http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130503/11582122939/angry-patent-lawyer-still-angry-claims-patentlyos-dennis-crouch-is-both-dickhead-violated-cfaa.shtml#c476 Sat, 4 May 2013 06:55:55 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130503/11582122939/angry-patent-lawyer-still-angry-claims-patentlyos-dennis-crouch-is-both-dickhead-violated-cfaa.shtml#c476 Here he seems to be claiming that the law school Crouch works at is a scam? Not really sure, he just vomited numbers all over a page and called it a day.

and here he has a badly-spelled attempt at the "Glenn Beck" style of ad hominem.

Looks like there's still more amusement yet to come, if you're willing to brave his remarkably shitty website to find it.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120920/11564120451/nestle-buy-our-candy-so-we-can-hunt-you-down.shtml#c219 Fri, 21 Sep 2012 06:29:03 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120920/11564120451/nestle-buy-our-candy-so-we-can-hunt-you-down.shtml#c219
Cue TSA buying 100000 chocolate bars and running them through their X-rays.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120323/12075318226/facebook-says-that-if-you-use-site-you-agree-to-its-bogus-claim-to-hold-trademark-book.shtml#c84 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:17:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120323/12075318226/facebook-says-that-if-you-use-site-you-agree-to-its-bogus-claim-to-hold-trademark-book.shtml#c84 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120323/12075318226/facebook-says-that-if-you-use-site-you-agree-to-its-bogus-claim-to-hold-trademark-book.shtml#c52 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:15:48 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120323/12075318226/facebook-says-that-if-you-use-site-you-agree-to-its-bogus-claim-to-hold-trademark-book.shtml#c52 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20120217/03044617792/getting-past-uncanny-valley-targeted-advertising.shtml#c368 Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:20:58 PST http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20120217/03044617792/getting-past-uncanny-valley-targeted-advertising.shtml#c368
Like, specifically targeted. Anyone know how I can sign up?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120205/14043517663/romanian-prime-minister-admits-he-has-no-idea-why-romania-signed-acta.shtml#c150 Mon, 6 Feb 2012 08:59:33 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120205/14043517663/romanian-prime-minister-admits-he-has-no-idea-why-romania-signed-acta.shtml#c150 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120130/07025717587/megaupload-users-plan-to-sue-as-their-files-data-are-about-to-be-destroyed.shtml#c59 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:30:25 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120130/07025717587/megaupload-users-plan-to-sue-as-their-files-data-are-about-to-be-destroyed.shtml#c59
Classy, DoJ. Just when I thought your blatant disregard of the constitution couldn't get any worse...]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120126/02350517545/apparently-veoh-isnt-dead-enough-universal-music-asks-rehearing-its-bogus-copyright-lawsuit.shtml#c111 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:20:58 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120126/02350517545/apparently-veoh-isnt-dead-enough-universal-music-asks-rehearing-its-bogus-copyright-lawsuit.shtml#c111
Under such a circumstance, I'm sure UMG will be more than happy to provide a "generous" settlement offer of "if you admit guilt, we'll let you die in peace".

It's much like any other corporation fighting with a smaller entity - they're just swamping the other person down in pointless appeals/paperwork in the hopes of draining their resources. Because, y'know, fair fights are for sissies/paupers.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/10084517526/movie-theaters-top-lobbyist-resorts-to-making-up-facts-concerning-sopapipa.shtml#c345 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:27:25 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/10084517526/movie-theaters-top-lobbyist-resorts-to-making-up-facts-concerning-sopapipa.shtml#c345 Obviously, if you steal a lesson from the MPAA, they no longer have it. And that's just WRONG.
(not that they're using it, anyways. But that in no way means that their example is part of some mythical "public domain".)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/10084517526/movie-theaters-top-lobbyist-resorts-to-making-up-facts-concerning-sopapipa.shtml#c279 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:23:19 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/10084517526/movie-theaters-top-lobbyist-resorts-to-making-up-facts-concerning-sopapipa.shtml#c279 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110927/01185716104/monsanto-wins-patent-dispute-against-farmer-who-bought-legal-seeds.shtml]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/10084517526/movie-theaters-top-lobbyist-resorts-to-making-up-facts-concerning-sopapipa.shtml#c14 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:39:35 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/10084517526/movie-theaters-top-lobbyist-resorts-to-making-up-facts-concerning-sopapipa.shtml#c14 Senator Dodd and his team are quite good at this. We]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120122/23343817505/megaupload-shutdown-means-other-companies-turning-off-useful-services.shtml#c711 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:16:31 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120122/23343817505/megaupload-shutdown-means-other-companies-turning-off-useful-services.shtml#c711 See this story? This story is the last straw.
Henceforth, you will not see one dime of commerce from myself or anyone in my household. Considering the trash you produce, it's not really like I want to watch or listen to anything made by the American film/recording industries anyways.
I also will make it a point to campaign and vote against any politician who accepts campaign donations from either of you.
Seriously. Fuck you both. Words cannot describe the hatred you've engendered in my mind.
And I doubt I'm alone.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120122/23343817505/megaupload-shutdown-means-other-companies-turning-off-useful-services.shtml#c576 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:06:07 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120122/23343817505/megaupload-shutdown-means-other-companies-turning-off-useful-services.shtml#c576
It was never about "paying people to seed content that wasn't theirs", except in a minority of cases. It was about collaboration and bypassing the gatekeepers.

But I guess that's the point you just let whiz right over your head, huh? The fact that these services have substantial non-infringing uses in collaborative efforts and independent distribution. Courtesy of the chilling effects caused by this action, the free speech rights of many American citizens (along with substantial amounts of their data...) have been reduced or destroyed.

But... apparently, copyright trumps the first amendment. I missed that part in my constitutional scholarship, it seems.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120110/10592617366/creativeamerica-copies-content-to-support-anti-copying-bills.shtml#c18 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:17:48 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120110/10592617366/creativeamerica-copies-content-to-support-anti-copying-bills.shtml#c18 In this case, I advocate a policy of "live by the sword, die by the sword".
Sue that astroturf into oblivion.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120104/04065517272/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-ebay-because-way-its-auctions-work.shtml#c156 Fri, 6 Jan 2012 07:11:15 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120104/04065517272/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-ebay-because-way-its-auctions-work.shtml#c156
The major advantage of second-price auctions is that they encourage a bidder to bid their "true valuation" of a product. I.e. if I am willing to pay $20, I have motivation to insert that as my bid.

A first-price auction, on the other hand, makes it so the bidder has motivation only to bid minimally above the person below them.

It's a classic game theory problem and the second-price auction is better for both the buyer (no sniping required) and the seller (again, no sniping)

TL;DR, this is a stupid lawsuit.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111228/08262117213/german-court-decisions-make-everyday-use-internet-increasingly-risky-there.shtml#c32 Wed, 4 Jan 2012 10:07:02 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111228/08262117213/german-court-decisions-make-everyday-use-internet-increasingly-risky-there.shtml#c32 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110829/13225415732/doj-this-case-has-nothing-to-do-with-puerto-80-now-here-is-why-puerto-80-is-guilty.shtml#c194 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:19:38 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110829/13225415732/doj-this-case-has-nothing-to-do-with-puerto-80-now-here-is-why-puerto-80-is-guilty.shtml#c194 The domain was used to commit a crime, but Puerto 80 is not the criminal in question. Instead, they're simply providing the vehicle that some criminals (and many legitimate users) happen to employ in the course of their activities.

Granted, this a completely weird way to go about stopping criminals. In real-world terms, it seems roughly analogous to the following:
I ride a city bus on my way to commit murder.
Therefore, the city bus was used in the process of committing a crime.
Therefore, the government seizes the bus.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110824/16245015669/concord-pd-hits-cycle-lemonade-stand-camera-wiretap-law.shtml#c1140 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:31:37 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110824/16245015669/concord-pd-hits-cycle-lemonade-stand-camera-wiretap-law.shtml#c1140 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110824/16245015669/concord-pd-hits-cycle-lemonade-stand-camera-wiretap-law.shtml#c1117 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:31:06 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110824/16245015669/concord-pd-hits-cycle-lemonade-stand-camera-wiretap-law.shtml#c1117 2) Seriously, you're implying it's militant to give away lemonade and record the conversations you have? Weird... I thought "militant" actually had a defined meaning.

Specifically:
mil]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110824/16245015669/concord-pd-hits-cycle-lemonade-stand-camera-wiretap-law.shtml#c1120 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:31:06 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110824/16245015669/concord-pd-hits-cycle-lemonade-stand-camera-wiretap-law.shtml#c1120 2) Seriously, you're implying it's militant to give away lemonade and record the conversations you have? Weird... I thought "militant" actually had a defined meaning.

Specifically:
mil]]>