Feds Continue to Assert World Jurisdiction

Radley Balko | February 13, 2007

Federal officials are contemplating "punitive action" against Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Seems Matsuzaka endorsed a brand of beer and, in a television commercial, actually took a sip of said beer. That's a violation of (stupid) U.S. alcohol regulations.

Here's the problem: It was a Japanese beer. And the TV commercial aired only in Japan.

Japanese TV execs had better be careful. This, after all, is the age of the Internets. Should U.S. consumers watch Matsuzaka drink beer on their computers, then be lured to demon alcohol, the TV execs could find themselves in handcuffs next time they're laid over at a U.S. airport.