More Complex Than Rubik's Cube...

Via BoingBoing comes this more-than-slightly-creepy story about a toystore that was visited by Homeland Security. The complaint: Pufferbelly Toys was stocking a Rubik's Cube knock-off called "Magic Cube". Citing protection of the Rubik's Cube patent, the agents ordered the owner to remove the toys from her shelves, which she did while the agents observed. After they left, she called the manufacturer, who informed her that the patent on Rubik's Cube was long-expired.

Apparently HS made a mistake (No, really? Not Homeland Security?! But, but, but... they're faultless!) in determining whether the toy violated patent laws. What's creepy is that they went after a single toy store, instead of the manufacturer (who could, ostensibly, issue a recall if such was called for) -- what about the thousands of other stores that stock the toy? What's even creepier is the statement by Virginia Kice, of Immigration and Customs Enforcement:

One of the things that our agency's responsible for doing is protecting the integrity of the economy and our nation's financial systems and obviously trademark infringement does have significant economic implications.

"Protecting the integrity of the economy"?!?!?! That's Homeland Security's mandate? Yes, trademark infringement does have significant economic implications, and while I can see HS dealing with that as a sort of side-benefit of customs work, I would think that legal issues like trademark and patent infringement would be Dept. of Justice issues -- how are store owners (or the agents who harass them) supposed to know the intricacies of intellectual property issues? But even so, the idea that something as vast and intricate as "the integrity of the economy" should be considered part of our national security... Well, that just creeps me out.

AFTERTHOUGHT: You can order a Magic Cube from Pufferbelly Toys here.