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

There is so much I could say about the bumbling ICE domain seizure clown circus.

• 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.

Did someone believe this wouldn't have repercussions? Did they grasp what they were doing? I hope it comes back to bite. Hard.

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

Phone numbers are a relic, an artifact of automatic dialing technology. Will it make sense in the future? Using magic, voice-operated, touch screen computers that fit in our pockets (aka, smartphones), "Internet" calls feel no different than telephone calls and may have advanced capabilities like video. International calls reflect the true lower cost of moving bits on a network.

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. . .)

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