Inventors back effort to tackle intellectual property thefts; The Center Square, November 19, 2025

 Chris Woodward, The Center Square ; Inventors back effort to tackle intellectual property thefts

"Today, Metz, who describes herself as a victim of intellectual property theft, supports new federal legislation that would protect inventors like her.

“It’s very overwhelming when you’re the inventor, the creator, and you’re trying to build a business, and then you find out all these people are stealing your property,” Metz said.

The patenting process took about four years and $40,000. Metz also poured $350,000 into molds, employees and a facility to make her product.

Metz said that from 2015 to 2018, when she saw over 150 companies stealing her invention, she got an attorney and began to fight. It was a success. Metz was able to stop every one of those infringers through licensing deals. However, Metz later found herself in an administrative court that was set up by Congress in 2012 through an intellectual property law, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. The administrative court or Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidated both her patents.

“I lost everything,” said Metz. “I lost all my licensing deals. I had about 40 employees at the time. I lost them. All because of a bad law.”"

Inside Colorado's "bullish with guardrails" AI approach; Axios, November 13, 2025

John Frank, Ashley Gold, Axios ; Inside Colorado's "bullish with guardrails" AI approach

"Colorado's approach to integrating artificial intelligence into government functions is "bullish with guardrails."

Why it matters: Colorado offers a model for balancing AI innovation with safety, barring the technology from "anything that looks or smells or could possibly be thought of as a consequential decision," David Edinger, the state's chief information officer, told Axios in an interview.

Driving the news: The approach is a directive from Gov. Jared Polis, a former technology entrepreneur who encouraged the state's technology office to embrace AI in government.

The state's Office of Information and Technology created a framework for AI use with the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, considering the needs of different state agencies.

• The technology is making office work and mundane tasks easier and state employees with disabilities said AI made them more productive."

LWV to explore censorship in libraries and schools; The Mountain Mail, November 7, 2023

The Mountain Mail; LWV to explore censorship in libraries and schools

"Jamie LaRue, executive director of Garfield County Libraries, will discuss censorship at an event sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Chaffee County from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 13 in the Sangre de Cristo Electric Association community room, 29780 U.S. 24 N. in Buena Vista...

As the former director of Douglas County Libraries, LaRue responded to 250 challenges, which are attempts to remove or restrict access to library resources. As executive director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, he oversaw another 1,000 reports of censorship attempts nationwide and summarized for ALA the public challenges for the following year. 

As the current director of the Garfield County Public Library District, LaRue has responded to another dozen or so, including packed public meetings and a campaign to force the library to restrict or remove specific titles. 

Prior to the presentation, at 11:15 a.m., the League will host a social time and short business meeting. A video of the presentation will be available at LWVChaffeeCounty.org following the meeting."

Legitimacy Of 'Customer' In Supreme Court Gay Rights Case Raises Ethical, Legal Flags; AP via Huff Post, July 3, 2023

Alanna Durkin Richer and Colleen Slevin , AP via Huff Post; Legitimacy Of 'Customer' In Supreme Court Gay Rights Case Raises Ethical, Legal Flags

"A Christian graphic artist who the Supreme Court said can refuse to make wedding websites for gay couples pointed during her lawsuit to a request from a man named “Stewart” and his husband-to-be. The twist? Stewart says it never happened.

The revelation has raised questions about how Lorie Smith’s case was allowed to proceed all the way to the nation’s highest court with such an apparent misrepresentation and whether the state of Colorado, which lost the case last week, has any legal recourse...

COULD THE REVELATION IMPACT THE CASE NOW?

It’s highly unlikely. The would-be customer’s request was not the basis for Smith’s original lawsuit, nor was it cited by the high court as the reason for ruling in her favor. Legal standing, or the right to bring a lawsuit, generally requires the person bringing the case to show that they have suffered some sort of harm. But pre-enforcement challenges — like the one Smith brought — are allowed in certain cases if the person can show they face a credible threat of prosecution or sanctions unless they conform to the law.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which reviewed the case before the Supreme Court, found that Smith had standing to sue. That appeals court noted that Colorado had a history of past enforcement “against nearly identical conduct” and that the state decline to promise that it wouldn’t go after Smith if she violated the law."

Colorado bans doxing of public health workers amid rise in online harassment; The Washington Post, May 20, 2021

Meryl Kornfield, The Washington Post ; Colorado bans doxing of public health workers amid rise in online harassment

"Seeking to address the mounting online harassment endured by health workers across the state during the pandemic, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a bill Tuesday making it illegal to post personal information about health workers, officials and their families that threatens their safety...

The law, which took effect immediately, makes doxing — or sharing a person’s private information such as an address or phone number — a misdemeanor. Violators could face up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Across the country, workers on the front lines of the pandemic have reported receiving threatening calls and vandalism at their workplaces and homes for being the messengers about masking and other public health precautions. Despite a marked rise in bullying of health-care workers globally, officials acknowledge rampant reports are only the “tip of the iceberg.”"