Comments by cc http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120314/02471518099/thinking-copyright-as-property-is-as-natural-as-thinking-smells-as-property.shtml#c440 Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:47:56 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120314/02471518099/thinking-copyright-as-property-is-as-natural-as-thinking-smells-as-property.shtml#c440
"The judge resolved the matter by ordering the student to pass the money he had in one hand to his other and ruling that the price of the smell of food is the sound of money."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Coka_Tadasuke#Famous_cases]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120309/18103118061/guess-what-copying-still-isnt-stealing.shtml#c798 Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:06:52 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120309/18103118061/guess-what-copying-still-isnt-stealing.shtml#c798 http://sendthemyourmoney.com/

A drawing of a spider may also suffice!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120309/13371418054/dont-get-sopad-is-new-mantra-capitol-hill.shtml#c506 Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:45:32 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120309/13371418054/dont-get-sopad-is-new-mantra-capitol-hill.shtml#c506
If you are an American voter, help them out:

http://testpacpleaseignore.org/]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120223/15102217856/key-techdirt-sopapipa-post-censored-bogus-dmca-takedown-notice.shtml#c1110 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:50:10 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120223/15102217856/key-techdirt-sopapipa-post-censored-bogus-dmca-takedown-notice.shtml#c1110
250. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-plot-thickens-was-woman-drinking-with-captain--or-an-innocent-aboard-6292246.html

251. http://www.piedmont-digital-graphics.com/]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120214/17425817763/sony-says-raising-prices-whitney-houston-music-was-mistake.shtml#c228 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:51:05 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120214/17425817763/sony-says-raising-prices-whitney-houston-music-was-mistake.shtml#c228 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/casestudies/articles/20120208/23505717705/people-rushing-to-give-hundreds-thousands-dollars-just-hours-brand-new-adventure-game.shtml#c82 Thu, 9 Feb 2012 02:56:29 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/casestudies/articles/20120208/23505717705/people-rushing-to-give-hundreds-thousands-dollars-just-hours-brand-new-adventure-game.shtml#c82
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-07-doublefine-tim-and-markus-are-talking-about-psychonauts-2]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120208/04122017699/evidence-shows-that-megaupload-shutdown-had-no-real-impact-infringement.shtml#c916 Thu, 9 Feb 2012 00:56:02 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120208/04122017699/evidence-shows-that-megaupload-shutdown-had-no-real-impact-infringement.shtml#c916
Ah, that's where things started going wrong!]]> Re: Re: Bitch Boys http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120201/01064917617/beach-boys-go-after-artist-who-dared-to-paint-works-inspired-beach-boy-songs.shtml#c478 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 12:15:09 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120201/01064917617/beach-boys-go-after-artist-who-dared-to-paint-works-inspired-beach-boy-songs.shtml#c478
That doesn't justify Parks's reaction, of course (I think he's being a prick), but at least there may be legal grounds for it.]]> Bitch Boys http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120201/01064917617/beach-boys-go-after-artist-who-dared-to-paint-works-inspired-beach-boy-songs.shtml#c51 Thu, 2 Feb 2012 10:38:32 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120201/01064917617/beach-boys-go-after-artist-who-dared-to-paint-works-inspired-beach-boy-songs.shtml#c51 this is what his art looks like, apparently: he wrote the songs' lyrics on a piece of canvas using trippy colours...]]> Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120129/17272817580/sky-is-rising-entertainment-industry-is-large-growing-not-shrinking.shtml#c370 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:45:50 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120129/17272817580/sky-is-rising-entertainment-industry-is-large-growing-not-shrinking.shtml#c370 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c738 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:02:53 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c738
What I'm saying is that the data shows that only one of the main originators of subprime loans was subject to that regulation, while the rest were exempt but did it of their own accord.]]> Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c625 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:54:25 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c625
There are LOTS of NGOs that do WAY better than their federal counterparts at doing almost everything, they just dont get funding because 'the government already does that'."

What's the point of taking jobs out of the government if your goal is not to increase efficiency (ie., "doing it way better" like you say)? Newsflash: increasing efficiency means doing the same thing with fewer jobs. What's more, many (if not most) government jobs exist to keep the government's own bureaucracy running.

"Using starvation as an attack Libertarianism is a straw man argument of the worst variety."

It's not a strawman, you just have no counterargument because it's true: if there are no safety nets, some unlucky people WILL make mistakes and end up in absolute poverty. There is no way to dispute that.]]> Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c597 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:37:48 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c597 almost entirely from banks that were NOT subject to those regulations. The problem was lack of regulation, plain and simple. Fact:
Subprime Lenders were (Primarily) Private: Only one of the top 25 subprime lenders in 2006 was directly subject to the housing laws overseen by either Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or the Community Reinvestment Act.
The Community Reinvestment Act is the law you say "forced" the banks to make subprime loans.

Source: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/11/charts-facts-economic-crisis/]]> Re: Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c500 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:52:59 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c500
I'd definitely be surprised. If you reduce the size of government, will the sacked government workers not need new jobs? Tell me, where will those come from? And also, by reducing those people's purchasing power, you are effectively cutting jobs in other areas. The overall result would be even more unemployment.

"I think you'd be surprised how easy it would be to get an education - a whole education, not a McEducation - without the DOE."

It's a matter of supply and demand. If your libertarian fantasy-land were to happen and there was a "truly free jobs market", then the supply of educated people would strive to meet the demand. No more and no less.

The DOE was giving loans so more people could get complete educations than there was demand -- in other words, cutting it would make it harder to get an education.

"The think one of the things people miss about the libertarian philosophy is how spectacularly motivating it is to be without so many safety nets."

People starving in the streets would be very motivating indeed, huh?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c25 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:22:29 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04252717523/senator-leahy-hands-republicans-gift-giving-them-credit-delaying-vote-pipasopa.shtml#c25
If the discussions I've been seeing all over the internet are in any way representative of the bigger picture, many younger Americans are completely fed up with the Donkey vs Elephant politics.

The Democrats may have lost the younger generation, but I don't think the younger generation went to the Republicans...]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120123/05544117513/blocking-net-not-european-option-eu-commissioner-reding.shtml#c60 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:59:25 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120123/05544117513/blocking-net-not-european-option-eu-commissioner-reding.shtml#c60 http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fchristianengstrom.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F01%2F19%2Flankar-om-eus-svar-pa-sopapipa%2F

(Google translate from Swedish)]]> Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120120/16335917495/dhs-love-childs-favorite-techdirt-posts-week.shtml#c107 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:58:58 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120120/16335917495/dhs-love-childs-favorite-techdirt-posts-week.shtml#c107 Re: Re: Re: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120120/16335917495/dhs-love-childs-favorite-techdirt-posts-week.shtml#c101 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:57:35 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120120/16335917495/dhs-love-childs-favorite-techdirt-posts-week.shtml#c101
The War on Drugs, the War on Terrorism, the War on Piracy all have something in common: they can't be won, but they can still turn a country into a police state.]]> Re: Congratulations Freetards, You've Let The Copyterrorists Win http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120120/16442117496/clay-shirky-why-sopas-not-going-away.shtml#c441 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:13:22 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120120/16442117496/clay-shirky-why-sopas-not-going-away.shtml#c441
You, sir, win two internets.]]> Re: Re: Re: time to put a stop to this http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120119/13052817473/doj-gives-its-opinion-sopa-unilaterally-shutting-down-foreign-rogue-site-megaupload-without-sopapipa.shtml#c750 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:14:12 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120119/13052817473/doj-gives-its-opinion-sopa-unilaterally-shutting-down-foreign-rogue-site-megaupload-without-sopapipa.shtml#c750