknowledges, agrees with, and appreciates the Trademark Attorney’s decision
`
`to limit the proposed mark to the word “SCANTY” (instead of the more problematic and
`
`potentially descriptive “Scanty Clothing”).
`
`However, once the word “Clothing” has been disclaimed and the mark is limited to just
`
`the word SCANTY, it is no longer “merely descriptive,” as stated by the Trademark
`
`Attorney. On the contrary, for purposes of this application, the word SCANTY is
`
`arbitrary, or at most suggestive of Applicant’s goods under certain circumstances, for the
`
`following reasons:
`
`Amendment and Response
`
`2
`
`

`
`First, the word SCANTY has a variety of meanings. These meanings include, but are not
`
`limited to, the following:
`
`0 Barely sufficient or adequate
`
`0 Niggardly
`
`0
`
`Parsimonious
`
`0 Deficient
`
`0 Meager
`
`0 Not abundant
`
`0 Penurious
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`Scarce
`
`Scant
`
`Insufficient, as in extent or degree
`
`0 Wanting amplitude or extent
`
`0 Narrow
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`Small
`
`Sparing
`
`Somewhat less than is needed, and
`
`0 Grudging
`
`A true and correct copy of several dictionary definitions of the word SCANTY, gathered
`
`by Applicant from an Internet search, are attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and incorporated
`
`herein by this reference.
`
`Applicant submits that none of these meanings of the word “SCANTY” merely describe
`
`characteristics of Applicant’s goods. Applicant is a manufacturer and designer of
`
`clothing, including shirts, pants, pajamas, swimsuits, t-shirts, lingerie, underwear, and
`
`sweatsuits. Applicant’s clothing is not grudging, penurious, scarce, meager, deficient,
`
`parsimonious, insufficient, narrow, not abundant, or niggardly. And, while some
`
`meanings of SCANTY may suggest something about Applicant’s goods under certain
`
`Amendment and Response
`
`3
`
`

`
`
`
`circumstances, they do not reach the level of a mere description of them. Indeed, to
`
`illustrate the point, the dictionary definitions of “SCANTY” include quotations from
`
`Pope (referring to “scantier limits”), Locke (referring to scanty “dominions”), and 1.
`
`Watts (referring to a person being “scanty of words”), none of which used a meaning of
`
`the word SCANTY which is merely descriptive of Applicant’s clothing.
`
`Other source materials confirm that SCANTY has a wide variety of meanings, none of
`
`which merely describe Applicant’s goods, although some may be suggestive of them.
`
`Under these meanings, SCANTY can and does refer to products and services with little
`
`or no relation to Applicant’s products, including but not limited to:
`
`I
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`Scanty services
`
`Scanty relief
`
`Scanty proposals
`
`Scanty supplements
`
`Scanty earnings
`
`Scanty evidence
`
`Scanty particulars
`
`0 A scanty job market
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0
`
`Scanty alms
`
`Scanty crops
`
`Scanty nationalities
`
`Scanty rains, and
`
`Scanty transports
`
`True and correct copies of source materials (gathered by Applicant from an Internet
`
`search) showing the word SCANTY used in these ways are attached hereto as Exhibit 2
`
`and incorporated herein by this reference.
`
`Second, contrary and with all due respect to the Trademark Attorney’s conclusion, the
`
`word SCANTY, by itself, does not immediately tell customers what the Applicant’s
`
`Amendment and Response
`
`4
`
`

`
`
`
`goods or services are; it requires the exercise of imagination, thought, and perception by
`
`the customer. Applicant concedes that the word SCANTY can be suggestive of
`
`Applicant’s goods at times. However, in light of the wide variety of meanings of the
`
`word “SCANTY,” as described above, and other factors described below, including the
`
`fact that SCANTY has been extensively and successfully used as a source identifier and
`
`has established a secondary meaning in the minds of Applicant's customers, competitors,
`
`and business partners, the word SCANTY does not merely describe Applicant’s goods. It
`
`has not been, and is not, as simple as that for Applicant to establish SCANTY as a mark
`
`and build a successful clothing-manufacturing and design business around it.
`
`Third, the SCANTY mark is not in common usage by others as a description of the same
`
`or related goods. Applicant is widely known in the industry as the sole source of clothing
`
`bearing the SCANTY mark. Applicant’s competitors are using other marks, including
`
`but not limited to companies offering clothing with marks such as JUICY or JUICY
`
`COULTURE. See Declaration of Mickey Sills, submitted herewith.
`
`Fourth, Applicant presents the mark SCANTY in association with other marks to
`
`strengthen the consumer’s perception of the mark as an indication of origin, rather than as
`
`a descriptive term. As a result, consumers and Applicant’s competitors now identify the
`
`mark SCANTY with Applicant’s manufacturing and design company, which is widely
`
`known as the source of products bearing the SCANTY mark.
`
`Fifth, as shown above with regard to its wide variety of meanings, “SCANTY” is so
`
`broad a term that it does not convey an immediate idea of the ingredients, qualities or
`
`characteristics of Applicant’s goods, and therefore is not merely descriptive.
`
`And sixth, the word “SCANTY” is not used by Applicant merely as an adjective to
`
`describe the merit, quality, or an attribute of the goods set forth in the application. It is
`
`used as a trademark. Applicant has skillfully used SCANTY as a trademark of its entire
`
`manufacturing and designing operations, and Applicant has been successful in doing so.
`
`See Declaration of Mickey Sills.
`
`Amendment and Response
`
`5
`
`

`
`
`
`F. Bovino
`
`Dated: December 1, 2003
`
`Bovino La Group
`8730 Sunset Boulevard
`West Wing, 6"‘ Floor
`West Hollywood, CA 90069
`Telephone: (877) 496-1648
`Facsimile: (310) 861-5702
`
`Amendment and Response
`
`7
`
`

`
`E*I~k\\(£H/ L
`
`

`
`
`Dictionary.com/scanty
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`scant-y '4 E1 Pronunciation Key (skiinyté)
`adj‘. scant-i-er, scant-i-est
`
`1. Barely sufficient or adequate.
`2.
`Insufficient, as in extent or degree.
`
`scantli-ly adv.
`scantpi-ness n.
`
`[Buy it]
`Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary ofthe
`English Language, Fourth Edition
`Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifllin Company.
`_
`_
`_
`_
`Published by Houghlon Myfiiin Company. All rights
`
`scanty
`
`\Scant"y\, a. [Compar. Scantier; super]. Scar1tiest.]
`[From Scant, a.] 1. Wanting amplitude or extent;
`narrow; small; not abundant.
`
`His dominions were very narrow and scanty. --Locke.
`
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`http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=scanty
`
`1 1/30/2003
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`

`
`
`Page 2 of 3
`Dictionarycornlscanty
`
`RAISE PFR.'.‘.ANFNTF
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`Imagine
`what life is like
`
`Now scantier limits the proud arch confine. --Pope.
`
`2. Somewhat less than is needed; insufficient; scant; as,
`a scanty supply of words; a scanty supply of bread.
`
`3. Sparing; niggardly; parsimonious.
`
`In illustrating a point of difficulty, be not too scanty of
`words. --I. Watts.
`
`Syn: Scant; narrow; small; poor; deficient; meager;
`scarce; chary; sparing; parsimonious; penurious;
`niggardly; grudging.
`
`Source: Websterb Revised Unabridged Dictionary, ©
`
`scanty
`
`adj : lacking in amplitude or quantity; "a bare
`livelihood"; "a scanty harvest"; "a spare diet" [syn: bare
`(a), spare] n : short underpants for women or children
`(usually used in the plural) [syn: pantie, parity, step-in]
`
`.§.99£s.=.9.s...?K9r:ei!§f€£9.3!;.919.1.9.2Z.:?::ézz£§.t9zz..§Jrzi1€s?.r:§i£1i..
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`Perform a new search, or try your Search for "scanty" at:
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`
`
`Scanty services, inflated bills
`
`Page 1 of 1
`
`From New Nation Online Edition
`
`EDITORIAL PAGE
`
`Scanty services, inflated bills
`By
`Oct 16. 2003. 03:05
`
`NORMAL urban living is too dependent on adequate and uninterrupted supplies of power, gas, water and the municipal
`services. But in each of these areas is noted much indifference of the authorities in the face of mounting difficulties of
`subscribers of these services in Dhaka city.
`
`About a month ago, residents of many parts of the Mirpur area had no power for about five days and in this period they also
`had no supply of piped water. A similar situation was experienced recently by people in the New Market area for over a week
`that triggered violent demonstrations from them. Recently, the maintenance activities of DESA was split into many zones
`covering the areas of metropolitan Dhaka. But decentralisation of maintenance activities has not led to any improvement at
`ground level. Residents of the city have been suffering from more power outages after the decentralisation. They are also
`suffering more from the demand to pay up artificially inflated bills for power consumption. Such incredibly high bills are
`shocking many power subscribers and they are at a loss as regards what to do with such unreasonable bills. Many do not
`have the capacity to pay such unusually high bills and it is absolutely unfair to present them with such unusually high bills as
`they have not consumed the amounts of power stated in them.
`
`A major water supply project, the Sayeedabad plant for the treatment of river waters and supplying the same to household
`consumers, was commissioned last year. But for unknown reasons the targeted areas of the city which ought to have received
`the benefits of the new plant continue to suffer from varying degrees of water scarcity. Besides, complaints are heard about
`impurities in the water supplied by the new plant. A television news channel showed recently in its news programme the
`residents of a residential area of the city where abut 300 families were unable to use the WASA supplied water because it
`contained raw sewage. While laying new sewer lines in the area under a WASA project. the contractors had damaged the
`water supply lines and this led to sewage entering the water lines. The affected families had to set up hand tubewells on
`emergency basis to cope with the situation and WASA was found not responding to their plight.
`
`Gas supplies in some areas of the city are hardly adequate for household activities. The gas supply is so weak in these areas
`for the greater part of the day and the night that the same cannot be used for cooking within a reasonable period of time, Thus,
`housewives in these places are forced to cook on stoves using kerosene. They are in a dilemma whether to retain their gas
`connections and go on paying the charges to Titas Gas or whether to give up such useless connections. At any rate, their
`present consumption of kerosene is more expensive than gas and this is a negative factor for the budgets of fixed earning
`families.
`
`It is imperative, therefore, to address all of these issues of citizens‘ woes promptly and effectively.
`
`© Copyright 2003 by ittefaqcom
`
`http://nation.ittefaq.coIn/artman/publish/printer_55 l4.shtml
`
`1 1/24/2003
`
`Exrlclsuf 9-
`
`

`
`
`
`The Hindu : Violence in Bihar over scanty relief
`
`Page 1 of 1
`
`. THE
`
`Oniine edition of India's National Newspaper
`Wednesday, Sep 17, 2003
`
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`Violence in Bihar over scanty relief
`
`IE El
`
`News Update
`
`Stories in this Section
`Govt.'s plea against Advani
`rejected
`Violence in Bihar over scanty
`relief
`
`MUNGER SEPT. 16. Irked by scanty relief, flood-hit people
`vented their anger on Government officials and vehicles at
`Naugarhi
`in Bihar's Munger district today, official sources
`said.
`
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`Yesterday's Issue
`Datewise
`
`A mob at the Naugarhi relief centre overturned the official
`vehicles of the block development officer of Tarapur and the
`district agricultural officer of Munger protesting inadequacy
`of relief material and delay in its arrival.
`
`truck
`A State Road Transport Corporation bus and a
`carrying relief material were also damaged by a stone-
`throwing crowd.
`
`The District Magistrate, Gauta Goswami, said that after the
`initial restlessness leading to "mild violence", the situation
`was under control and the relief material was being
`distributed as usual. — PTI
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`11/24/2003
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`Science Still Scanty on Supplements, Health Group Finds
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`AMERICAN COUNCIL ON SCIENCE AND HEALTH
`Press Release
`
`
`Science Still Scanty on Supplements, Health Group
`Finds
`
`New York, New York. February 2000. Vitamin and mineral
`supplements are often marketed as though they were magic
`bullets for the prevention and treatment of all sorts of diseases-
`from the common cold to cancer. But is there solid scientific
`evidence that these supplements are effective? N0, say
`physicians and scientists associated with the American Council
`on Science and Health (ACSH) in the second edition of its
`report, Vitamins and Minerals: Does the Epidemiologic
`Evidence Justify General Supplementation? The health group
`reports that the available evidence does not justify
`recommendations that healthy people take supplements to
`prevent disease.
`
`Much of the scientific evidence that suggests vitamins and
`minerals may prevent disease stems from epidemiological
`studies that document lower rates of heart disease and cancer in
`
`populations with a high consumption of fruits and vegetables.
`Since these foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, many
`assume that supplements of these nutrients can decrease the risk
`of disease.
`
`"The data do not substantiate this reductionist approach," states
`Dr. Ruth Kava, Director of Nutrition at ACSH. "In fact," she
`continues, "large, well-controlled clinical trials of supplements
`in healthy people do not show significant benefits. And in some
`groups, some supplements may increase the risk of disease.“
`
`Vitamins and Minerals reviews epidemiologic studies on the
`relationships between some B vitamins and heart disease,
`antioxidant nutrients and cancer, carotenes and macular
`degeneration, and calcium and osteoporosis. The report
`emphasizes that for healthy people, the most important
`nutritional advice is to consume a diet that is moderate in
`calories and fat and contains a balanced and varied selection of
`foods.
`
`Notes Dr. Gilbert Ross, medical director of ACSH: "While low
`doses of vitamins and minerals are generally safe, very large
`doses of some nutrients can interfere with the body's absorption
`and utilization of others."
`
`Vitamins and Minerals provides guidance to consumers who
`wish to evaluate the nutritional adequacy of their diets. "The
`best nutritional advice for consumers today," states Dr.
`
`http://www.acsh.org/press/releases/vitflmin2000.html
`
`1 1/24/2003
`
`

`
`
`Foreign Affairs
`Page 1 Of 5
`
`FOREIGN AFFAIRS
`
`http:IIwww.foreigna1¥airs.org
`
`Soros' Split Personality: Scanty Proposals from the Financial
`Wizard
`
`By Jeffrey A. Frankel
`
`From Foreign Affairs, March/April 1999
`
`The Crisis of Global Capitalism. George Soros. New York: Pub1icAffairs, 1998, 304 pp. $26.00.
`
`George Soros' new book has breathtaking intellectual ambition, with a scattering of good insights about
`international economics and politics. But Soros' proven success as an international investor is more likely to
`attract readers than his stab at economic theory, as he himself notes. I confess to being most interested in
`the interrelationship of Soros' three roles -- investor, philanthropist, and public intellectual. When Soros the
`speculator helps force a currency into crisis, what does Soros the philanthropist think about the social or
`moral implications for the country under attack? The reader might anticipate one of five possible answers.
`
`Stop me before I speculate again. This is what one most expects. As an intellectual, Soros clearly thinks that
`market values have overshadowed social values, that financial markets have become excessively volatile, and
`that some government intervention is appropriate. But his book contains no actual proposals, such as James
`Tobin's turnover taxes on foreign exchange, for calming excitable financial markets.
`
`As an individual speculator, I am too small to have an effect. There is no logical contradiction between
`supporting tightened financial market regulations and simultaneously exploiting existing ones. This is
`particularly true for individual speculators whose small investments cannot affect market prices. Soros used
`to be in this category, but in a footnote he acknowledges that he no longer is. Now he moves markets.
`
`My investments generally push markets in desirable directions; it is the activities of others that are
`potentially harmful. Soros could plausibly defend this claim. Hedge funds in general and Soros in particular
`make bets based on economic fundamentals, for example, against overvalued markets; in contrast, most
`bank foreign exchange traders simply follow the herd. The Quantum Fund's 1992 short sales of sterling
`arguably helped move Britain's exchange rate toward its proper equilibrium, and its 1997 baht selling should
`have alerted Thai authorities to a similar problem. This is how investors should operate -- making markets
`more efficien -- yet too often fail to. But Soros never explicitly says that financial markets would be fine if
`other investors behaved as intelligently as he.1
`
`I devote a large share of my profits to charity, thus morally compensating for my speculation's negative
`effects. Soros could sustain this claim as well. His "open society" philanthropy in eastern Europe and
`elsewhere is extraordinarily generous, innovative, and efficient. But he does not attempt this sort of self-
`justification, perhaps to his credit.
`
`My speculative self is completely divorced from my philanthropic self. This seems to be Soros' preferred
`answer. His two distinct personalities need not be consistent: "I try to be a winner as a market participant
`and to serve the common interest as a citizen and a human being. Sometimes it is difficult to keep the two
`roles separate." Elsewhere he claims to have synthesized them, which is what one would expect, considering
`that his analytical self writes about the interconnection of markets and social values: "I have made a
`conscious effort to integrate the various aspects of my existence, and I am happy to report that I have been
`successful." But how these personalities view each other remains a puzzle.
`
`RUSSIAN REAL TIME
`
`http://www.foreignaffairs.org/l 9990301fareviewessay972/jeffrey—a-frankel/soros-split-pe...
`
`1 1/24/2003
`
`

`
`
`Business Week Online:Playboy Earnings May Get Scanty
`Page 1 of 1
`
`STAI\II).»-XRI)
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`Find out
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`‘-
`
`BusinessWeek online
`
`«
`
`APRIL B. 2002
`
`INSIDE WALL STREET
`
`Playboy Earnings May Get Scanty
`
`Post-Enron, analysts have been trying to flush out anything that could cause trouble at companies they
`follow. So Dennis McAlpine of McAlpine Associates, long a bull on Playboy Enterprises (PLA ), has
`downgraded the stock from a buy to a hold. The reason: Playboy's 20%-owned Playboy TV
`International "is in danger of unraveling,“ he says. Playboy TV, formed in 1999 through ajoint venture
`with Cisneros Group, has exclusive rights to operate TV networks using the Playboy brand outside the
`U.S. and Canada. In return, Playboy TV will pay Playboy $100 million over six years, of which $42.5
`million had been paid by 2001. Playboy TV posted 2001 revenues of $33.7 million and a $19.9 million
`loss. In 2001, Cisneros formed Claxson Interactive Group, in Buenos Aires, by merging various media
`assets. Claxson, which provides Spanish and Portuguese programming, succeeded Cisneros as 80%
`owner of Playboy TV. Claxson posted a $84.4 million loss in 2001 and in its annual report said that,
`unless it gets help, auditors will probably express a troubling "going concern opinion" about its
`operations. That means Playboy may not get the next payment of $7.5 million from Playboy TV.
`McAlpine figures Playboy's earnings could be reduced by 15 cents to 20 cents a share, pushing it to post
`a loss for 2002, instead of a projected profit of 10 cents. Last year, Playboy lost $1.37 a share. Its stock
`has climbed from 11.56 on Sept. 19 to 17 on Mar. 27. McAlpine says Playboy may be asked to cut its
`fee, or Cisneros could help by injecting cash into Claxson. "Playboy and Cisneros are in talks to come
`up with a solution," says Mark Boyar, a large Playboy holder. He says he isn't worried since the problem
`"is fixable." But to McAlpine, "it's bothersome because so many things could go wrong." He continues
`to rate Playboy a buy for the long-term based on its assets. Playboy wasn't available for comment.
`
`By Gene Marcia]
`
`Copyright 2000-2003. by The McGraw-Hill Companies inc. All rights reserved.
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`http://www.businessweek.com:/print/magazine/content/O2_l 4/b3 7771 l9.htm?mz
`
`1 1/24/2003
`
`

`
`
`
`Rrygiarral Studies, Vol. 37.6547, pp. 699-700. August.-‘October 2003
`
`Carfax Publishing
`ilfixlllmmfinap
`
`Fuzzy Concepts, Scanty Evidence, Policy
`Distance? Debating Ann Markusen’s Assessment
`of Critical Regional Studies
`
`GERNOT GRAB}-IER and ROBERT HASSINK
`
`Socio-economics of Space, Department qf Geography; Uiiiuersity of Bonn, Merkerrheinrer Alice 166, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
`Emails: grabher@giub.imi-bomtde; hassinle@giub.um'-borm.dc
`
`
`(Received April 2003; in revised form April 2003)
`
`During the last 20 years, the field of regional studies
`and economic geography witnessed an increasing pro-
`liferation of competing and partially overlapping con-
`ccptional approaches.
`In the midst of this growing
`polyphony Ann Markusen raised her voice
`and
`launched a passionate intervention in which she takes
`stock of the prevailing research practice in our field
`(MARKUSEN, 1999). In her sobering diagnosis, pub-
`lished in I999 in this journal, she laments three un-
`desirable developments that undermine the scientific
`integrity and societal relevance of regional studies.
`First, conceptualization increasingly has become
`fiizzy, which means that concepts point at phenomena
`which have two or more alternative meanings and can
`therefore not be identified, applied and operationalized
`by different scholars. Second, the standards ofevidence
`are falling: empirical evidence is not only scarce, it is
`also often collected in a selective and anecdotal way,
`which is not transparent to others. Third, the fuzziness
`of concepts and the falling standards of evidence, in
`turn,
`increasingly weaken the policy relevance of
`regional studies.
`Markus-en’5 provocative verdict triggered surprisingly
`few reactions, at least not in public academia. And yet
`her sharp intervention,
`in our observation, resonates
`with some lateritly shared views and opinions in the
`community. First, our and the experience of many
`of our colleagues in class shows that it has become
`increasingly intricate to convey differences between
`genuine conceptual distinctions and men: semantic
`nuances
`in contemporary theoretical
`reasoning to
`students in regional studies. Recently, LACENI)ij1<,
`2001, and MOULAERT and SEKIA, 2003, for example,
`opened up promising paths to tackle this problem by
`developing a pedigree of ‘territorial innovation models’
`which include, among others industrial districts, the
`innovative milieu, learning regions, regional innovation
`systems and new industrial spaces. Second, debates of
`conference papers and research results quite often circle
`around the widespread, not to say notorious complaint
`
`the scope for
`that vague definitions seriously limit
`empirically exploring and systematically developing
`fiirther the various concepts in a comparative manner.
`Third, we have noticed the difficulties ofgetting across
`the content of the concepts developed by economic
`geographers and regional scientists to policy makers
`and practitioners, both at
`the regional and national
`level. MARTIN and SUNLEY, 2003. p. 9