DannyB's Favorite Techdirt Posts Of The Week
from the favorites dept
This week's "favorites" post comes from DannyB.
Having never done the favorite posts before, I wasn't sure if I should. Since I didn't have to
pee, I hope I made the right decision.
The best laugh all week was
Man Tries To Patent Godly Powers; Justifies It By Pointing To Software & Business Method Patents. That makes sense in an insane sort of way. Multiple forms of insanity combined. He forgot to mention aliens. 'Nuff said.
Speaking of patents: Congress Happy To Knock Out Patents That Impact Financial Institutions... But Everyone Else?. Don't worry. This is good news in disguise.
Precedent: You protected Johnny from bad patents, why not me too? What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Microsoft To US Gov't: Hey, Only We Should Be Able To Use Patents To Shakedown Other Companies!. Nice hypocrisy there Microsoft. Live by the patent, die by the patent. (Apple, are you listening?)
56 pages of iTunes terms? Really? Can't we get a short version in one sentence? Try this: You agree to return to the Apple store each month and do whatever they tell you. I AGREE
Which brings me to
Music Service Simfy Files Complaint Over Apple Blocking Its iPad App. When you build a business on something controlled by a party with conflicting interests, be prepared to have the rug yanked out from under you. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. (Disclaimer: Android fanboy talking.) Android lacks a single point of control. There are currently multiple Android app stores (e.g., Google, Amazon), with more on the way. (Will I get in trouble for saying "app store"?) If you don't like Google's store or its policies, approval process, etc, there is Amazon's store. More choice
(not less)
is a good thing.
I had to chuckle at
Former Obama Advisor Says Wikileaks Is Wonderful For The US Government. It's a shame the US government doesn't
understand the importance of anonymous public whistle blowing. Of course, maybe they do, but I'd rather not go there.
The next article was informative.
How Out Of Control Copyright Law Is Keeping Millions Of Books & Images Away From Scholars. I admit I had been one of those confused about the "science" and "arts" part of "useful arts and science". I didn't know copyrights were for science and patents were for useful arts. That profoundly affects what I think copyrights were intended to protect.
Next was Once Again, The Freedom Of Information Act Is Proving To Be Just That: An Act. If the Osama Bin Laden pictures are released, we learn nothing new. (Unless it would reveal something we didn't know! My mind races with possibilities if I go there.)
Otherwise, propaganda usage of the pictures is irrelevant.
Honest people could comply with FOIA.
If the government would act honestly most of the time, they would have credibility when they need to protect a secret.
Which leads to several ICE domain seizure favorites.
- The List Of Sites Challenging Domain Seizures
- Rojadirecta Sues US Government, Homeland Security & ICE Over Domain Seizure
- ICE Stalling On More FOIA Requests Concerning Domain Name Seizures
- Government working for private industry.
- Lack of due process, legal service, representation and response.
- Making a(nother) mockery of FOIA.
- Its ineffectiveness.
- Hurting unrelated subdomains; demonstrating a lack of understanding of how things actually work.
- Impacting sites outside the US.
Talk about the right hand of government not knowing what the left hand is doing. C'mon guys. Which do you want? The free flow of information or censorship and government control. It's a delusion to think you can have both.
I was happy to see continuing pushback on mass copyright infringement lawsuits and copyright trolling.
- From Two Nude Nuns Mass BitTorrent Lawsuits Down To None
- Judge Rules That Righthaven Lawsuit Was A Sham; Threatens Sanctions
- Denver Post Sued Over Righthaven Connection
- Those Who Settled With Righthaven Consider Taking Action; Righthaven Threatens Them With More Suits
Oh goodie. FBI Agents Getting More Power To Spy On People With Less Oversight. Why is this not surprising. CDA. DMCA. PATRIOT Act. ACTA. PROTECT-IP. Naked scanners. Patdowns. Controlling "rogue" websites. Government as a private police force, no due process. GPS tracking without due process. Making a joke of FOIA. Where does it end?
Maybe it just gets worse. US Trying To Extradite UK TVShack Admin Over Questionable Copyright Charges?. It turns out the US is not just trying, they're actually going to do it. Wow. The discussion on this topic says it all.
Summit Entertainment May Learn That You Can't File A Copyright Takedown Over A Trademark Issue. What to say? The title itself is the punch line. I hope that abuses of the DMCA starts resulting in some serious costs to the abuser.
Senators Unconcerned About Massive Unintended Consequences Of Criminalizing People For Embedding YouTube Videos. I should be shocked. But I'm too numb from other government actions. Clearly the senators don't give the south end of a northbound rat.
What did we learn? People in government should be required to have a full bladder. Which brings me back to where I started. (Oh, gotta run now. . .)
Re: It's not all about "working", but about STATING MORALITY.
Oh, and about dissent. If you know of any posts on TechDirt that are constructive dissent or a discussion involving differing opinions, please point those posts out. I don't see any.
Mike: How about a new feature? When a post is reported enough times, hide not only the post, but all of its replies. (Like this one you are reading now.) That would make the constructive or even merely funny posts more visible. It would cut down on the vast amount of non-productive noise.
Re: It's not all about "working", but about STATING MORALITY.
We don't mind dissent. What we mind is the never ending personal attacks and stream of lies. At some point, responding is a waste of time.
Wouldn't it be simpler . . .
It seems like it was be easier to just make photography illegal in private, public and on days ending in 'Y'. This would apply to both still and motion photography. The government would be excluded from this restriction of course. To ensure compliance, video cameras could be installed into every home, and other private or public building.
I think this would make everyone happy.
NSA: Yes, we need this for national security, as well as the entertainment of our analysts.
RIAA: Yes, this would get rid of all those piracy enabling cell phones, tablets, laptops and many desktop computers.
ISPs: Yes, we would no longer need to invest in our infrastructure as all video traffic (and even still pictures) on the Internet would cease. People would stop complaining and start thinking internet speeds are fantastic, since all web pages would contain only text.
MPAA: Wait, a minute guys . . . Oh, wait. Nevermind, this would work for us! We would make all TV and movie content consist of reality programming based on all of the exempted state cameras in private places! Then we would need a law propping up the broadcast TV and cable industries. Maybe even a requirement for people to watch some minimum number of hours per day? It would be good for the economy.
Legislators: See everyone is happy. The little people should stop complaining and leave the business of governing to those who the Lesters selected to run things. Legislators know how to make everyone's life better through more government.
Re: Re: Re: Re:
> how the hell is murder similar to copyright infringement?
I hope you meant alleged copyright infringement.
That is far worse.
Re:
Anonymous Coward wrote:
> How is a negligent person "innocent"? They are liable precisely because
> they were negligent. I don't get it. Seems dishonest to say what you're saying.
How is a innocent person "negligent"?
I don't get it. Seems dishonest to say what you're saying.
Re:
Did you mean: Blessed are the geek, for they shall internet the earth?
Re: Not that surprising
You don't seem to understand. Very likely no party, including the government, can fix the vulnerability faster than Microsoft. Microsoft can distribute the fix to government users very quickly and I'm sure they do.
The purpose of giving the vulnerability information to the government can only be so that they can exploit it on foreign computers. Naturally, the NSA would never dream of hacking into domestic computers.
Re:
You would think foreign governments would have learned from that story over a decade ago when NSA Key was found hidden in Microsoft code. It was discussed to death on Slashdot.
Thanks Microsoft!
Wow. I feel more secure already.
I'm sure foreign governments who use Microsoft products are going to be thrilled. Just thrilled I tell you.
Surely they can trust the discretion of the US government? The US government wouldn't be handed a backdoor into your system after you paid monopoly prices to a foreign convicted monopolist?
Re: Re: It is just the latest in a long series of anomalies.
You do a remarkable job of attempting to and sometimes succeeding at disrupting any meaningful conversation. You are so dedicated to the task. Predictable as clockwork, you will always show up, with nothing to say but lies and ad hom attacks. Who pays you to do this?
It is just the latest in a long series of anomalies.
Hey, OOTB, is this just another in a long, long series of anomalies?
Re:
Dear Time Warner,
Did you know that Prenda is available to represent you? And at low, low rates!
Prenda Law, like Time Warner, firmly believes in intellectual property and that the world owes copyright owners and their progeny a living forever, and ever, and ever. Amen.
Dear Judge
Time Warner respectfully submits to the court that Time Warner is not the correct party to be the defendant in this lawsuit.
Clearly this is all Google's fault.
First, Time Warner believes that the sisters did have copyright in 1983, but Google is failing to find it.
Second, Time Warner believes that the copyright was renewed in 1962, but again Google is failing to find it.
Third, Google was negligent in not having a large prominently labeled magic button entitled "Help Time Warner know which copyrights it owns".
Time Warner firmly believes in intellectual property, that it should own all of it, that nothing belongs in the public domain because that diminishes value, and that intellectual property of all kinds should last forever.
It is quite telling that pirate Google believes none of these things.
Respectfully Submitted,
Time Warner
Re:
But Noooooo! Piracy!
Enabling Blind or Deaf persons legal paid access to our preeeeecious content would enable them to become pirates too!
Re: Re:
The pirates are not the ones complaining about the results of Hollywood's actions. The pirates don't care. Hollywood's actions don't affect the pirates. It's the innocent people and web sites that are complaining.
Re: Mike helps feed BIG DATA.
> But if you want to be free, it's going to require REGULATING corporations.
The NSA is not a corporation. But the MPAA and RIAA are groups of corporations whose mad obsession to take away freedom under the guise of copyright must be reigned in. I would be all for stopping piracy if they weren't going to create massive 'collateral damage' in the process.
Re: On keeping secrets secret
> that some dirty tricks are being used against particular
> individuals / groups for purely political reasons
. . . and commercial reasons sometimes.
On keeping secrets secret
People are willing to keep a secret when they believe in the reason for the secrecy -- because it is in the people's best interest to maintain the secret. For love of country.
People are unwilling to keep a secret when they believe the secret is hiding something wrong that should be exposed to the bright light of day -- because it is in the people's best interest to expose the secret far and wide. For love of country.
Examples of the former:
* that some particular new secret weapon system exists
* that some particular intelligence gathering capability exists
* that some particular capability of dirty tricks exists
Examples of the latter:
* that some weapon system is being misused to murder innocent people
* that some intelligence capability is used to spy on citizens in a free country whose rights against such snooping are guaranteed in its constitution
* that some dirty tricks are being used against particular individuals / groups for purely political reasons
I'm sure other examples exist of secrets that should be exposed. Corruption is one. In the past people who exposed secrets that should be exposed were called whistleblowers instead of being called spies, terrorists and traitors.
A conspiracy of traitors once created a treasonous document entitled The United States Declaration of Independence.
Can they ever let go of this data now that they have it?
Even if this massive spying on citizens were to stop, does anyone believe the government can ever let go of this data now that they have it.
In fact, do you think that anyone in government could bring themselves to ever scale back this spying. Some might want to prevent its expansion, but I doubt anyone wants to or would be able to ever scale it back.
Like the federal budget, like politicians' ethics, like an object near a black hole, the size of this spying operation can move in only one direction.
Re: Re:
Pietz's client's IP address must exist, as you point out. So how can Duffy claim his client does not exist?
Maybe just for fun and to amuse judge Wright, Duffy could make the bond and the check out to the IP address, since an IP address == a person. I'm sure everyone involved would find it highly amusing.