Drafting an agreement is like programming

At 11 o'clock in the morning, I waited at a "mamak" restaurant for my friend to arrive. The place was in a quiet corner of the Curve. Customers chattered, tapping away at laptops, sipping teh tarik, some smoking, some deep in conversation. People hang out there to kill time, before heading elsewhere for the real appointment.

Programming is like contract writing, or maybe it is vice versa.

When he arrived, I shook hands with the friend who had moved successfully from IT to finance. We spoke of various matters, and life in general.

And then he shared a pearl of wisdom, which felt like an out-of-place luxury. "I used to do programming," he said casually, "and it helped me to understand how to vet and draft an agreement."

Continue Reading...

Hip hop artist sends Coca-Cola letter of demand in a music video

It happened in Canada...

A hip hop artist with the stage name B. Rich (real name Brendan Richmond) made a music video a few years back, called "Out for a Rip". It has more than 12 million views on YouTube as of today.

One day, Mr Richmond was informed that Coca-Cola has marketed its famous Coca-Cola drink in packaging that says, "Out for a Rip". (This was the name of his song.)

The hip hop artist had trademarked the phrase a few years back, and he wasn't pleased. 

The Canadian hip hop artist, Mr Brendan Richmond, a.k.a. B. Rich, holding a Coca-Cola bottle bearing the infringing words, "Out for a Rip"

So, he asked all his Facebook friends to post photos of themselves with Coca-Cola bottles that have this new "Out for a Rip" packaging.

His attorney, Rob Kettridge, has issued a letter of demand, which is incorporated into this novel music video, which you can find on YouTube as "Out for a Sip". (See below for the video)

Continue Reading...