http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c871 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:59:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c871 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c224 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:55:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c224
BALONEY! This one where you're flatly wrong has been annoying me for some time:

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111011/17205216309/course-study-shows-that-getting-rid-drm-reduces-piracy.shtml#c139

It's not academic whether was computer modeling or empirical evidence, as the claim of real world evidence was central to your piece.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/00554723091/more-details-emerge-key-legal-fight-over-dmca-abuse.shtml#c157 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:55:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/00554723091/more-details-emerge-key-legal-fight-over-dmca-abuse.shtml#c157 I look to my left, I see a whole pile of PS3 discs and DS cartridges on my bedside cabinet. I look on my desktop, I see an icon for Steam and Origin, both with a large library of games. (We're talking hundreds of euro's worth).
I also infringe.

That's the problem you and your ilk have. You want to attack the pirates, but you ALWAYS, always always always, forget that the biggest pirates are also the biggest customers. You simply cannot separate pirates from customers. We're both. I'm both. Attack me for infringing, and I will stop paying altogether (mainly because you, in your infinite wisdom, would think that taking away my internet connection somehow helps your profit margin)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c1141 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:55:06 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c1141
Kid does something wrong and you spank them? They'll go tell a teacher and you'll be the one in trouble. Send a kid to bed hungry and you'll get a visit from social services for child abuse. Parents today are afraid to punish their kids and the kids know it. They know that they can get away with almost anything and there will be few consequences for it.

Back when I was little, I was afraid of my father. He wasn't a bad man, but he did have a fairly bad temper and I got swatted more than a few times. I didn't dare do anything that would actually break the law. Unlike today, where the worst thing about a trip to court for most kids is being bored listening to the judge.

Not to mention the "everyone's a winner" mentality that gives kids a sense of entitlement. "Of course you all get stars because you're all winners!"

We're raising a nation of arrogant, over-entitled kids who have no fear of punishment and then we're surprised when they go out and commit real crimes such as murder?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/10401723156.shtml#c1141 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:52:24 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/10401723156.shtml#c1141 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c265 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:52:11 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c265 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/10401723156.shtml#c1117 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:51:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/10401723156.shtml#c1117 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c246 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:51:37 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c246
While I am amazed that no damages were awarded, I doubt this is the end of the Alan Cooper case, I believe that Cooper will launch an appeal to clear his name and to have the court find that his name and idenitity were mis-appreopriated in regard to forged signatures on court documents and that he was made CEO of two holding companies he had no knowledge of.

Also I am sure that Cooper would like to see John Steele and Prenda brought to justice for their roles in the misappropriation of his identity.

The fact I think that the Judge didn't delve to much int the depth of what was really going on and her confusion at the beginning, I believe sets this up for an appeal.

I am sure Cooper is going to want some vindication and some monetary compensation for the mis-use of his name and identity By Prenda et all.

The fact that Hansmeier took it while bent over from the Judge leads me to believe that he will also appeal due to the fact that the Judge said she would be forwarding the matter to the Minnesota State Bar.

This would now make 2 different cases were Hansmeier alone has been told the State Bar would be getting the case details and his actions have been called into question.

Prenda and those who are involved in it have now been subject to investigations of various State Bars, State and Federal Attorney General and the Criminal Division of the IRS.

Now Team Prenda is not done yet, they still have to explain why someone signed documents as Salt Marsh to Judge Chen in the SF court case...good luck with that, I think we will see the sanctions train make another stop at Team Prenda.

Has anyone noticed that A lot of Team Prenda has been hit with sanctions and state bar referrals, except that is for John "Teflon John" Steele.

I have to wonder if John really retired, or if his retirement was forced upon him. It seems rather odd that everyone else connected with Prenda is getting it in the ass (so to speak)

Think about it. Duffy has been referred to the state of California Bar and the Illinois State Bar.

Gibbs has been referred state of California Bar.

Hansmeier has been reffered to the Minnesota State Bar.

The only one to escape that is Steele. Now either John is smarter than we think or maybe John retired to avoid the very troubles his Prenda Team mates are about to have.

I really wonder if John retired or his licensce was going to be pulled and maybe he cut a deal to avoid loss of his license, that would make some sense if you think about it.

Now does anyone here really believe John is retired, I doubt it. If you think about, why would John Steele who is retired, show up in court for the Sunlust pictures case and when the Judge asked who he was, John basically lept up and stated "My name is John Steele, and I am not a practicing lawyer and am not admitted to the Florida State bar and have nothing to do with this case"

But yet there John was, coincidence, I doubt it...It's my opinion that John is still playing lawyer behind the scene but trying to pass it off as consulting, but really I think Stelle, Duffy and Hansmeier run all the litigation and write most of the filings themselves, sans Brent Gibbs of course who I think is dumb enough to do his own.

I wonder how Hansmeier, Duffy & Gibbs feel about their legal careers taking a vicious beating by the courts and their professional careers in jeopardy while Steel walk virtually unscathed.

It will be interesting to see what happens if the main players in Team Prenda get hit with RICO, I wonder who will be the first to save their skin and turn professional witness for the prosecution... and I would suffice to say that Steele will be the one to find out after the music stops their wont be a chair for him to sit in.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c217 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:50:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c217 > would want to live in that hellhole is beyond me.

Amen, brother.

Every time I have to go there, I can't wait to leave. The idea of actually having to live there makes me shudder.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c236 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:49:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c236 this time Prenda got off with basically a slap on the wrist, but given how angry the judge seems to be with what they were doing, I imagine if any of them ever show up in her courtroom in the future, they'll be lucky to get away with skin intact.

That said I do agree with you, they were insanely lucky this time around, and they really should have been hit much harder than this for what they were being accused of doing.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c195 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:48:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c195
What does that have to do with anything? Now a person's philosophical viewpoint determines whether his business model is valid or not?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c233 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:48:00 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c233
I'm a resident of the UK, though, so I'm perhaps misunderstanding some of the finer points of US law (as I also mistake the laws of my own country, being not-a-lawyer, and such).]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c847 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:47:00 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c847 it would be relatively easy for them to delete it beyond reasonable recovery.
Not without leaving traces.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c224 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:46:50 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c224 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c846 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:46:05 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c846 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/10401723156.shtml#c1104 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:40 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/10401723156.shtml#c1104 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c182 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c182
"Remember that every act of government ultimately reduces to an act of violence against person and property. When you see the word regulation, think of cops with clubs and tasers. Think of fines, courtrooms, jails. These are the essential means by which government operates to control society."

I prefer consensual relationships and voluntary exchange.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c171 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:03 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c171 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c146 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:43:52 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c146 > around for ages. If you want to rent you property
> you must check the local laws

Yes, heaven forfend a person should do anything with their own property without having to ask some government bureacrat for permission first.

Land of the free indeed...]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c843 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:42:34 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c843
"Securely deleting a file is typically a tradeoff of
thoroughness (number of passes) and performance (time)"

The fact still remains, it's impossible to recover an infinite amount of information. These people had a relatively long time to delete information, it would be relatively easy for them to delete it beyond reasonable recovery.

Wrongfully confiscating the evidence before the public had a chance to see it puts my ability to see it in the future at the mercy of law enforcement. For all I know they could have burned the original flash drive and gave the feds another just like it. Not to mention I have no idea if I can trust the feds.

As far as I am concerned the information went into a black hole, into the hands of law enforcement, the very suspects here. The public may never get access to the original flash drive again and anything law enforcement (the feds, the cops, etc...) say is automatically suspect.

My ability to uncover the truth should not have ever been put at their mercy. The person who shot the footage should have been allowed to keep it and make it publicly available. Law enforcement prevented this and for that they should be punished worse than if they were guilty.]]>