http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/18345423136/doj-dept-education-to-colleges-start-restricting-free-speech-campus-kiss-your-federal-funding-goodbye.shtml#c1038 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:36:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/18345423136/doj-dept-education-to-colleges-start-restricting-free-speech-campus-kiss-your-federal-funding-goodbye.shtml#c1038 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#c92 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:35:59 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#c92 This law fixes the old law.

And it does so by WEAKENING copyright law, which is the ONLY reason why you support it. But, yeah, pretend like it doesn't weaken anything. Hilarious.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130505/14372422951/court-finds-fantasy-stories-obscene.shtml#c1054 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:35:50 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130505/14372422951/court-finds-fantasy-stories-obscene.shtml#c1054
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyoOfRog1EM]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/18345423136/doj-dept-education-to-colleges-start-restricting-free-speech-campus-kiss-your-federal-funding-goodbye.shtml#c1020 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:35:05 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/18345423136/doj-dept-education-to-colleges-start-restricting-free-speech-campus-kiss-your-federal-funding-goodbye.shtml#c1020 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#c82 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:34:27 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#c82 This doesn't "weaken" copyrights in any way.

Wow, really? Of course it weakens copyright law--that's why you support it. Copyright law currently makes it illegal to circumvent certain technological measures. That is REGARDLESS of whether once circumvented, a person engages in copyright infringement. This would allow people to engage in circumvention, thus weakening the existing law that does not allow such circumvention. The only thing this does is weaken copyright law. And you would not support it otherwise. That you can't admit this is comical.

All it does is stop the absurd situation where you are found to "violate" copyright law despite not infringing on anyone's copyright.

Why is that absurd? Anticircumvention is a different wrong than infringement. Copyright law is not only concerned about infringement.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c685 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:33:54 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c685 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/12190223151/prendas-paul-hansmeier-asks-appeals-court-to-delay-sanctions-appeals-court-says-no-try-again.shtml#c471 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:33:42 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/12190223151/prendas-paul-hansmeier-asks-appeals-court-to-delay-sanctions-appeals-court-says-no-try-again.shtml#c471
And again, you keep trying to portray this as punishment for a crime. They were not found guilty of fraud, they were being punished for stonewalling and refusing to allow the legal process to move forward.

If they had said "Sorry, this evidence is invalid, we'll withdraw it" there would have been no punishment. If they'd said "Sorry, the person named here was incorrectly included in party with the claimants", there would have been no punishment.

Would they be charged with fraud if they admitted to falsifying documents? Probably. But they would not have been sanctioned by this Judge in this court room.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c370 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:32:00 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c370 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/18345423136/doj-dept-education-to-colleges-start-restricting-free-speech-campus-kiss-your-federal-funding-goodbye.shtml#c1002 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:31:00 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/18345423136/doj-dept-education-to-colleges-start-restricting-free-speech-campus-kiss-your-federal-funding-goodbye.shtml#c1002 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c354 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:30:37 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c354 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#c71 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:28:43 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#c71
Just look at the whole Sequester thing. Republicans opposed it and blamed it on Obama, until Obama opposed it, then Republicans decided to support it and refuse to repeal or replace it like Obama asked.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c344 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:26:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c344 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130505/14372422951/court-finds-fantasy-stories-obscene.shtml#c1046 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:25:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130505/14372422951/court-finds-fantasy-stories-obscene.shtml#c1046
It]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c967 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:24:58 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c967 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#c69 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:24:52 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#c69
However, there's a larger issue. If something is illegal, it's possible for the law, even if typically unenforced, to be used in special circumstances.

Also, there's a general "chilling effect" of something like the DMCA's non-circumvention provision. Any dual-use tool, like a disassembler, or some such, becomes potentially illegal. Nobody wants to come up on the pointed end of a Federal charge in the USA, even if the charge is grossly unfair and probably unconstitutional and maybe even illegal relative to other statutes. So, potentially useful tools don't get developed, sold or circulated. Research is driven underground. When reverse engineering is outlawed, only outlaws will reverse engineer. I remember that some Indian police departments found this out: nobody legit could do some decryption they wanted done.

Down with non-circumvention!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c341 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:22:51 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c341
Sure as hell won't now, no matter how delicious some think it is (sorry Tim!). Companies who behave this way should not be encouraged with patronage.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/18345423136/doj-dept-education-to-colleges-start-restricting-free-speech-campus-kiss-your-federal-funding-goodbye.shtml#c994 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:21:19 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/18345423136/doj-dept-education-to-colleges-start-restricting-free-speech-campus-kiss-your-federal-funding-goodbye.shtml#c994
-Little boy blue]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c332 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:21:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/01450023148/makers-nutella-force-fan-who-created-world-nutella-day-to-shut-it-down.shtml#c332 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#c58 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:20:49 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#c58 Pointless. Why create a new law when it's clear the existing law is broken?


This law fixes the old law.

Waste of time. I have zero faith in a Congress that can't even take the time to fix the problems which made the DMCA an issue to begin with.

That's what this law does.

We don't need new laws. We need the existing laws corrected.


That's what this law does.

And obviously, my calls to my (Ind) senators have done nothing to make this happen.


Your calls alone won't, but lots of calls will.

Do that, instead of supporting this law, please.


Uh, again, that's what this law does.

Tell Congress to fix what they broke in the first place.


Again, that's what this law does.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c663 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:20:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130519/19190923142/if-youre-going-to-illegally-seize-citizens-cell-phones-least-make-sure-youre-grabbing-right-ones.shtml#c663