http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18284623180/yet-another-anti-patent-troll-bill-introduced-congress.shtml#c46 Fri, 24 May 2013 02:10:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18284623180/yet-another-anti-patent-troll-bill-introduced-congress.shtml#c46 technically in the DMCA regarding fraudulent DMCA claims?

Sounds good on paper, making sure there's a penalty for bogus claims, but with such weak language and massive loopholes the odds of anyone actually being successfully charged with it are for all intents and purposes non-existent.]]> 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#c2130 Fri, 24 May 2013 02:10:03 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#c2130 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/16293623190/district-attorney-major-tv-network-sued-over-stupid-reality-show.shtml#c96 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:59:59 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/16293623190/district-attorney-major-tv-network-sued-over-stupid-reality-show.shtml#c96 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c567 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:59:56 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c567
"Ultraviolet? Isn't that a clearance level in Paranoia?"]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18284623180/yet-another-anti-patent-troll-bill-introduced-congress.shtml#c27 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:57:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18284623180/yet-another-anti-patent-troll-bill-introduced-congress.shtml#c27
Governments are notorious for putting through legislation with good intentions but no teeth just so they can say to the public "look, we are on your side".]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c566 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:57:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c566
And there I was in the mood for some Star Trek II... DRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130425/17042522839/how-gema-is-still-worst-collective-rights-organization-world.shtml#c971 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:53:02 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130425/17042522839/how-gema-is-still-worst-collective-rights-organization-world.shtml#c971
Why are you people always so dishonest and unwilling to debate reality?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c559 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:52:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c559
"In follow-up news today, massive traffic jams have brought the city to a grinding halt, with 'rush hour' now lasting from 4am to midnight as people wait to get through any of the average of 10 police roadblocks on their way to anywhere."

"In news today, following the city police's controversial bid last week to stop armed robbery by roadblocking the city extensively, five separate banks were hit by robbers. Amazingly, in three cases they fled by foot; in the other two either pushbikes or motorbikes were used. Due to the gridlocked traffic for the last week, police responders were unable to respond.

Police have now announced that they will do full strip-searches of anyone within a half-mile of a bank."]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18284623180/yet-another-anti-patent-troll-bill-introduced-congress.shtml#c24 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:51:47 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18284623180/yet-another-anti-patent-troll-bill-introduced-congress.shtml#c24
the greatest need is there. to have the troll identify who is behind the suit. to have the troll pay fees is also good but to make a filing of an illegal suit punishable would be a big help. that also then needs to be moved across to cater for copyright. i read where the RIAA has just passed the 20million take down request mark. it doesn't state how many of those were false though and it doesn't state the harm done when the take down is false. this blanket opinion of the entertainment industries that they own everything and therefore everything has to be taken down unless deemed ok by them needs to be stemmed. we saw just this week where 4 major studios have put take down requests to Google for TPB AFK. they have no right to do that and the maker of the movie has not only told them to stop but has indicated the harm to his free speech. the movie is, of course, under creative commons licensing and the studios have no rights on it at all. it is simply that they dont want the truth being told of the way the Swedish legal system was 'persuaded' to rule in the industries favour, after making sure the judge in the trial was one who was/is? a member of the entertainment industries as well! what a sham of a legal system! what a disgraceful way of the industries being allowed to get the verdict it wanted!!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02514123171/partisanship-over-spying-journalists-is-stupid-spying-journalists-is-bad-period.shtml#c254 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02514123171/partisanship-over-spying-journalists-is-stupid-spying-journalists-is-bad-period.shtml#c254 If we killed all the lawyers (except mine - I need him to play banjo in our bluegrass band)I'm pretty sure that won't do much about politicians (other than the ones that are also lawyers, which is a good start), but it's an excellent plan anyway. Yours can just have a lobotomy instead.... a bit of plastic surgery to enlarge his ears and he'll be good to go for the band and a far more useful member of society :-)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c541 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:11 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c541 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02514123171/partisanship-over-spying-journalists-is-stupid-spying-journalists-is-bad-period.shtml#c247 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:45:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/02514123171/partisanship-over-spying-journalists-is-stupid-spying-journalists-is-bad-period.shtml#c247 This will never happen as there are "too many secrets". Movie reference anyone?Unfortunately, even with a magic answering machine to decrypt all (apparantly american only) computer systems, politics and politicians are unlikely to change while our "democracies" are such that it is a de facto requirement to be beholden to corporations in order to get elected.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c537 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:36:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c537 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18103323179/filmmaker-behind-pirate-bay-documentary-says-bogus-dmca-takedowns-take-away-his-free-speech.shtml#c1033 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:33:51 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18103323179/filmmaker-behind-pirate-bay-documentary-says-bogus-dmca-takedowns-take-away-his-free-speech.shtml#c1033
The crowd want more forms to be filled out for DMCA claims to *prevent* misuse, not allow it as has undisputably occurred here.

If the people filing these claims were honest and scrupulous, Klose wouldn't have to file any counterclaim.

There's no honest person who can claim this DMCA takedown is anything short of completely unscrupulous.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/09382823173/chicago-school-system-foia-requests-stonewalling-obfuscation-paper-shredding.shtml#c314 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:31:49 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/09382823173/chicago-school-system-foia-requests-stonewalling-obfuscation-paper-shredding.shtml#c314 .]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18103323179/filmmaker-behind-pirate-bay-documentary-says-bogus-dmca-takedowns-take-away-his-free-speech.shtml#c1023 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:28:16 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18103323179/filmmaker-behind-pirate-bay-documentary-says-bogus-dmca-takedowns-take-away-his-free-speech.shtml#c1023
He's not lionizing the scum, he's lionizing the people that the scum want rid of.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c527 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:21:00 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c527
DRM on music was a disaster. It did nothing to stop piracy, and fragmented the market giving Apple a monopoly on digital music distribution while those left over had to deal with the horrendously incompatible Microsoft DRM. It created a huge number of issues for consumers, putting many of them off even trying digital purchases, and destroyed consumer confidence when servers started to shut off. It's only when they dropped the demand for DRM and allowed universally compatible MP3s to be sold that sales took off, and true competitors like Amazon began to challenge Apple's dominance.

Here, the same thing's happening with movies. Restricted files, compatibility issues, lack of device support, artificial monopolies, competing DRM systems - and no appreciable reduction in piracy. It's about time they follow the example of the music industry and dropped this mess, before they lose even more sales from the simple fact that they refuse to offer what consumers are demanding.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c515 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:14:50 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/10290323174/vod-service-acetrax-shuts-down-germany-customers-movies-are-lost-due-to-drm.shtml#c515
Whenever that day is, that's the first time I will even consider buying a digitally distributed movie from any non-independent source.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18103323179/filmmaker-behind-pirate-bay-documentary-says-bogus-dmca-takedowns-take-away-his-free-speech.shtml#c1021 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:00:41 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/18103323179/filmmaker-behind-pirate-bay-documentary-says-bogus-dmca-takedowns-take-away-his-free-speech.shtml#c1021 Coincidence? All four at once? Anomaly?

No, actually it reads more like someone playing some sort of trick to get it to happen, in order to get the Mike's beloved effect into play. The video pretty much disappeared off everyone's radar within a few days of it's release. The choirboys say it and said amen, the rest of us who cared looked at it and sort of giggled at how one sided it was.

This stinks of shameless self-promotion and a nasty attempt at "going viral".]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130424/00010122821/adam-savage-why-copyright-trademark-holders-need-to-get-over-their-obsession-with-control.shtml#c293 Fri, 24 May 2013 01:00:11 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130424/00010122821/adam-savage-why-copyright-trademark-holders-need-to-get-over-their-obsession-with-control.shtml#c293
Yuk, pre-coffee comment... let's try again:

"half the issues discussed here wouldn't exist"]]>