http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130620/00581223542/ftc-planning-to-go-after-patent-trolls.shtml#c20 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:37:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130620/00581223542/ftc-planning-to-go-after-patent-trolls.shtml#c20
It seems it now isn't about invention and buying patents to make your product better, it is more off add to your patents to game you chances in settlements with threat of a lawsuit.

While this is a great step there are a lot else that could be done to alleviate the plaque of patent trolls. The patent office needs to be cleaned up and the rules and regs on patent approval need to be revamped.

Otherwise there are far too many shady lawyers and companies who will keep gaming the system to achieve large settlements while abusing the patent system.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1085 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:34:16 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1085 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/10395523531/next-time-someone-says-twitter-is-killing-deep-thinking-with-short-quick-messages-show-them-this.shtml#c501 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:17:34 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/10395523531/next-time-someone-says-twitter-is-killing-deep-thinking-with-short-quick-messages-show-them-this.shtml#c501
Eastern Europe has various flavours of Orthodox Christianity - you know, the bit where the Roman Empire survived until the 1450s.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1073 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:14:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1073
Bringing us right here: will the lack of region locking allow us to use blu ray discs from any region in the PS4? Is that part of the Non Region locked promisse?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1065 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:55:19 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1065
Its funny how the reestruration plan from Sony, who put the chairs of the Games division on the control is called ONE SONY, and then their main competitor goes ahead and calls their product awkwardly XBOX ONE.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/09064523528/germanys-spies-have-nsa-envy-working-their-own-comprehensive-snooping-system.shtml#c106 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:51:52 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/09064523528/germanys-spies-have-nsa-envy-working-their-own-comprehensive-snooping-system.shtml#c106 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/07515923527/leaseweb-deletes-megauploads-servers-without-warning-destroying-key-evidence.shtml#c1071 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:47:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/07515923527/leaseweb-deletes-megauploads-servers-without-warning-destroying-key-evidence.shtml#c1071 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1055 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:40:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1055
I could buy this idea more (and don't get me wrong this is something we do see a lot) if Microsoft had done it at their E3 press conference. But they didn't, this seems far more reactionary as a result. I don't think Microsoft would have wasted this press coverage, took a beating on stock prices, handed the narrative over to Sony and took a beating in the eyes of the non-informed gaming public just to sell people on a type of DRM that is, effectively, already widely accepted in services like steam.

Microsoft wanted this, invested in this, expected it to work and had one of the worst console announcements ever as a result.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/01031623524/more-details-emerge-as-states-attorneys-general-seek-to-hold-back-innovation-internet.shtml#c328 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:40:24 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/01031623524/more-details-emerge-as-states-attorneys-general-seek-to-hold-back-innovation-internet.shtml#c328
Fixed that for you. Your side didn't see any threat in file sharing until you realised you could use it to bilk the public. Then it was "piracy", needing new laws to allow you to extort innocent people.

A large amount of the innovations your industries use online, you didn't pay for or tried to stop without just cause, but now you expect the profits you mistakenly think you deserve.

"...grifters who don't trade value for value."

You speak of yourself, it cannot be denied.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/01031623524/more-details-emerge-as-states-attorneys-general-seek-to-hold-back-innovation-internet.shtml#c323 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:31:02 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/01031623524/more-details-emerge-as-states-attorneys-general-seek-to-hold-back-innovation-internet.shtml#c323 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/16530423522/arizona-court-skeptical-medical-excuse-prenda-lawyers.shtml#c213 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:29:27 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/16530423522/arizona-court-skeptical-medical-excuse-prenda-lawyers.shtml#c213 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/10395523531/next-time-someone-says-twitter-is-killing-deep-thinking-with-short-quick-messages-show-them-this.shtml#c499 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:28:34 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130619/10395523531/next-time-someone-says-twitter-is-killing-deep-thinking-with-short-quick-messages-show-them-this.shtml#c499 they thought the same of the people who came before them.

A hundred years from now there will be someone like you, separated from us by thought time and language who will be cherry picking the best and brightest and bemoaning how we no longer talk or think in such ways. You called other people here arrogant for disagreeing with you but the fact is that people are people and there are more people than ever and alive right now are exactly the kind of people that you, born a hundred years from now, would hero worship while ignoring the fact that such people are around you right now thinking great thoughts, producing great works of endless creativity.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/16530423522/arizona-court-skeptical-medical-excuse-prenda-lawyers.shtml#c211 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:27:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/16530423522/arizona-court-skeptical-medical-excuse-prenda-lawyers.shtml#c211
Did you forge notes from your parents to get out of P.E.?

Did you try to weasel out of being failed for non-attendance by presenting a faked doctor's note?

Then you are just what we are looking for at Prenda Law!

Law degree required. No experience required. Diplomas accepted from all law schools, including Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Staples, and Kinko's.

Our Motto: "We're Better than Charles Carreon!"

Inquire by email, or look us up in the White Pages.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/09064523528/germanys-spies-have-nsa-envy-working-their-own-comprehensive-snooping-system.shtml#c102 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:25:52 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/09064523528/germanys-spies-have-nsa-envy-working-their-own-comprehensive-snooping-system.shtml#c102
Hope governance have become Steve Job's suddenly and they can transform crap into something useful else it will be another page in the annals of cropology.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/07515923527/leaseweb-deletes-megauploads-servers-without-warning-destroying-key-evidence.shtml#c1056 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:12:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/07515923527/leaseweb-deletes-megauploads-servers-without-warning-destroying-key-evidence.shtml#c1056 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1046 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:11:23 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/13581923535/microsoft-capitulates-removes-online-drm-xbox-one.shtml#c1046
So, you've turned a "no chance in hell" into a "maybe I'll buy a cheap model later". A bonus for you, but next time just listen to customers before you launch, huh? We were talking about these things when the early rumours were flying, you shouldn't have been surprised by the complaints after they were confirmed.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120521/12223019004/real-estate-listing-services-use-questionable-copyright-claims-attempt-to-block-criticism-agents.shtml#c1210 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:10:50 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120521/12223019004/real-estate-listing-services-use-questionable-copyright-claims-attempt-to-block-criticism-agents.shtml#c1210 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/16530423522/arizona-court-skeptical-medical-excuse-prenda-lawyers.shtml#c200 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:09:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130618/16530423522/arizona-court-skeptical-medical-excuse-prenda-lawyers.shtml#c200
This is the first one that I took notice of:

◾Identify the persons who signed the names]]> 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#c1607 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:06:26 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#c1607
Anyway, the point is raise awareness of non-productive troll bashing. If it deter 2 people, then we gained a net 1 comment space. Of course you can't measure non-commenters, because it's a schrodinger's forum.

Instead, we're now arguing if it is necessary or not, effectively doing the troll a favor. Thank you!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c898 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:03:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c898
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/is-google-worth-as-much-as-yahoo

They were certainly on the rise and I dare say that most *users* of Google considered it to be more valuable, and I certainly recognised that the be-all portal approach was going to fail compared to Google's cleaner and more targeted approach.

But they were still primarily a search company without most of the services people associate with them today - GMail didn't even launch as a beta program until 2004, for example.]]>