http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c959 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:54:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c959 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c951 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:53:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c951 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c939 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:53:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c939 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c915 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:52:57 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c915 But what he ACTUALLY does is steal the income stream from the work of others, and funnel it into his OWN pocket. Geez, that's just sickening coming from a grifting millionaire.

What, and record labels don't?

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110404/12211913771/record-labels-may-owe-artists-close-to-2-billion-lawsuits-ramp-up-with-rick-james-lead.shtml

Besides, Mike regularly calls them both out when they do something wrong or stupid, as Dotcom just did.

But don't let your unrequited passion for Mike cloud your judgement or anything!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c913 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:52:37 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c913
Take the wheel as an example. The wheel (in it's traditional form, not the strange/wacky modern reinventions of the wheel) was never patented yet, you can't just go to the USPTO and say "I want to patent the wheel". You can't because prior art exists.

Of course, IANAL, if anyone wants to pitch it, please do.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c889 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:49:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c889 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/11301723178/amazon-wants-to-sell-fan-fiction-with-it-originator-fanfic-author-all-sharing-profits.shtml#c460 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:49:29 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/11301723178/amazon-wants-to-sell-fan-fiction-with-it-originator-fanfic-author-all-sharing-profits.shtml#c460 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c880 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:48:34 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c880
That's because, unlike other copyright and patent trolls, and I disagree with Dotcom on this issue, but unlike others who only seek to gain money and do nothing else, the Megaupload case DOES apply to other internet companies. If Megaupload loses, it won't be long before the MAFIAAA decides that if they can take down Megaupload, why not try for Youtube, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, ETC.?

There's more at stake here than someone being a patent troll, which is unlike other patent trolls which just seek to cause disruption in the market place.

If Megaupload fails in court, then the entire internet community could be in trouble.

Remember how we reacted to SOPA?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c876 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:47:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c876 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02350923170/new-bill-would-stop-patent-trolls-hiding-behind-shell-companies.shtml#c345 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:46:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02350923170/new-bill-would-stop-patent-trolls-hiding-behind-shell-companies.shtml#c345
]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c872 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:45:40 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c872
The DMCA doesn't apply in criminal cases? The safe harbor is for criminal charges too. For a wannabe lawyer that's a pretty stupid thing to say. Any case over the DMCA has the potential to set bad precedent (or good) what tilts this towards bad is that Kim isn't a particularly sympathetic case. And it would absolutely be bad for the 'tech' industry as a whole if a bas precedent was set on the DMCA just because a court didn't like Kim very much (a very real possibility).]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c859 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:45:00 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c859
Kim Dotcom Threatens To Sue Google, Facebook And Twitter Over 2-Factor Authentication Patent If They Don't Help Him

And here's a later line from his story:

"Specifically, he's asking them to help fund his defense, in exchange for not getting sued for the patent."

That is Msasnick parsing words, not me. I see it for the extortion it is: Fund Dotcom's defense or be sued for an unrelated matter.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/casestudies/articles/20130510/00083123031/cool-new-platform-supporting-artists-patreon-jack-conte.shtml#c211 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:44:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/casestudies/articles/20130510/00083123031/cool-new-platform-supporting-artists-patreon-jack-conte.shtml#c211
It's not a bad idea but I seriously doubt it will take off.

(BTW, Techdirt keeps freezing at random intervals. The heck is going on?)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c34 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:43:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c34
:P]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/18265123163/reporters-find-exposed-personal-data-via-google-threatened-with-cfaa-charges.shtml#c731 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:41:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/18265123163/reporters-find-exposed-personal-data-via-google-threatened-with-cfaa-charges.shtml#c731 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c836 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:39:57 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c836 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/11301723178/amazon-wants-to-sell-fan-fiction-with-it-originator-fanfic-author-all-sharing-profits.shtml#c448 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:38:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/11301723178/amazon-wants-to-sell-fan-fiction-with-it-originator-fanfic-author-all-sharing-profits.shtml#c448
Fan Fiction is NOT, and CAN NOT be copyright infringement, because there is nothing copied at all.

US: "102 (b) In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work."

Copyright is about the exact form, and not about an "idea" or a "concept".

The use of characters and settings developed by others MIGHT constitute trademark infringement (if named the same), but most literary characters are not even trademarked.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/22543223166/modest-proposal-going-piracy-neutral.shtml#c396 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:36:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/22543223166/modest-proposal-going-piracy-neutral.shtml#c396
/s]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c824 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:36:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c824 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c799 Thu, 23 May 2013 07:33:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c799
What Does Any Of That Have To Do With The Patent Being Granted?

Reading Comprehension Fail.]]>