anonymousanonymouscoward 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 21 Jan, 2019 @ 05:16pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    "...there are those who will find and register unregistered works so that they can profit from them..."
    No system is perfect. The thing here is being able to produce 'prior art'. If one contests something that they believe is copyrighted under false pretenses, all one needs to do is show some prior art. It might be some sheet music produced in the 1800's or it might be a digital recording with a time stamp prior to the 'requested copyright'. There will be battles, no question, but those battles (rightly or wrongly) will depend upon the perceived current and/or future value of the copyrighted piece, as those battles won't be cheap. Of course copyright should be much shorter, like maybe the original, what was it, 14 years with a possible extension to 28 years (which should require some significant payment or else the extension isn't actually worth it)? To some degree, copyright is about economics. The rest is about crediting creators for whatever intrinsic value that has, which is not inconsiderable, though not necessarily fungible for money.

  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 21 Jan, 2019 @ 05:02pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    To some degree this could be dealt with by having your work uploaded to the copyright database at the same time as it is uploaded to XYZ venue. The issues of plagiarism would need to be dealt with later, and the issue of fair use would need to be better defined so that the typical person on the street could make such a determination, even though many of those would still be challenged in courts.

  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 21 Jan, 2019 @ 03:32pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    The thing about automatic copyright registration that is bad is that there is no record of the registration. If we went back to registration, and asked a minimal fee ($5.00 comes to mind, but then why wouldn't $1.00 work?) we would then be able to create an actual database of copyrighted materials. With a database of copyrighted materials we could curtail many of the inappropriate DMCA notices, and (not holding my breath here) be able to actually sanction those.

    There will still be the, now usual, complaints of plagiarism, or as is more commonly known remixing, short snippets of notes, words, video clips, few of which might actually be called original, as much passed prior to the advent of copyright, or current laws (See Disney and the Brothers Grimm for example).

  • On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 20 Jan, 2019 @ 04:15pm

    Re: Re:

    Are you suggesting that this isn't a locker room, but merely a venue for Monday morning quarterbacking? I had better get dressed.

  • On the post: The 'Choose Your Own Adventure' People Are Suing Netflix Over 'Bandersnatch'

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2019 @ 07:02pm

    Other options for choosing ones own adventures

    Does choose your own adventure apply to the court proceedings as well? Make motion A and go one course, make motion B and choose another? Will Chooseco then sue the attorneys for violating their Trademark?

    On the other hand, this certainly seems to be making claims on an idea rather than trademark. Where are the logos? What was the actual trademark violation?

    "Early on, the main character informs his father that “Bandersnatch is a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ book” and holds up a copy by fictional author Jerome F. Davies."

    Seems more like advertising the Choose Your Own Adventure book rather than any competition.

  • On the post: Newly Revealed Documents Show Facebook Gleefully Refusing To Refund Money To Kids Who Ran Up Huge Bills On Mommy's Credit Card

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 18 Jan, 2019 @ 04:49pm

    To Think

    That Facebook will be only 15 years old next month, yet they did things 'years ago' that might shock ones consciousness. Come on, they are still teenagers themselves.

    Yet they are a corporation, and a big one at that. One would tend to believe that they could hire some competence, and then display it.

  • On the post: Attorney General Nominee Seems Willing To Let The DOJ Jail Journalists Over Published Leaks

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 17 Jan, 2019 @ 02:07pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Amendments

    "The question isn't if the publication is illegal, but if withholding the source is."
    By making that the question one creates a slippery slope. What is the dividing line? Wherever the investigator/prosecutor wants in a particular case? It has been, for most of US history, that the media can protect their sources, and only in very unusual circumstances does that veil get removed. When every leak is considered to be 'national security' even when it might be only 'administration or bureau embarrassment', then the line has been crossed. When the purpose of whistleblower protections has been abrogated into negotiated whistleblower punishment, then the whistleblowers will feel that they have no choice but to try and leak anonymously, and sometimes rely on journalists to aid in that process. The journalist needs to know, so they don't spew unsubstantiated nonsense. Then what is the virtue of revealing the source when the issue is embarrassment rather than something actually bad. And this is without thinking through the notion that any leaker that wanted to do harm would be turning the information over to some other government secretly, rather than getting it published for the whole world to see.

  • On the post: Infamous Pinkerton Detectives Claim Red Dead Redemption's Use Of Historically Accurate Pinkertons Is Trademark Infringement

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 16 Jan, 2019 @ 06:44am

    Re: Re:

    Then there is the problem of...

    "Young Guns 2 - total domestic theatrical box office $44 million"
    plus Hollywood accounting where they have no profit...ever. VS
    "Red Dead Redemption 2 - $725 million in sales in the opening weekend"
    plus unlikely Hollywood accounting where there might actually be some profit.

  • On the post: AT&T Execs Think It's Really Funny They Misled Consumers About 5G Availability

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 15 Jan, 2019 @ 09:35am

    Re: Re: Re: The emperor's new gaslit clothes

    It sounds more like they are creating a religion. It has many of the same characteristics, and expects others to accept things on faith.

  • On the post: Google Still Says Our Post On Content Moderation Is Dangerous Or Derogatory

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2019 @ 05:58pm

    Re: Re: Nebulous systems

    One question. Where is this Google based 'platform' that Google controls? Google+? Gmail? Their search engine? The blogs they support? Something else?

    Near as I can tell the position Google is taking is to satisfy some international issues, ie., EU issues, even if those issues don't apply in the US. Other than the EU, why would they care? Their advertisers are complaining? Well there are lots more advertisers out there. In the US Section 230 gives them cover, so that isn't it. In fact in the US section 230 tells them they don't need to audit the comments sections of websites, so why would they?

    I think that Google is trying to apply EU directed platitudes across the board, Whether they should or not is a different question.

  • On the post: AT&T's Planning Yet More Layoffs Despite Tens Of Billions In Tax Breaks And Government Favors

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2019 @ 12:44pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Maybe if you compare the dollar amount received against the cost of living in say Bangladesh, but not when compared to the cost of living in the US.

  • On the post: AT&T's Planning Yet More Layoffs Despite Tens Of Billions In Tax Breaks And Government Favors

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 10 Jan, 2019 @ 07:47am

    Re: Re: Trickle down

    Followed by a shitstorm washed down with more urine, where the liquid waste are the tax cuts and the solid wastes are the layoffs and lack of network improvement.

  • On the post: Dept. Of Interior Wants To Rewrite FOIA Law To Make It Easier To Reject Requests

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2019 @ 04:46pm

    Re: Easier?

    Without going down the nutty conspiracy rabbit hole (or maybe I am) there is enough evidence floating around to say that our government wants to operate as they want to operate, without any oversight from the electorate.

    The evolution of the political parties (reversing sides and controlling who gets on the ballot and gerrymandering voting districts in their favor, when they have the majority in any given state, then gerrymandering them back when things reverse, etc.) and indoctrinating their constituents to continue unfettered support, even with the policy reversals says a lot.

    The various three letter agencies performing searches in violation of the clear meaning of the 4th Amendment. Agencies (as in this case) refusing to follow the letter of the law with regard to FOIA requests, and (as in this case) at least trying to create additional roadblocks to FOIA requests. Agencies failing to follow through on directives from their own Inspector Generals for failures of many stripes. Then there are other things like creating sting operations that have no foundation in any truth. Arresting US citizens and trying to deport them to some other country. Trying to use US law to take down a company that wasn't based in the US. Etc..

    And this isn't just federal. Look at how the police are acting. Using military equipment when it isn't necessary, asset forfeitures when no crime is involved, shooting first then considering circumstances, etc.. In that light, look at the current federal response to police misconduct where the DoJ announced they would no longer look into such episodes.

    I think it is a bipartisan issue as these behaviors have developed, unchecked, even with changes in administrations and different configurations in congress. It is all about power. What the endgame is might cover a significant area of the spectrum, but through power is how they intend to implement it. It is difficult to tell just what the game is, as the players (politicians and bureaucrats) change over time, and this has been in development now for decades.

  • On the post: Facebook Rejects GRIS Launch Trailer For Being Sexually Suggestive When It Clearly Is Not

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2019 @ 06:02pm

    Underdeveloped

    The answer is so clear. They need artificial intelligence (or machine learning) to reconfigure their algorithms. Every time the algorithm screws up, some human goes in and tells the AI that it screwed up. Then, over time the machine will learn what the humans actually think is wrong which will improve its correct score. That is until the human is replace with someone secular, who is then replaced by someone fundamentalist, who is then replaced by someone with severe sexual phobias, and then a Neanderthal, and then a rhesus monkey.

    Look, it will work for music and videos and political commentary as well, whatever you want. Just give it enough data and it will sort out all we need to have sorted out. Just ask it.

    /s

  • On the post: Notoriously Corrupt Sri Lanka Police Force Arrests Citizens For Pretending To Bribe A Cardboard Cutout Cop

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2019 @ 09:39am

    Re: Re:

    Or that the cardboard cutouts kept the money.

  • On the post: Cable Industry Hypes Phony '10G' When 5G Isn't Even Available Yet

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2019 @ 08:27am

    Re:

    But they are not going to build 5G networks as 5G doesn't exist yet, and may never, just like 4G. Those billions are for Executive bonuses and investor dividends.

  • On the post: Notoriously Corrupt Sri Lanka Police Force Arrests Citizens For Pretending To Bribe A Cardboard Cutout Cop

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2019 @ 07:19am

    Re: US cops as well

    "There are plenty of examples of cops here in the US..."
    I got that far into your comment and my minds eye started to create a series of cardboard cutouts of US police officers who were more ethical than actual US police officers (by merely not acting) who were then pissed that their image was being topped by cardboard cutouts. Then I finished your comment and you are right, which doesn't mean my thought was wrong.

  • On the post: DOJ Says It Knows It Fudged Numbers On Its Dangerous Immigrants Report, But Refuses To Correct Them Or Release Underlying Data

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2019 @ 07:58am

    Were just doing our jobs

    Perfect practice when promulgating parallel construction, evidence washing, covering up, and other obfuscations, makes perfect the agenda promotion which is whatever the current administration wants (and never spoken out loud), so long as it enhances bureaucratic power for now and into the future.

  • On the post: Cable's Response To Surging Streaming Competition? More Price Hikes

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 08 Jan, 2019 @ 07:51am

    Re: Re: If Musk...

    What are the needs for low latency outside of gaming or VOIP? Would satellite connectivity be a big issue for VOIP? I think a bigger issue for current broadband providers is that if enough users jump to satellite connections it would impact them enough to, maybe, change their behavior. Real competition could have the impact we want, in the long run. Of course if current broadband providers change their behavior, it would hurt the satellite connections.

    I doubt we get to the point where terrestrial broadband has the gamer's and VOIP users and the satellite gets everyone else, but having that competition could be really good.

  • On the post: New York Times Moves To Dismiss Joe Arpaio's Defamation Lawsuit By Pointing Out It's Impossible To Defame Him

    anonymousanonymouscoward ( profile ), 07 Jan, 2019 @ 06:26pm

    Re: Re:

    Well, does it matter that the guy who gave that pardon seems to think he knows more about everything than anyone else?

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