http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c408 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:42:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c408 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c16 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:41:34 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c16

One one hand, it is patent trolling.


On the other hand, anything that gets us less pop-up ads is fine by me :)]]> 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#c1235 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:40:52 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#c1235 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c396 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:40:27 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c396 I will post again the link Hugh Howey on self publishing, which is the result of an informal survey of book authors that have gone the self publishing route.
The main point that comes out is that many more authors can earn some money, about the same as most published authors, on a smaller fan base, and therefore sales.
Obviously the respondents self selected, but the point is a large number were making money from ebooks without being well known.
The definite conclusion from the article is that for ebooks, an author is best going the self published route, at least at first.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c389 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:36:38 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c389 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#c1227 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:36:36 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#c1227 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c10 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:35:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/02025423448/company-claims-patent-pop-up-ads-sues-porn-travel-companies.shtml#c10
You can read the original patent at http://www.google.com/patents/US7353229 . To my untrained eye it looks like this is a patent for the idea of using mechanisms already in JavaScript and Java applets to present advertising. Reading the article as a programmer I didn't see much in the way of how to do popups other than "Use the tools that are already provided."

JavaScript and the ability to do pupups and popunders was released by Netscape in 1997. I am sure that by the time the '229 patent was filed there were a lot of tutorials that explained how to do pupup and popnder ads and did it better than this paptent.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c275 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:34:53 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#c275 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c374 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:31:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c374 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c353 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:27:53 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c353
What do you honestly think they are going to do with these drones? Spy on you? Are you really that important? I'll bet my left one that they will use them to watch the borders for illegals, Chase bank robbers, Watch known drug houses, etc etc. Wow what a horrible idea.

If you don't want to be seen nude in your backyard than don't go outside without clothes on.

Stop bitching about everything that the government does. You elected them. If you don't like it than run for your local seat.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c343 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:26:53 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c343
Btw. Merkel was digging a bit at Obama in Berlin on the surveillance cases: "There needs to be a balance and we will continue to work with USA to find the right balance."
Obama instantly answered that "USA already had found the right balance."...

Given how this balance is individual for every person on earth I call bull on that...]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c341 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:22:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c341
Hell, that could save alot of miles.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c366 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:18:27 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c366
If you presume the consumer can't decide anything for themselves, this makes sense.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c360 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:18:15 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130613/18243923466/hollywoods-new-talking-point-gatekeepers-are-awesome.shtml#c360 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c324 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:17:37 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c324
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c203

Predictable troll is predictable.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c321 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:16:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c321 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c319 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:14:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c319
I know it's not against the law for an unmarked police car, for example, to follow me down the road as I drive. A manned drone seems, on the surface, to be an extension of this. However a drone is not restricted to the same paths and views that a car is (which is one of the strengths of a drone.) In my mind, this raises the following questions.

1. If a person is nude sunbathing in the privacy of their own, fenced, backyard and a police drone flies over.. what protections exist to prevent that part of that video from being kept, perused, taken home, posted on youtube, etc... Can an FOI be used to get copies of drone flight video's?

2. If damage is done by a drone (breaks window, shorts power line) who is responsible?

3. What type of encryption will be used to protect flight controls for drones from being hacked? What sort of encryption for video streams to prevent from being recorded by third parties?

4. What restrictions will be placed on the correct use of drones? can building and safety use it (as they have been using google maps) to look into peoples backyards for code violations? Will a warrant be needed to use them? Can they only be used to follow individuals or can the forestry service use them to look for fires/drugs/poachers/etc?

5. What laws will be in place for private use of drones? To the best of my knowledge, if your not using them for commercial purpose you can fly video drones right now below 500ft. but if your using them for commercial purpose then it's against FAA regulations.

So in my mind, there are lots of questions that need to be asked BEFORE we begin general use of drones within the borders of the united states. I hope they are being considered.

Boojum the brown bunny]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c298 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:13:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c298 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c278 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:12:00 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c278 ------------

I have come to the realization that nothing involving the present day scandals can be believed when I hear politicians mouths move.

The investigations into the NLS have already shown that any time the system can be abused it will be.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c255 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:11:51 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130619/10213023529/fbi-admits-to-using-drones-to-spy-americans.shtml#c255