Maher Arar was kidnapped, sent overseas and tortured. His lawsuit was tossed out of court because it would have revealed national security secrets.
German citizen Khalid el-Masri was similarly kidnapped and tortured in a case of mistaken identity. He was then released on a desolate road in Albania with no money, no identification, only the clothes on his back, and no passport. He was detained there as a terrorist due to his unkempt appearance and general lack of documents. He eventually sued (by video -- same mistaken identity resulted in him being denied entry to the US) which suit was dismissed. This suit was dismissed without being heard because it "would present a grave risk to national security."
The state secrets exception has a long history of being used to cover up government embarrassment. You can read more about it here:
If it is art, then it is fair use and is not a copyright violation. If it is a copyright violation, then it can't be art so what is it doing in a gallery?
"If you go down this route, any patent that results in purely a change in stored information is invalid."
I think that is actually the correct position. Software is a written instantiation of an idea, not a manufactured one, and the proper protection is copyright.
Just not under the insane terms of current copyright law.
this is news?
Maher Arar was kidnapped, sent overseas and tortured. His lawsuit was tossed out of court because it would have revealed national security secrets.
German citizen Khalid el-Masri was similarly kidnapped and tortured in a case of mistaken identity. He was then released on a desolate road in Albania with no money, no identification, only the clothes on his back, and no passport. He was detained there as a terrorist due to his unkempt appearance and general lack of documents. He eventually sued (by video -- same mistaken identity resulted in him being denied entry to the US) which suit was dismissed. This suit was dismissed without being heard because it "would present a grave risk to national security."
The state secrets exception has a long history of being used to cover up government embarrassment. You can read more about it here:
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/State_secrets_privilege
class
Isn't this what class action lawsuits are for?
interesting zen moment
If it is art, then it is fair use and is not a copyright violation. If it is a copyright violation, then it can't be art so what is it doing in a gallery?
software patents
"If you go down this route, any patent that results in purely a change in stored information is invalid."
I think that is actually the correct position. Software is a written instantiation of an idea, not a manufactured one, and the proper protection is copyright.
Just not under the insane terms of current copyright law.
Steve
I wonder if Steve Jobs violates the copyright on Hal 9000?