Gerald Robinson 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: While Better Than Expected, New FAA Drone Rules Would Still Kill Some Promising Business Models

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 18 Feb, 2015 @ 09:39am

    FAA stupidity

    These rules pretty much prohibit drone use by fire departments in Urban Interface and forest fires. Not only that but they prohibit use in urban fires as well.

  • On the post: Guardian, Salon Show How Keeping And Fixing News Comments Isn't Hard If You Give Half A Damn

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 07 Feb, 2015 @ 10:31am

    TPP abd comments

    Maybe they are just dumping comments because they think that the TPP will pass on fast track. From leaks it will impose third party liability on the 'net killing comments no matter how well moderated.

  • On the post: Without Greater Transparency And Meaningful Net Neutrality Rules, The Netflix Interconnection War Will Get Much, Much Uglier

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 08 Nov, 2014 @ 09:28am

    Net neutrality and Netflix

    It's past the time that the FTC did it's job and broke up the nasty anti-competative oligopolies of: TW, COMCAST, AT&T, Verizon and Disney. They have an interlocking set on non-compete agreements which lock out competition in most of the US.

  • On the post: Unsealed Motions Shows How Team Prenda Sought To Hide Money

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2014 @ 08:58am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Gonna miss these guys

    Bertie baby was running a criminal operation that was obvious to even journalists and the DoJ and cost a bunch of fund managers money. Low hanging fruit and no effort required by the DoJ. No sacrifice either and no politically embarrassing revelations. As for the Too Big to Fail Banks they were scammed by the Federalies with fake mortgages and fraudlent lending supported by fannie mae and Obama abated by the Congressional Black Caucus who shutdown an investigation into fannie mae's illegal accounting practices and fraud. However had the Too Big to Fail Banks done due diligence instead of going "OH Boy it's free money". And counting on being bailed out instead of punished things would have been different.

  • On the post: Unsealed Motions Shows How Team Prenda Sought To Hide Money

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 20 Aug, 2014 @ 04:37am

    Prends Fraud

    "Remember how, among other things, Judge Wright had referred Team Prenda to the IRS? I wonder if they'll be interested in some of these transactions...."
    Unfortunately the IRS is too busy covering up how it attacked opposition groups at Obama's request to do its' job.

    Expecting lawyers to do anything remotely ethical is a waste of time.

  • On the post: Awesome Stuff: One Last Chance To Join With Thousands Of Others To Help Limit The Influence Of Money In Politics

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 05 Jul, 2014 @ 10:09am

    There are two reforms urgently needed:
    First call bribes bribes and make them taxable.
    Second term limits so that a Congressional office is not worth millions in bribes!

    Citizens United was needed to offset the influence of labor unions and their "voluntary" contributions—which are any thing but voluntary. Often these are withheld from your pay along with Union dues, second if they aren't you are strong armed into making them, and sometimes even if they are part of the Union pay deductions.

  • On the post: Corporate Sovereignty Provisions Called Into Question Around The World

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 27 Mar, 2014 @ 09:07am

    ISPS

    Indonesia has started revoking treaties with this clause starting with its treaty with the Netherlands. See the Financial Times article 3/27. Hopefully this will torpedo the TPP and TTIP both of which include really terrible IP provisions which have nothing to do with trade and a bunch of trade provisions far to broad.

  • On the post: US Moral High Ground Completely Gone As China Demands US Stop Spying On Its Companies

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2014 @ 10:09am

    NSA spying

    NSA is supposed to spy on foreign powers that is its purpose after all. I say to China "Turnabouts fair play!"

    NSA's Utah data center should be defunded and their budget cut drastically as well as top officials being prosecuted for clearly illegal spying on US citizens.

  • On the post: Why Moderating Comments Doesn't Remove Section 230 Protection, And Why More Lawyers Need To Understand This

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 22 Mar, 2014 @ 11:58am

    review

    I am not an attorney but that seems to me to be a specious arguement. Without an at least comprehensive review?however cursory?how can scurrilous posts be identified?

  • On the post: Why Moderating Comments Doesn't Remove Section 230 Protection, And Why More Lawyers Need To Understand This

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 22 Mar, 2014 @ 10:24am

    3rd party liability

    It appears from some of the leaked TPP and TTIP treaty materials that they will be used to impose 3rd party liability bypassing these protections. Now is a good time to write your congressman and tell him not to pass either treaty and not to give Obama TPA (Fast track).

  • On the post: Supreme Court To Hear Key Case On Software Patents That Appeals Court Couldn't Figure Out

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 07 Dec, 2013 @ 08:53am

    SW patents

    There are only two software patents I'm aware of which are legitimate. Lempel ziv and GIF; the rest are simple business methods or obvious HUI which should not be patentable at all. Adding "computer" or "Web" does not make a normally used procedure patentable! Barring all software patents may be a bit extreme but may be the only solution. I can't articulate any clear criteria on what should make software patentable. Maybe because I'm stupid or maybe because there aren't any. I know it when I see it is not a viable criteria.

  • On the post: Microsoft's Intense Lobbying Works: Goodlatte To Drop Plan To Allow For Faster Review Of Bad Software Patents

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 20 Nov, 2013 @ 02:32pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    IMHO the problem lies with pretty much all software patents. They make claims that are too broad and are used to fraudulently patent concepts which are not patentable.

  • On the post: Microsoft's Intense Lobbying Works: Goodlatte To Drop Plan To Allow For Faster Review Of Bad Software Patents

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 20 Nov, 2013 @ 10:12am

    Re: Re: Re:

    I'm puzzled by this comment. As I remember from the above Anonymous Coward was the one advocating the complete removal of all patent, TM and copyrights, was I wrong?

    As for critiques of given patents most of us are not qualified to do so and apparently neither are the patent examiners. The only two patents I am familiar enough to comment on that are legitimate are Lempel Ziv and GIF. The rest of the software patents make vague too broad clams and are simply means of disguising business methods BS or concepts which are not patentable.

    As foe copyright TD is not anti but for reform and fixing obvious abuses like the WB DMCA copyfraud.

  • On the post: Microsoft's Intense Lobbying Works: Goodlatte To Drop Plan To Allow For Faster Review Of Bad Software Patents

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 19 Nov, 2013 @ 11:27am

    Re: Shoot the Lobbyists, metaphorically

    I disagree as this approach is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The situation is easily fixed; disallow business method and software patents. (I am aware of only two software patents which were legitimate, the rest are only thinly disguised business methods which mention "computer, browser, etc." to obfuscate their purpose.)

    As for copyright this http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CEEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.copyrightreform.eu%2Fsites%2Fcopyrightreform.eu%2Ffiles%2FThe_Case_for_Copyright_Reform.pdf&ei=CLqLUtSgKIqEyAH5nIHIDQ&usg=AFQjCNFGLtvog5ah1gt7gPwAHnu7WLJGTQ&sig2=XQHCV4v3VioUjlZ3VMi7Hw&bvm=bv.56643336,d.aWc is a good start. There should also be penalties for copy fraud (claiming copyright for public domain material, claiming copyrights fasley, ?), as well as elimination of statutory damages.

  • On the post: Abusing The Surveillance Scandal To Punish Internet Freedom Even More

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 16 Nov, 2013 @ 11:02pm

    Re: Re: "Free trade" is not same as "fair trade", nor is protecting domestic industry and jobs bad.

    I must disagree! "?laws are made in the interests of specific wealthy and influential individuals." is nonsense. Even the richest individuals are irrelevant any more. Its the big corporations and special interest groups who can give $xxxM bribes to congress who count.

  • On the post: Abusing The Surveillance Scandal To Punish Internet Freedom Even More

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 16 Nov, 2013 @ 10:27am

    Re:

    "TPP, is a disgraceful, despicable example of the USA trying to take the best for itself and it's businesses"
    I must disagree with Anonymous Coward on this. The TPP is not about US interests but about powerful international companies whose interests are counter to those of the US as a whole?I agree that the TPP is despicable. The deification on Mickey Mouse is not in the US interest; it only benefits Disney. Unless Congress gets the balls to reign in NSA, DoJ and the FBI (given the recent otherwise senseless vote by the judiciary committee) I am led to wounder what information the NSA et al have on the senators.

    The NSA is charged with spying on foreign interests. But the inability of the Congress to limit NSA to their legitimate role makes everyone wounder if the US can effectively govern anything.

    Overall this will hurt the US far more then even the really disastrous TPP and TTIP as it gives legitimacy to anti competitive restrictions on the digital economy?which is the only growing segment of the US economy.

  • On the post: German Director Proposes 'One-Stop Shop' For Free, Instant, But Non-Exclusive Licenses To Offer Films Online

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 08 Nov, 2013 @ 11:41am

    Re: Re: Re: Compulsory licenses

    Most of the copyright negotiations are essentially open market. The only exception is the mechanical license. e.g. I want to use a song on my CD that someone else owns the copyright to. I don't need to go through expensive and often impossible negotiations, I simply pay a fixed fee and go ahead. For the rest of the copyrights I need to hire a specialty law firm (~$600?$1200) plus what ever price can be negotiated. That's OK if I'm making national commercials or a feature film; but not if I just want to use it in a wedding, a documentary, or a corporate event. Oz handles this by having a compulsory license for Wedding music sync. Maybe the way to go is to have a compulsory license for certain uses and then negotiate for uses where it makes sense. e.g. I want a sync license for use in a event video that will have less than some number of copies made?say 1,000?or an ametuer production that will have an audience of less than say 1,000 including any DVDs made.

    There are a lot of things wrong with copyright which must get fixed, but if you say we will buy on an open market with out Imaginary Property Rights there is no negotiation.

  • On the post: German Director Proposes 'One-Stop Shop' For Free, Instant, But Non-Exclusive Licenses To Offer Films Online

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 04 Nov, 2013 @ 08:42am

    Re: Re: Re: Compulsory licenses

    I don't have any beef with the consumer. We all want what we want, when we want it, at a far price.

    The problem I have is that in spite of Apple saving the music studios with their iTunes singles the studios still don't want to adapt their business model. The movie studios and networks are worse. They will eventually die and good riddance.

    The big problem is how badly copyright is broken. Take a look at this proposal on copyright reform?good ideas; http://christianengstrom.wordpress.com/the-pirate-party-on-copyright-reform/

  • On the post: German Director Proposes 'One-Stop Shop' For Free, Instant, But Non-Exclusive Licenses To Offer Films Online

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 03 Nov, 2013 @ 04:09pm

    Re: Re: Compulsory licenses

    Musicians are not generally eligible for royalties in the US music industry. Compulsory licenses were developed in the days of player pianos to keep a monopoly from cornering the market and industry. They do not apply to broadcast in any way. If I have a band and want to record a record of some composers song I write the copyright holder?almost always a studio although that is changing rapidly?tell him how many copies I want to make and pay the couple cents peer minute per song. This should apply to streaming, MP3 or CD release. It should be applied to synchronization and all rights.

  • On the post: German Director Proposes 'One-Stop Shop' For Free, Instant, But Non-Exclusive Licenses To Offer Films Online

    Gerald Robinson ( profile ), 02 Nov, 2013 @ 01:22pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Film license and improved music livcense

    Well that's possible but I can't understand how they got into such an unassailable position in Germany. Tradition perhaps. But they are hurting Germany's competitive position with their extortion.

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