http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c262 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:26:48 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c262 Law is (also) for teaching purposes, and you young ankle-biters who even haven't learned toleration for dissent in comments here, clearly don't understand that though laws may be somewhat impractical to apply, it's statement by adult society of what behavior is acceptable.

So calling us "anklebiters" is an example of a statement by adult society?

Cathy, I'm in my forties and able to think for myself. I also pride myself on my comprehension skills and ability to NOT contradict myself in the same sentence.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c240 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:26:04 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130606/11475923344/sweden-makes-it-illegal-to-take-photos-private-environments-without-permission.shtml#c240
Wouldn't it have made more sense to 'fix' the harrassment laws rather than make up new ones that will potentially criminalise ordinary behaviour?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c243 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:25:34 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#c243 B. Those who can afford but will only buy if it's worth the money
C. Those who can afford but have a fixed budget meaning they need to give priorities while buying
D. Those who can afford but refuse to feed the MAFIAA
E. Those who can afford but are denied access (DRM, geo restrictions, large windows)
F. Those who won't buy whatever it happens
G. Etc


There are interfaces among those but it's much more complex. I'd say the only case where the sales are truly lost are E and F. Even A can generate sales in the long term (think poor students who get decent jobs later). And E is only possible if you are enough of an idiot to place such restrictions.

File sharing is natural. The lack of sales is a symptom of the MAFIAA's stupidity/bad business model.]]> 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#c756 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:25:26 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#c756 His "unpaid minions" are volunteers that know going in that they are donating their time. Mike offers no compensation and they ask for none.

You have to admire his fidelity to the principles of not paying creators for content. Yet he> seems to make money on it. Lessee.... who else does that remind me of????

Ironic how Masnick decries those financially exploiting content creators as he cashes check after check from ad revenue generated by content he didn't pay the creator for.

You're more like the studios than you realize. Ol Massa Mike, lording over the Techdirt Plantation.]]> 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#c733 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:24:40 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#c733
Who can afford to work for free? The kids of rich people. Let's give them more advantages!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130614/11384823471/how-overclassification-makes-secrets-less-likely-to-remain-secret.shtml#c25 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:23:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130614/11384823471/how-overclassification-makes-secrets-less-likely-to-remain-secret.shtml#c25
In the short term, it gives witlings the notion that they're important, "insiders", and so they go along. In fact, those are the most compartmentalized people, who don't see the big picture of the surveillance state taking over. -- Or even if do, are prohibited from spreading the alarm.

And so what Mike misses is that secrecy has NOTHING to do with "security", everything to do with the expanding STATE.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/03355523371/warning-letters-under-uks-three-strikes-plan-unlikely-to-be-sent-out-before-2016-if-ever.shtml#c230 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:21:32 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#c230 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