Latest Techdirt Comments http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/18102623141/so-its-come-to-this-seven-high-school-students-arrested-throwing-water-balloons.shtml#c1 Wed, 22 May 2013 08:03:42 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/18102623141/so-its-come-to-this-seven-high-school-students-arrested-throwing-water-balloons.shtml#c1
We'd be burying 6 students.

Police States of America, coming to your local neighborhood! Misleading News at 11!

/ugh]]> Just go ALL PRENDA, ALL THE TIME. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/16402423161/first-hand-account-judicial-smackdown-prenda-minnesota.shtml#c10 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:59:20 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/16402423161/first-hand-account-judicial-smackdown-prenda-minnesota.shtml#c10

Take a loopy tour of Techdirt.com! You always end up same place!
http://techdirt.com/
ZOMG! Yet another item on Prenda Law! A staple in the soporific "At The Bench" series. Mike sez (short version): "Wow. Wow. Wow. ... The story is gripping."
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130303/23353022182/prenda-law-sues-critics-defamation.shtml
03:58:55[d-365-1]]]> Re: New Lock version 2.0 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1932251716.shtml#c1692 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:58:40 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1932251716.shtml#c1692
Being a Locksmith in Birmingham isn't easy - every day there's lock pickings and lock bumping to deal with... but if geeks want to pick a few locks and earn us a few extra jobs, we won't complain!]]> Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/10401723156/if-you-think-you-should-actually-own-products-you-bought-now-would-be-good-time-to-call-congress.shtml#c1830 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:58:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/10401723156/if-you-think-you-should-actually-own-products-you-bought-now-would-be-good-time-to-call-congress.shtml#c1830 And, yet again, AJ shows why responding to him is a waste of time. He made a statement that was clearly false, and I pointed it out. Rather than admit his error, he continued the attack and moved the goalposts. Then he thinks it makes sense to yell at me because I won't respond to his ridiculous assertions?

This is why there is no discussing anything with you on the merits. You employ logical fallacies like you invented them, and you constantly move the goalposts.

I didn't move the goalposts. You said "copyrights," and I assumed you meant the rights granted to copyright holders under the Copyright Act--which is a reasonable interpretation of the word. You appear to be limiting your claim to some subset of those rights. That's fine. The word "copyrights" can be construed differently, and my construction differed from yours. No big deal. But you still have not answered my question: What do you mean by "copyrights." You're pretending like it's my fault I don't know what you mean when you haven't bothered to explain what you mean by your use of the word.

Regardless, I've asked you to address my point this proposal would indeed weaken the copyright rights, defined broadly as including the anticircumvention rights under 1201, of copyright holders. You have not addressed this question. Nor have you addressed the point I've made repeatedly in the comments that if you meant by "copyrights" only the exclusive rights under Section 106, then this proposal would weaken those rights as well because making it legal to traffic in technologies that can be used to circumvent access controls would make it easier to infringe. Those controls exist for the purpose of protecting the rights under Section 106. If those controls are weakened, then that in turn weakens the protection of the Section 106 rights. The fact that it would still be illegal to violate the 106 rights ignores the fact that it would be easier to do so.

Now, instead of pulling out your usual trope about "temper tantrums" and "moving the goalposts," why don't you actually discuss these actual issues on the merits? Seriously, Mike. Grow a fucking pair and discuss something like a man. Stop running away all the time. It's fucking ridiculous.]]> Do you know the Difference between a theory and a hypothesis? http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c316 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:57:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c316
A hypothesis is a guess that hasn't been proved yet.

Sounds like you're using 'theory' in this article when you mean 'hypothesis'.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c476 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:54:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c476 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c778 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:53:46 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c778
Maybe Nora is just worried that Steele is going to take the big fall, since it's Gibbs, Duffy and Hansmeier who are all referred to their various State Bars and could have a variety of things happen with their licence to practice law while Steele escapes that happening to him.

Could be Nora is a little worried that Gibbs, Duffy, Hansmeier or Lutz could always turn into a witness of a RICO case came down.

Obviously Nora is worried that the others could strike a deal and maybe extract a little revenge for their careers being in tatters while Steele escaped without any penalties from the State Bar(s) he belongs to.

Must weigh on Nora's mind a lot that there is the possibility that with a possible RICO case, someone from the group could flip, with the IRS Criminal Division case someone could flip.

Of course this is Hypothetical for now, but we'll have to see what happens.

John -er- I mean Nora, you seem to know a lot of graphic details of what goes on in various porn acts, you must watch a lot of it]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c309 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:53:31 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c309 Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/15581423160/prenda-gets-some-tiny-bit-good-news-as-it-may-get-out-two-critical-cases.shtml#c239 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:53:25 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/15581423160/prenda-gets-some-tiny-bit-good-news-as-it-may-get-out-two-critical-cases.shtml#c239 Male parta, male dilabuntur.

Things ill gotten slip away in evil ways.
Cicero, Philippica II, 44 B.C.
My money is on...there is no more money.]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c291 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:51:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c291 Re: Re: According to.. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c454 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:50:27 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c454 I don't get this... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c443 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:48:32 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c443 Re: According to.. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c434 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:47:22 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c434
I think a simpler solution would be to expand property lines to include a bubble 50 or 100 feet above the ground making it possible to trespass even while hovering above the ground. Then simple trespass laws take it from there. Including the property owner's option to permit or deny entry as desired, and the ability of authorities to override those limits if needed.

It's a matter of respect as much as anything else. Like anyone else they are welcome to take pictures from the roadway, but not from the window ledge.]]> Minecraft as empirical evidence of validity ... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c278 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:47:15 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c278
2. My best friend likes a high-res Minecraft texture pack and is hell bent on killing mobs. I stick with a 64x res pack and hide from mobs in a hole at night.

3. He sometimes gets drunk and wants to start a fight. I do not.

Therefore, using hi-res texture packs on the violent game of Minecraft has been shown to make people more violent than those who use lower res, video-card-heat-friendly texture packs.

Proven.]]> Re: Passerby - NOT a silly fight. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/00554723091/more-details-emerge-key-legal-fight-over-dmca-abuse.shtml#c336 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:45:39 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/00554723091/more-details-emerge-key-legal-fight-over-dmca-abuse.shtml#c336
Due to regulatory capture causing copyright, as well as patent law, to go far beyond anything reasonable, copyright and the DMCA are frequent topics here. The reason for this article is specifically the abuse of the takedown provisions of the DMCA, rather than the fight itself. This is a clear and obvious attempt to silence free speech using the DMCA is the method, despite defenders of the takedown provisions claiming that nothing about copyright can or will harm free speech.]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/00493523143/ridiculous-timing-obama-administration-responds-to-spying-ap-pushing-journalist-shield-law-that-wouldnt-matter.shtml#c374 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:39:51 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/00493523143/ridiculous-timing-obama-administration-responds-to-spying-ap-pushing-journalist-shield-law-that-wouldnt-matter.shtml#c374
Please don't throw such comments around as insults, it is outdated and even possibly damaging to developing youths that may make the wrong connections early in life and end up with cancer of the testis thinking that regular masturbation is bad.

~~~~~ The more you know!~~~~~]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c259 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:39:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c259
Down to what??? Epidemic levels? We will fight like hell for the unborn - but once there are here, they are fair game.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c242 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:35:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c242
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/15581423160/prenda-gets-some-tiny-bit-good-news-as-it-may-get-out-two-critical-cases.shtml#c217 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:34:57 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/15581423160/prenda-gets-some-tiny-bit-good-news-as-it-may-get-out-two-critical-cases.shtml#c217
For those that read that brilliant Q&A between the Judge and Mark Lutz and then the Judge and Steele stammering and scrambling to try and put as much distance between himself and the Sunlust case as possible.

There was no way they were going to want the Judge coming to a conclusion on what was really going on in this case. The judge was a little ticked at the goings on of Prenda, Duffy and Lutz.

At the end of that hearing the Judge chastised a few of the participants of Team Prenda for what she perceived as a fraud upon the court.

In the SF case with Judge Chen, I would have to assume that Judge Chen thought there could be some aspect of believability to Mark Lutz's claim that he signed some documents on behalf of the Salt Marsh trust with the trusts name.

Personally I don't really buy that, I am sure they knew what they were doing, Judge Chen I am sure was skeptical as well but gave them the benefit of the doubt here.

Judge Chen knows what is going on in the case that was before him and around the country, so he was smart enough to let this one go considering Prenda is taking on water and heading to the bottom.

Judge Chen is aware of Judge Wright's order and his notifying the various State bars and the State & Federal AG's along with the IRS Criminal Division, so I would think he knows that is in play so while they may skate in the case before them the hurt is still coming to Team Prenda.

This is far from over for Team Prenda. There is still the possibility of a RICO indictment to come and who cuts a deal and who gets hung out to dry.

The fun is stopping just yet.]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c414 Wed, 22 May 2013 07:34:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c414