http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c208 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:52:53 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c208 DEA was a prestige project like SOPA/PIPA. In Denmark it was also on the table for quite some time far after the ban in EU. In the end it was clear that it would be almost impossible to make an even so-so law under EU acquis and even though the laws were written and rewritten several times by certain rightholders (mainly the music companies), a growing part of the artists came out against the law, which in the end made the cultural minister scrap it. The minister got huge amounts of animosity from those organisation and later resigned because he was receiving serious death threads and his way of handling a none-case was getting him political animosity too.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130617/11133123507/steve-wozniak-speaks-out-against-nsa-spying-this-is-not-my-america.shtml#c661 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:52:49 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130617/11133123507/steve-wozniak-speaks-out-against-nsa-spying-this-is-not-my-america.shtml#c661 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130617/11133123507/steve-wozniak-speaks-out-against-nsa-spying-this-is-not-my-america.shtml#c639 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:51:40 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130617/11133123507/steve-wozniak-speaks-out-against-nsa-spying-this-is-not-my-america.shtml#c639
And Hitler had years to do what he wanted because not enough people were opposing him.

I'm also pretty sure your government did have access to certain information, it just couldn't cross departmental fiefdoms to join the dots.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130617/11133123507/steve-wozniak-speaks-out-against-nsa-spying-this-is-not-my-america.shtml#c638 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:48:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130617/11133123507/steve-wozniak-speaks-out-against-nsa-spying-this-is-not-my-america.shtml#c638
"People's" Republic of China
"Democratic" German Republic
Anything in the US with 'Family' in the name.
"Defense" of Marriage Act]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c92 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:47:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c92 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c68 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:47:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c68 Now, as I've said before, I think laws against unpaid internships are kind of silly -- and if people can willingly come to an agreement where an unpaid internship makes sense, it should be allowed.

Yeah you didn't read the article before spewing your bullshit. 3/10 try again]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130618/11332223519/states-attorneys-general-want-to-special-exception-to-blame-sites-actions-users.shtml#c967 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:44:37 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130618/11332223519/states-attorneys-general-want-to-special-exception-to-blame-sites-actions-users.shtml#c967 Davnel, the US Constitution only applies to government actions. The 1st prohibits government restrictions on speech, but does not broadly apply to possible private restrictions. A privately-owned mall, for example, can prohibit non-approved speech, including political speech. Similarly, the 1st has no meaningful legal bearing on most moderation of on-line comments.

Funny. That argument didn't seem very compelling during the SOPA debate.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130618/11332223519/states-attorneys-general-want-to-special-exception-to-blame-sites-actions-users.shtml#c956 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:43:11 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130618/11332223519/states-attorneys-general-want-to-special-exception-to-blame-sites-actions-users.shtml#c956 Perhaps it is time to remind the AG's what their jobs actually are.

A stepping stone to a congressional seat?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130616/20142123500/games-war-designer-cliff-bleszinski-used-games-must-be-killed-order-unsustainable-aaa-development-to-live.shtml#c1747 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:41:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130616/20142123500/games-war-designer-cliff-bleszinski-used-games-must-be-killed-order-unsustainable-aaa-development-to-live.shtml#c1747
And you already have those First Sale laws that does actually force the video game industry to play by the same economic rules as any other industry:
Make what the customer wants or that you can persuade them they want, make it cheaper or better than your competitors, or go out of business.

Of course, the content industries prefer to buy legislation to legal-away competition and keep any gravy train going, rather than actually innovate.

I've spent more money in the last few years on Free-to-play games on micropayments than I have on actual games. Because the offer so much more, and I could give a rat's arse that mediaeval venice has authentic-looking poo on the floor or that my headshot shows the right percentage of blood to brains, or that the gun used is both authentic-looking and 'authorised'.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c186 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:40:57 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c186
I have known people who just want maximum access to any and all media where they achieve this by pirating, hacking or buying what they can. They would want an all you can eat service at a fair price... but still want more.

Others just like the convenience, speed and quality of file sharing where once downloaded this new media slots in to their own personal media on demand system.

Then others prefer a try before they buy system. Their shelves of DVD, Blurays and CDs are already full with purchased media they rate as an AWESOME collection because they avoid crap media by sampling it first.

There are other reasons such as never wanting to fund the MAFIAA due to all the social harm they cause but I can offer one rare insight into piracy. This is that people are not immoral and corrupt where they know rights from wrongs and where if you talk to them they can offer very understandable motives even if you may not agree with their view.

At the end the day people's morals have been proved when pirates, with access to unlimited FREE media, are the BIGGEST SPENDERS on media.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c56 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:38:49 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c56 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c20 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:38:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c20
Ahem.

Good luck enforcing that shit. How do you respect a law that's unenforceable and that you can easily break? You don't. See copyright.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c185 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:38:15 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c185
Surprising then, that it wasn't even hidden that members of the copyright side, wrote the legislation.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130616/20142123500/games-war-designer-cliff-bleszinski-used-games-must-be-killed-order-unsustainable-aaa-development-to-live.shtml#c1731 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:36:35 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130616/20142123500/games-war-designer-cliff-bleszinski-used-games-must-be-killed-order-unsustainable-aaa-development-to-live.shtml#c1731 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c53 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:36:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c53 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130616/20142123500/games-war-designer-cliff-bleszinski-used-games-must-be-killed-order-unsustainable-aaa-development-to-live.shtml#c1712 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:35:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130616/20142123500/games-war-designer-cliff-bleszinski-used-games-must-be-killed-order-unsustainable-aaa-development-to-live.shtml#c1712
And yes, it's as perfectly fair for you as a buyer of new games to pay whatever the company is making you to, as it claims, make up for second-hand sales. Firstly, no-one is forcing you to buy the game new/full price. Ok, I know some people have to - but there are people who want to do this. But you yourself have a choice. If the companies are pricing their content too high for people to want to pay $60, then they need to change their business model and cost management - the whole point of this article.

Secondly, every other industry selling stuff seems to manage fine. If new car buyers or new furniture buyers or new television buyers have to theoretically 'pay to make up for people buying second-hand' then there is no special reason why games or books or movies or music should be exempt. They already have the special exemption that they can charge forever less a day for all copies of a one-off work, which the guy building the car, making the furniture or designing the TV doesn't get.

So yes, it's utterly fair. You want to pay $60? Fine. Not happy with it? Don't buy it. If I want to buy it, I have the perfectly legal choice of paying]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c38 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:35:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c38
Don't bother to answer, I already know. Your futile attempts to censor one of your detractors by blocking his IP address has already revealed what a hypocritical douchebag you are. Honestly Masnick, the only thing you're missing is the bulb nose and slap shoes.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/06292823517/nypd-boss-angry-over-secret-nsa-surveillancebut-only-because-it-was-secret.shtml#c318 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:33:23 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/06292823517/nypd-boss-angry-over-secret-nsa-surveillancebut-only-because-it-was-secret.shtml#c318 Wasn't it just a big racist thing where they would find pot?

Pretty much, but we knew it was happening. He is referring to it as above board because it was not initiated by pulled each police officer aside and whispering in their ear "psst. we are going to have a policy of stopping and frisking anyone you want without giving a reason. don't tell anyone, just start doing it."]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/14341223521/google-without-admitting-it-gets-fisa-orders-files-lawsuit-to-challenge-fisa-gag-orders.shtml#c476 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:30:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/14341223521/google-without-admitting-it-gets-fisa-orders-files-lawsuit-to-challenge-fisa-gag-orders.shtml#c476
* note that the number of FISA orders is counted in a range along with the number of toilet paper units sold throughout the world. Why? Well, it's classified.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c32 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:30:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/01121423439/hollywood-studios-keep-saying-its-employees-must-get-paid-now-may-be-forced-to-pay-its-interns.shtml#c32