http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c457 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:42:54 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c457 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#c1779 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:39:47 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#c1779 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c77 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:38:52 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c77
I would think a can of spray epoxy would be enough to take care of the problem.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/15581423160/prenda-gets-some-tiny-bit-good-news-as-it-may-get-out-two-critical-cases.shtml#c153 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:33:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/15581423160/prenda-gets-some-tiny-bit-good-news-as-it-may-get-out-two-critical-cases.shtml#c153
Punishment for wrongdoing in one case does not keep someone from being punished for other wrongdoing in other cases, so I fail to see how any judgements handed out by other judges would impact Wright's ruling/actions in the slightest.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/00493523143/ridiculous-timing-obama-administration-responds-to-spying-ap-pushing-journalist-shield-law-that-wouldnt-matter.shtml#c284 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:32:59 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130520/00493523143/ridiculous-timing-obama-administration-responds-to-spying-ap-pushing-journalist-shield-law-that-wouldnt-matter.shtml#c284 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c60 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:28:19 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c60
Even better a hose would make for a good 'rule of thumb' way to determine if it's too close, as if you can hit it with a stream of water, then I'd say it's fair game.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/15581423160/prenda-gets-some-tiny-bit-good-news-as-it-may-get-out-two-critical-cases.shtml#c128 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:26:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/15581423160/prenda-gets-some-tiny-bit-good-news-as-it-may-get-out-two-critical-cases.shtml#c128
Why break a punishment that's already perfect? I whole heartedly think that if these two judges made the decision to punish Prenda that it would have canceled out Justice Otis Wright's ruling.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c58 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:16:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c58 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c51 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:14:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c51
You could also look at New York and their "air rights" over buildings. Another issue?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c1239 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:12:29 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c1239
Religions have nothing to do with good and evil acts. People who are associated with religions often have unexplained sudden compulsion to give some of their monies away or kill others for no reasons.

Charles Manson and other notorious murderers should be excused since we do not know what went thru their minds and are forbidden to speculate on the intangible influential factors that made possible their deeds.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c48 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:11:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c48
If that's true, then I've apparently got about six months to live...]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c41 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:09:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c41 '...how watching porn will cause unmarried men liver damage...'

So apparently getting married causes your liver to develop anti-porn agents or something, who knew?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c43 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:08:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c43 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c647 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:08:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/14172323158/judge-not-impressed-prenda-alan-cooper-lawsuit.shtml#c647 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c17 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:03:15 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/06034223155/quack-professor-releases-dumbest-violent-video-game-theory-ever.shtml#c17
Timothy Geigner just won the Noble Prize for the Internetz with that sentence.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c24 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:01:32 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/11032823096/how-low-can-drones-go.shtml#c24
I'd suggest taking an interest in air rifles, water fights or just throwing rocks. After all his drone has no more right to be there than anything else and is quite a bit more fragile.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/15445423110/framework-copyright-reform.shtml#c1881 Wed, 22 May 2013 03:57:21 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/15445423110/framework-copyright-reform.shtml#c1881
It has a relation to totalitarianism, and with the soviet union being a totalitarian state, it was it's natural ally.

But of course, you can turn the argument upon its head, and claim that copyright is "anti-democracy", since it's "pro-totalitarian" ;)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c455 Wed, 22 May 2013 03:56:48 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130521/12175523157/nyc-says-renting-out-your-place-via-airbnb-is-running-illegal-hotel.shtml#c455
It's actually a wildly different set of circumstances that bears almost no relevance here. "It's on the internet" is about the only similarity.

"Scale is a really big issue here."

What scale? I still have one apartment to rent out, whether I'm using it myself, letting friends stay there or letting people I don't know stay there. The actual activity is identical. That's why there's a fundamental difference between copying digital files and physical items, and why the idiotic "it's stealing" argument is idiotic.

"So if someone got injured during a short term rental, who would cover the costs?"

The homeowner, or another party agreed to before the rental. If insurance is a problem, make it a law that any website allowing people to rent in such ways has to have either insurance or an explicit opt-out between the two parties before a rental takes place. It still won't stop the same problems with the thousands or millions of the same circumstances happening without the internet involved, but since that's what seems to send people into paranoid delusions, do what's necessary.

The other stuff you're blathering on about is related to occupancy. If you're scared of people renting out an apartment to 6 people instead of 2, make sure the sites have a listed occupancy maximum and an agreement not to violate that (although again, this CANNOT be enforced normally as it is).

"When you rent a flat long term, you accept to cover your own liability and legally, the landlord is not liable for hazards that you create yourself, and only needs coverage for the building itself."

Which is covered in contracts. So change the law to make sure contracts include this.

Do you see what I'm getting at here? Fining people for not following laws they didn't know they had to follow and trying to stop people using interesting and useful services is idiotic. Everything you're complaining about can be taken away as an issue.

"It would only take a couple of people .."

So, where are the concrete examples of this happening? AirBnB has been running since 2008. Couchsurfing since 2003. Stop depending on bullshit "what if" scenarios and show where these things are actually a problem. People have been renting short term and subletting to strangers via newspapers since the classified ad was first invented. Where has this been happening enough to make it an issue that needs to be addressed?

Evidence first, then laws if required. Get it? Stop projecting fantasies, show me the reality.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c1236 Wed, 22 May 2013 03:54:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/13573923121/retired-lt-col-violent-media-has-bred-generation-killers.shtml#c1236 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#c1761 Wed, 22 May 2013 03:50:38 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#c1761