http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/16203623112/nintendo-exchanges-goodwill-control-issues-mass-monetization-claims-lets-play-videos.shtml#c212 Fri, 17 May 2013 20:53:42 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/16203623112/nintendo-exchanges-goodwill-control-issues-mass-monetization-claims-lets-play-videos.shtml#c212 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/15583223111/congress-grandstanding-over-google-glass-privacy-concerns-next-up-privacy-concerns-over-your-eyes.shtml#c1721 Fri, 17 May 2013 11:47:57 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130516/15583223111/congress-grandstanding-over-google-glass-privacy-concerns-next-up-privacy-concerns-over-your-eyes.shtml#c1721
That's a CYA kind of thing. Lawsuits are a bitch, even frivolous lawsuits. I've been in commercials without signing a waver. In fact, I was recorded without my knowledge and didn't even know about the commercial until it aired.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/17254423102/eric-holder-claims-terrorists-are-involved-ip-theft.shtml#c869 Thu, 16 May 2013 11:05:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/17254423102/eric-holder-claims-terrorists-are-involved-ip-theft.shtml#c869
You want to know who is responsible to prove anything? The Attorney General. It's his responsibility to prove that you did do something. And it's his responsibility to prove that terrorists are somehow using something that everyone knows how to get for free to fund their actions.

This isn't about terrorism. This, and most things on this blog, is about justice. And justice isn't just about punishing the guilty, it's about protecting the innocent. The innocent are far, far more important then the guilty.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130514/15163123086/did-paul-duffys-wife-admit-that-duffy-was-engaged-interstate-extortion-facebook.shtml#c432 Wed, 15 May 2013 09:16:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130514/15163123086/did-paul-duffys-wife-admit-that-duffy-was-engaged-interstate-extortion-facebook.shtml#c432
I agree as well. Pornography is legalized prostitution. The only difference between me and her is I don't think prostitution should be illegal in the first place. Granted, I am assuming that Julie thinks both porn and prostitution should be illegal.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130505/16102022953/canadian-airline-files-4-million-libel-suit-against-22-striking-fuel-workers-over-twitter-account-with-200-followers.shtml#c258 Tue, 14 May 2013 20:16:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130505/16102022953/canadian-airline-files-4-million-libel-suit-against-22-striking-fuel-workers-over-twitter-account-with-200-followers.shtml#c258
Today unions seem to be all about taking massive amounts of money from those they supposedly protect (e.g. insanely high union dues) and screwing over anyone and everyone they can (e.g. the Hostess thing).

There may be legitimate unions, they may even have a place in modern society; but every time I've read about unions or dealt with them, they or on the morally wrong side of the argument.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130508/17221923011/streetlight-manifesto-cant-fulfill-pre-orders-because-label-refuses-to-give-them-their-own-records.shtml#c668 Sun, 12 May 2013 15:03:38 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130508/17221923011/streetlight-manifesto-cant-fulfill-pre-orders-because-label-refuses-to-give-them-their-own-records.shtml#c668
Horse With No Name is just following the Star Trek rules of temporal mechanics. Sometimes effect can precede cause.

Victory didn't pay Streetlight because Streetlight was going to call Victory out over them not paying what was owed. You see?

Yeah, that episode of Voyager didn't make any damn sense to me ether.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130507/16130622982/this-is-my-pencil-this-is-my-gun-one-is-writing-one-is-mandatory-two-day-suspensions.shtml#c635 Thu, 9 May 2013 11:01:20 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130507/16130622982/this-is-my-pencil-this-is-my-gun-one-is-writing-one-is-mandatory-two-day-suspensions.shtml#c635
I learned something a while ago about phobias. I have a phobia of bugs, anything with more then four legs freaks me out. I was able to ignore it until I accepted the fact that I had a phobia. Now I can't go anywhere near the damn things. Accepting that I had the fear and using it as an excuse to not do things nurtured the fear and turned it into something much worse.

The same can be seen when dealing with pets that fear loud noises. If your dog gets freaked out by thunder and you coddle it, the dog thinks that thunder is truly a thing to be feared (and the barking at the thunder gets worse). But if you ignore the thunder and treat the dog like normal, the dog learns not to fear the thunder.

If we over react to children playing with pencils, we teach all children around that anything can be a threat. This is something they will take into adulthood and affect their lives, their jobs, and their families.

This isn't just putting something on these two boy's records, this is teaching everyone in that school that even the smallest thing should be treated with zero understanding, zero forgiveness, and maximum reaction.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130503/12261122940/moral-panic-over-google-glass-white-house-petition-asks-to-ban-them-to-prevent-indecent-public-surveillance.shtml#c860 Mon, 6 May 2013 14:27:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20130503/12261122940/moral-panic-over-google-glass-white-house-petition-asks-to-ban-them-to-prevent-indecent-public-surveillance.shtml#c860
You ban the technology just because it can be abused, you remove the possibility of using it to become a safer driver. A HUD would help people be safer drivers as they wouldn't have to take their eyes off the road as often.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130428/18232822866/ny-police-chief-ray-kelly-says-boston-bombing-takes-privacy-off-table.shtml#c596 Thu, 2 May 2013 12:49:51 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130428/18232822866/ny-police-chief-ray-kelly-says-boston-bombing-takes-privacy-off-table.shtml#c596
And I have a rock here that keeps away tigers. Don't believe me? Do you see any tigers around? Now what are my offers? $10 from the large balding man in the white shirt.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130425/10070222836/mcafee-patents-system-to-detect-prevent-illegal-consumption-content-internet.shtml#c329 Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:09:36 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130425/10070222836/mcafee-patents-system-to-detect-prevent-illegal-consumption-content-internet.shtml#c329
Prior Art: Firefox/Chrome. If you type in an address to a website that has been reported to have malware, it will warn you.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130419/15503622772/washington-state-allows-third-parties-to-brand-youthful-offenders-life-low-low-price-only-69-record.shtml#c454 Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:40:42 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130419/15503622772/washington-state-allows-third-parties-to-brand-youthful-offenders-life-low-low-price-only-69-record.shtml#c454
Punishment for eternity over something done during the years that one is scientifically proven to be an idiot? That's not society, that's barbaric.

You also have no problems over the public sale of a minor's record without the consent of the guardian or minor? You are a barbarian.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130417/10475822745/japan-latest-country-to-mistakenly-say-google-is-responsible-autocomplete-results.shtml#c185 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:35:48 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130417/10475822745/japan-latest-country-to-mistakenly-say-google-is-responsible-autocomplete-results.shtml#c185
1) The many people who search for that particular combination of words

2) The person who allegedly really slandered the guy

Take your pick.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130422/21100822804/nyc-mayor-bloomberg-thinks-boston-bombing-renders-constitution-obsolete.shtml#c1335 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:48:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130422/21100822804/nyc-mayor-bloomberg-thinks-boston-bombing-renders-constitution-obsolete.shtml#c1335
It's this kind of thinking that causes the crap you rally against. Being so willing to sacrifice the innocent to get back at the guilty. We must stop terrorists so we put up with sexual harassment at the airports. We want to stop overeating so we must ban all large soda. We have been slighted by the rich so kill them all.

Isn't it this kind of thinking that caused the Dark Ages, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials, and the Holocaust? Someone must be punished and to hell with the collateral damage.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130421/20110722794/red-sox-david-ortiz-unleashes-expletive-during-televised-speech-fcc-says-fk-it.shtml#c451 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:51:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130421/20110722794/red-sox-david-ortiz-unleashes-expletive-during-televised-speech-fcc-says-fk-it.shtml#c451 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130421/20110722794/red-sox-david-ortiz-unleashes-expletive-during-televised-speech-fcc-says-fk-it.shtml#c445 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:49:22 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130421/20110722794/red-sox-david-ortiz-unleashes-expletive-during-televised-speech-fcc-says-fk-it.shtml#c445 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130422/08054722799/google-fined-wi-fi-privacy-violations-grandstanding-german-regulators-not-satisfied.shtml#c466 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:26:53 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130422/08054722799/google-fined-wi-fi-privacy-violations-grandstanding-german-regulators-not-satisfied.shtml#c466 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130422/08054722799/google-fined-wi-fi-privacy-violations-grandstanding-german-regulators-not-satisfied.shtml#c212 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:51:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130422/08054722799/google-fined-wi-fi-privacy-violations-grandstanding-german-regulators-not-satisfied.shtml#c212 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130422/08054722799/google-fined-wi-fi-privacy-violations-grandstanding-german-regulators-not-satisfied.shtml#c108 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:24:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130422/08054722799/google-fined-wi-fi-privacy-violations-grandstanding-german-regulators-not-satisfied.shtml#c108 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130408/08031822622/when-is-image-manipulated-enough-to-become-original-creation.shtml#c678 Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:05:05 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130408/08031822622/when-is-image-manipulated-enough-to-become-original-creation.shtml#c678
If it's not the same picture, it's the same moth. But that begs the question, what if it is a different picture, but is the same moth? Does the copyright claim still exist?

If I take a picture of a building that looks almost identical to another picture of the same building, is it infringement?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130416/11521022726/rep-steve-king-because-boston-bombing-may-have-been-done-immigrant-we-should-block-immigration-reform.shtml#c432 Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:38:02 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130416/11521022726/rep-steve-king-because-boston-bombing-may-have-been-done-immigrant-we-should-block-immigration-reform.shtml#c432