100% Wrong. The airline is part of "The Emirates Group" which is (emphasis added) 100% OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ARAB EMIRATES. So, yes, it was heavily sponsored by the government of the Arab Emirates, a country sodden with oil wealth. The New Zealand team had numerous other sponsors and contributors, also. It's boat was festooned like an Indy 500 stock car. For a list of sponsors/contributors see:
http://emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com/sponsors

Let's face it: In the greatest comeback in the history of yachting the USA team out-thought and especially out-sailed the NZ blokes. Some of the out-sailing was astounding; at times with the boats on the same tack the USA was many knots faster. We won some of the last races by literally almost a mile, an astounding margin in this type of racing.

They will stop stealing when they learn that it is more expensive to steal than to behave honestly. Sadly, much of the internet's business models are based on theft, and much of that on image theft.

If I were half flying half sailing at 45 knots in an insanely over-canvassed catamaran I'd wear a helmet, too! The helmets also contain radio equipment and protect the sailors from wind noise. If the boat capsizes (which has happened in the past with lethal results) the helmets will likely save lives, as would the small canister of air that each sailor carries.

As to the Arab Emirates, they sponsored New Zealand. These boats are expensive but for oil-rich Arab countries, it's chump change.

The USA also got breaks from above in the form of kamikazes which literally means "divine wind." The Kiwis were at 'match point" for eight races. In one of those, with the Kiwis having a big lead, the wind exceeded the safety limits and the race was cancelled just before the all-important leg 4. In another race, with the Kiwis minutes from victory, the race was cancelled because the low winds caused the total race time to exceed the limit (yeah, they have such an idiotic rule!).

It's kind of ridiculous to bellyache about Oracle's money, when New Zealand was funded by the super rich Arab oil country, the Arab Emirates.

What everyone also seems to overlook is that the Americans out-thought the Kiwis in the starts and other strategies. Indeed, in one of the last races the Kiwis even resorted to ramming the American boat. The Americans also strikingly out-sailed the Kiwis, most notably in the upwind leg, where in several races the Americans made up a deficit and then grew their own lead to half a mile and more.

It was the greatest comeback in the history of yachting.

Stuff like special rates for books on tape is subsidized with tax money or from profit from other mail. Many of us complain about 3rd class advertising mail. But an interesting fact is that such mail is delivered presorted down to the mailman level and is a tremendous profit-maker for the USPS. 1st Class mail is far more work to process and is marginal or a money drain for the USPS. 1st Class is actually subsidized by bulk rate mail. So we should actually appreciate "junk mail" since it keeps 1st class rates from going much higher.

Most USPS income comes from sales of services and products. Mainly postage. It also gets a few shekels from sale of miscellany like greeting cards, packaging supplies, etc. It is not clear just how much the USPS is subsidized with tax money these days.

I also notice that the USPS has severely raised rates on some things, like media mail and packages. It has also gotten rid of some bargains like overseas book rate, it is now horrifyingly expensive to mail a book overseas.

I do notice that the USPS at the counter windows now attempts to upgrade transactions by pushing proof of delivery, insurance, and other add-ons.

And maybe Getty is simply lying. The claim is not under oath and it is not industry norm to simply steal images. AFP is also notorious, not as well known for piracy as it is for bias and fabricated photos and stories.

Full story at:
http://pdnpulse.pdnonline.com/2013/09/in-twitpic-copyright-claim-daniel-morel-seeks-13-2-million-from-afp-getty.html

Note: ("AFP" is a French news agency, known for infringement, fabricated news and photos, and anti-Semitic pro-Islamicist "reporting.") Getty is a major stock agency, known for a pattern of unethical (and in some cases illegal) practices:

BEGINNING OF ARTICLE:

In TwitPic Copyright Claim, Daniel Morel Seeks $13.2 Million from AFP, Getty

Photographer Daniel Morel is seeking as much as $13.2 million from AFP and Getty Images at a trial to determine damages for copyright infringement of his exclusive images of the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, which Morel had posted via Twitter. The trial is scheduled to begin November 12.

A federal court determined earlier this year that AFP infringed Morel’s copyrights in 8 photographs by distributing those photos without his permission. The November 12 jury trial is meant to determine the amount of damages owed to Morel, based upon the question of whether or not the infringements were willful.

Not completely true:
The USPS does get some taxpayer support. Around $96 million is budgeted annually by Congress for the "Postal Service Fund." These funds are used to compensate USPS for postage-free mailing for all legally blind persons and for mail-in election ballots sent from US citizens living overseas. A portion of the funds also pays USPS for providing address information to state and local child support enforcement agencies.

That $96 million is in addition to various "hidden" subsidies which do not show up on the balance sheet.

In addition, the USPS has been given a monopoly on delivery of mail, and in using this monopoly is very much a government agency.

The USPS also operates a system of "kangaroo courts" with USPS bureaucrats acting as prosecutor, judge, and jury, and victims not able to get a trial in an independent court. This system also means the USPS is acting as a govt. agency.

From the PPA:

http://www.ppa.com/membership/content.cfm?ItemNumber=4254&utm_source=click_thru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ppatoday#content

Now I wonder if that is the reason that I keep getting all these wonderful letters. As soon as the money from them starts coming in, I should be a millionaire many times over. I can hardly wait.. Could it be that I have been duped?[/quote]

Whatever you do, don't meet with the guys who offer the deal. Especially in Nigeria. You could wind up dead.

A friend of mine runs a mail receiving service similar to Mailboxes Etc. The shop also does a lot of business with Western Union, whose services are scammer-friendly. In fact, a request for money to be sent Western Union is almost a certain tipoff that a scam is involved.

He REGULARLY has people coming in to send money to the scam artists. He catches most of the cons and convinces the victims not to send money. But some of the victims...most are very unsophisticated...are convinced it's a legit opportunity and insist on sending the Western Union Moneygram anyhow.

So yes, these scam offers sometimes work. And sadly, they usually work on the unsophisticated people who can least spare the money from such gyps.

I suspect the museum might discourage photography. But I don't know; haven't been in the Louvre in many years.

BTW, in the USA there's a strange quirk in copyright law. A straightforward photo of an old painting like the Mona Lisa, IS NOT copyrightable. That's a glaring exception to normal copyright law.

If the copyright in the sculpture was timely-registered with the copyright office, the sculptor could sue you for HIS CHOICE of actual damages OR statutory damages. Statutory damages can go to $150,000, though $10,000-20,000 is far more common. Plus you'd be on the hook for sculptor's attorney fees.

Everything is fully model-released and copyright-registered.