http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02350923170/new-bill-would-stop-patent-trolls-hiding-behind-shell-companies.shtml#c126 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:37:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02350923170/new-bill-would-stop-patent-trolls-hiding-behind-shell-companies.shtml#c126
Most lawmakers are lawyers, THAT is the problem.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/16402423161/first-hand-account-judicial-smackdown-prenda-minnesota.shtml#c1344 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:35:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/16402423161/first-hand-account-judicial-smackdown-prenda-minnesota.shtml#c1344 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02350923170/new-bill-would-stop-patent-trolls-hiding-behind-shell-companies.shtml#c125 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:33:23 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02350923170/new-bill-would-stop-patent-trolls-hiding-behind-shell-companies.shtml#c125
But, but, but zero tolerance!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130502/18364622931/ma-teen-arrested-held-without-bail-posting-supposed-terrorist-threat-facebook.shtml#c1334 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:25:04 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130502/18364622931/ma-teen-arrested-held-without-bail-posting-supposed-terrorist-threat-facebook.shtml#c1334 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c811 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:24:29 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c811 So how close does a drone have to be to someone's home before it becomes intrusive? Clearly, at some height the air is part of the sky commons that belongs to everyone, as a famous 1946 US Supreme Court decision laid down:

The air is a public highway, as Congress has declared. Were that not true, every transcontinental flight would subject the operator to countless trespass suits. Common sense revolts at the idea.

If that's true, why do you need special permits to fly model aircraft over a certain size or launch large rockets?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c201 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:19:49 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c201 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130502/07475922914/why-even-good-hospitals-doctors-are-obstacle-to-better-cheaper-healthcare.shtml#c357 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:18:57 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130502/07475922914/why-even-good-hospitals-doctors-are-obstacle-to-better-cheaper-healthcare.shtml#c357 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/18102623141/so-its-come-to-this-seven-high-school-students-arrested-throwing-water-balloons.shtml#c1780 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:16:47 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/18102623141/so-its-come-to-this-seven-high-school-students-arrested-throwing-water-balloons.shtml#c1780
http://www.infowars.com/video-hundreds-of-dhs-armored-trucks-on-the-move/]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/18102623141/so-its-come-to-this-seven-high-school-students-arrested-throwing-water-balloons.shtml#c1758 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:12:53 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/18102623141/so-its-come-to-this-seven-high-school-students-arrested-throwing-water-balloons.shtml#c1758 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/18265123163/reporters-find-exposed-personal-data-via-google-threatened-with-cfaa-charges.shtml#c692 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:11:48 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/18265123163/reporters-find-exposed-personal-data-via-google-threatened-with-cfaa-charges.shtml#c692 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c663 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:08:06 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c663
If you shoot video of cops breaking the law and/or abusing someone, make disseminating the video(s) your top priority! Upload them! Email them to someone, even yourself! Hide the memory card! Don't just sit around waiting for the cops to show up and confiscate the phone/camera/card!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c648 Wed, 22 May 2013 19:03:35 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c648
They should separately pay for taking those cameras. The person whom the cameras was wrongfully taken from should be rewarded well. Do you know why? It will encourage more people to record the cops because, if they record the cops and the cameras are wrongfully taken, those making the recordings get rewarded. That is a good rule. Otherwise people will be discouraged from recording the cops knowing that they can get their cameras forcefully taken from them and not be compensated and accomplish nothing when the evidence is deleted. That's not a rule we want. The fact that these people had their cameras taken from them and should get compensation is independent on whether or not the cops are guilty of murder. Yes, the cops should be convicted of murder. But, separately, these people should be well compensated for having their cameras taken.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c636 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:57:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c636
They should be convicted of murder, yes, but that's a separate issue. They should separately be punished for the wrongful confiscation of (potential) evidence.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c619 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:55:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c619 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c606 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:54:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c606
But I suppose cops getting away with murder and the forceful and wrongful confiscation and destruction of evidence is OK. People like you will defend them.

That's just the American way, isn't it?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130502/18364622931/ma-teen-arrested-held-without-bail-posting-supposed-terrorist-threat-facebook.shtml#c1320 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:53:35 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130502/18364622931/ma-teen-arrested-held-without-bail-posting-supposed-terrorist-threat-facebook.shtml#c1320 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/01382223168/new-york-times-tells-startup-it-cant-even-mention-ny-times.shtml#c784 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:51:39 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/01382223168/new-york-times-tells-startup-it-cant-even-mention-ny-times.shtml#c784 "The Times lawyers specifically stated they would be okay with use of a different publication's content..."

Wow, they've really taken the moral high road there. They're all pissy about someone building off their work, but don't care if you build off somebody else's work instead. Is this the copyright equivalent of NIMBY?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c584 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:48:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/17321623162/released-video-silva-beating-shows-his-last-moments-video-actual-beating-still-missing.shtml#c584 What have they to gain here?

Well, ain't they said they gonna sue?

]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/18265123163/reporters-find-exposed-personal-data-via-google-threatened-with-cfaa-charges.shtml#c672 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:35:20 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/18265123163/reporters-find-exposed-personal-data-via-google-threatened-with-cfaa-charges.shtml#c672
Although on second read...I recall that one could do this but only if one is logged onto Google+...which means they are still tracking your every move and can target ads to you with the advertising companies they own.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c149 Wed, 22 May 2013 18:34:16 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/03160923172/chinese-hacks-google-database-surveillance-targets-highlight-how-dumb-technology-backdoors-are.shtml#c149 ...just as soon as they come up with unbreakable DRMThey did.... but then they couldn't work out how to get the content to play afterwards... /tongue in cheek]]>