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#c221 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:17:02 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#c221 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c228 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:14:21 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c228
1) The photography must be HIDDEN. That is, the moment you bring out your camera in full view, none of it applies.

2) The hidden photograpy must take place without permission from the subject(s)

3) The act must take place in an environment where the subject(s) have a reasonable right to expect privacy. That is, indoors in ones own home, inside a dressing room, in a restroom or similar environments.

This law is meant to complement laws against harassment, where the law is interpreted such that you cannot claim to be harassed in cases where you didn't realize AT THE TIME that you were being photographed.

That particular loophole, if you will, led to extensive debate here in Sweden a while back, after a couple of public cases were tried and the accused was acquitted of harassment after having secretly videotaped his tenant in her bathroom using a hidden camera. He was on the other hand convicted of violating the privacy of her home by entering without permission in order to install the hidden camera.

Under this new law he would be convicted of unlawful harassing photography since the law's three requisites would have been fulfilled.

There are also two excemptions to the law:

1) regarding law enforcement use of hidden photography; that is you can still be subject to being spied on if you're a reasonable suspect of a crime.

2) reasonable use. If it can be shown after the fact that the photography was justifiable, for example to gather evidence or for a photo journalist to document something of public interest, the law doesn't apply.

So, in summary, although fears have been raised by free speech activists and others (me included), the law actually does seem to be well written and sufficiently narrow in scope to not hinder everyday use of photography.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c207 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:12:42 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c207 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130611/09013223404/wipo-intellectual-monopolies-not-needed-innovation-informal-economy.shtml#c199 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:12:16 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130611/09013223404/wipo-intellectual-monopolies-not-needed-innovation-informal-economy.shtml#c199
So developer A produces some set of softwares that are freeware and make enough money to live comfortably but not in luxury while having a small extra for equipment maintenance and upgrading whereas developer B makes billions with the same type of software but with fancier UI and a few extras that facilitate the end-user lives.

Is dev A a failure? Or is he successful in building a decent software? And how does dev B make millions if there is software that do the same for free? Could we say dev B is successful in adding value to software already available for free?

It is very relative. For me both devs are as successful as any other person making a living of what they love to do as their main "jobs" and revenue. The difference here is that dev B only thrives with light IP protections in place while if there's a more lenient system both of them can thrive. Both of them will have to work to provide a decent product though.]]> 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#c728 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:12:11 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#c728 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c201 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:10:19 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c201
Example, I host a party at my home, wouldn't that become a 'public environment' as I am inviting people from outside into my home?]]> 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#c703 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:09:02 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#c703
The reality is if interns had to pay for the skills and experience they were learning out of their salaries, they'd be in the red.]]> 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#c693 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:07:09 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#c693 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#c684 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:06:28 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#c684
I.e. your "is" is irrelevant to my proposed action for the reasons I then stated.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/10230323518/nsa-claims-surveillance-programs-aided-stopping-50-attacks-details-lacking.shtml#c956 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:01:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/10230323518/nsa-claims-surveillance-programs-aided-stopping-50-attacks-details-lacking.shtml#c956 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#c675 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:59:45 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#c675 I'd much prefer if]]> 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#c657 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:59:33 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#c657
The other point is that if you look at the length of the replies, you'll notice that they take up a prominent part of the comment section, and it's annoying to have to browse through all the pointless trollbashing to find good comments.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130611/00503223401/public-outcry-taiwan-kills-their-version-sopa.shtml#c101 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:57:30 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130611/00503223401/public-outcry-taiwan-kills-their-version-sopa.shtml#c101 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#c648 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:56:32 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#c648 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#c627 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:49:08 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#c627 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#c624 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:48:25 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#c624 this can't and it's just bubbling over with the same people saying the same things over and over. Repeating the same actions and expecting different results is madness, the troll is mad but the rest of us show know better. I'd much prefer if we could just act like these troll posts are the dog crap they are and avoid treading on them while we get on with our lives.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c176 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:48:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c176

Svedee's perleeement hes futed in fefur ooff a lev thet buns tekeeng peectoores und feelming in a preefete-a infurunment veethuoot furst getteeng permeessiun frum peuple-a in ettendunce-a. Creetics sey zee lev is tuu embeegoouoos.

Zee Svedeesh Cummeettee-a oon Joosteece-a seeed zee lev, vheech gues intu iffffect Jooly 1, is needed seence-a phutugrephs oor mufeees secretly shut in preefete-a setteengs cun sereeuoosly feeulete-a un indeefidooel's preefecy, und prutecshun hes beee inedeqooete-a.


Vell, thet mey be-a trooe-a, boot it's herd tu see-a hoo ixectly thees is gueeng tu vurk iff yuoo vunt tu teke-a a peectoore-a in a fery crooded ruum, sey -- hoo ixectly ere-a yuoo sooppused tu get iferyune-a thet meeght be-a in a phutu, tu egree-a? Dues it hefe-a tu be-a in vreeting su thet yuoo cun prufe-a it? Und vhet ebuoot iff it's nut a ruum, boot steell a &qoout;preefete-a infurunment&qoout;? Cume-a tu theenk ooff it, vhet ixectly is thet, unyvey? Frum zee erteecle-a:


Zee lev duesn't speceeffy vhet cunsteetootes cunsent oor deffeene-a a preefete-a infurunment. Fur ixemple-a, vhet heppens iff a juoorneleest infeetes a booseeness ixecooteefe-a tu a recepshun in zee juoorneleest's hume-a und secretly phutugrephs zee ixecooteefe-a cummeetting a creeminel ect, esked Mereea Ferm, member ooff perleeement fur zee Greee Perty, dooreeng zee debete-a.


Thet underleenes hoo thees is leekely tu be-a used: tu stup refeleshuns ooff vrung-dueeng by poobleec feegoores in preefete-a pleces. Et leest zee noo legeesleshun is evere-a thet thees is un issooe-a:


Un ixcepshun frum creeminel leeebility is mede-a iff zee ect is joosteeffieble-a in feeoo ooff its poorpuse-a und oozeer curcoomstunces, und thet prufeesiun incloodes juoorneleestic vurk, eccurdeeng tu zee cummeettee-a.


Boot unteel zee ixect leemits ooff thet prufeesiun ere-a deffeened, elung veet vhet &qoout;joosteeffieble-a&qoout; meuns, it seems inefeeteble-a thet zee noo lev veell hefe-a a cheelling iffffect oon infesteegetife-a juoorneleesm in Svedee. Thet's rezeer iruneec, seence-a yuoo meeght ixpect thet zee eboondunce-a ooff deegitel cemeres tudey vuoold leed tu zee reech und pooerffool beeeng cooght oooot und celled tu eccuoont mure-a oofftee, nut less. Bork Bork Bork!]]> 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#c606 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:47:03 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#c606 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#c589 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:46:01 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#c589
WONDERFUL!!!

What's the next headline, fucktard?

"Mike's paid minions are paid."

You always have so much value to add. Thanks for the entertainment. Usually, you'd have to find a bus full of retards for stuff this brilliant.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c155 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:42:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c155