“The amazing thing is not that the copyright system is working, but how quickly it has adapted.” —PAUL GOLDSTEIN, STELLA W. AND IRA S. LILLICK PROFESSOR OF LAW, IN A NOV. 21 DAILY JOURNAL ARTICLE ABOUT HIS APPROACH TO COPYRIGHTING MATERIAL FROM THE INTERNET. THE PROFILE OF GOLDSTEIN DESCRIBED HIM AS A “VISIONARY” AND A “GIANT AMONG SCHOLARS.”

“Unfortunately, when the energy bill went into conference, bipartisanship went out the window.” —SENATOR JEFF BINGAMAN ’68 (D–NEW MEXICO) IN A NEWS RELEASE ISSUED NOV. 21, AFTER HE AND 57 OTHER SENATORS VOTED DOWN A SWEEPING ENERGY POLICY BILL THAT WAS THE PRODUCT OF REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. BINGAMAN, THE RANKING MEMBER ON THE SENATE’S ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, HAD BACKED AN EARLIER BIPARTISAN SENATE VERSION OF THE LEGISLATION.

“The election for President of the Guild on Sept. 19 must be set aside.” —WILLIAM GOULD IV, CHARLES A. BEARDSLEY PROFESSOR OF LAW, EMERITUS, IN HIS SPECIAL REPORT, ISSUED JAN. 5, ON WHETHER THE PRESIDENT OF THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, WEST, WAS ELIGIBLE TO BE A UNION MEMBER. AS A RESULT OF HIS CONCLUSION, THE GUILD’S PRESIDENT, VICTORIA RISKIN, RESIGNED FROM THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNION, WHICH REPRESENTS 9,000 HOLLYWOOD WRITERS.

“Suddenly, overnight, people said, ‘Oh, my God, this could be my drinking water.’” —TED SMITH ’72, FOUNDER OF THE NONPROFIT SILICON VALLEY TOXICS COALITION, AS QUOTED IN A NOV. 17 ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, EXPLAINING HOW A LEAK AT A SEMICONDUCTOR PLANT IN 1982 HELPED TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S PERCEPTIONS OF HIGH-TECH MANUFACTURING AS CLEAN AND SAFE. HIS WORK HIGHLIGHTING THE DANGERS OF CHIP PRODUCTION LED TO A TRIAL LAST FALL IN WHICH TWO FORMER IBM WORKERS, WHO CLAIM TO HAVE CONTRACTED CANCER FROM THEIR WORK, SUED THE COMPANY FOR DAMAGES.

“The president seeks an unchecked power to substitute military rule for the rule of law.” —JENNY MARTINEZ, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF LAW, ARGUING NOV. 17 BEFORE THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT THAT THE GOVERNMENT MAY NOT INDEFINITELY DETAIN A CITIZEN AND PROHIBIT HIS MEETING WITH COUNSEL SOLELY BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT HAS DECREED HIM AN ENEMY COMBATANT. MARTINEZ HAD FILED AN AMICUS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF JOSE PADILLA, WHOM THE GOVERNMENT HAD HELD INCOMMUNICADO SINCE JUNE 2002, AFTER ACCUSING HIM OF PLOTTING TO SET OFF A “DIRTY BOMB.” THE COURT RULED IN HER FAVOR.

“I am accepting no money.” —LADORIS CORDELL ’74 ON HER WEBSITE FOR HER UNCONVENTIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR A SEAT ON THE PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL. CORDELL, A STANFORD VICE PROVOST AND SPECIAL COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT JOHN HENNESSY AND A FORMER SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE, WAS ELECTED NOV. 4.

“You can’t make $2 million a pop and be independent in any meaningful way.” —JOSEPH BANKMAN, RALPH M. PARSONS PROFESSOR OF LAW AND BUSINESS, ON THE OCT. 19 EDITION OF 60 MINUTES, CRITICIZING ACCOUNTANTS AND LAWYERS WHO PROMOTE QUESTIONABLE OFFSHORE TAX SHELTERS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS.