How else am I to describe the company called 'Continental Enterprises', which bills itself in its overview as "an intellectual property consulting firm that takes a novel and aggressive approach to brand protection and infringement issues." ?

They state that their "number one goal is to ensure that those who attempt to steal from our clients are left to wonder when, where and how we will strike next."

Look out folks - The Continental Enterprise outfit doesn't just know how to litigate in order to preserve an overly broad, maximalist IP scheme, but they are also apparently ninja-like experts in "asymmetrical warfare".

Chest-puffing from lawyers is always a sad spectacle, but let's examine their fine work in action, shall we?

Here is an example of them using subtle threats against a beverage review site for posting a picture of a product they were reviewing.

I'm sure the people at Continental Enterprises must be proud of their work. And I'm sure Monster Energy drink must feel that its money well spent.

Monstrous indeed.

[Hat-tip: Overlawyered.com/]

Instead of lawyers having ethics erased from their consciences at law school, and being instructed purely in use of the law as a weapon (in the service of state or corporation), I think it's high time it was otherwise. Their primary instruction should be the protection of individuals, especially against the depredations of the state and its corrupt legal instruments such as corporations and privileges such as copyright and patent.

'Ninja' isn't far off an apt indication of the lawyer's mentality and pride to excel in carrying out inhumane and destructive orders with extreme prejudice.

So, yup, I blame education/indoctrination. It probably takes considerable introspection and years of self-deprogramming to undo.

Perhaps those rare lawyers with a sense of ethics restored/preserved might shed an insight here? Did they start off as voracious 'attack lawyers' and then realise the error of their ways, or are such lawyers never reformed, but invariably saints at the outset? I'd guess that saints don't choose to become lawyers, but that some lawyers eventually realise the horns poking from their skull aren't a good sign.

"education/indoctrination"

I couldn't agree more. Ask 100 people where they stand on an issue such as IP and most will have an answer, ask them why they feel the way that they do and they repeat verbatim what the industry has droned on about for the last 25 years: "Artists and inventors have a right to... bla bla bla" it's almost as if they dont have a proprietary opinion at all?? hmm

How can you tell when a lawyer is lying?

Watch his lips!