charliebrown 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Jury Correctly Recognizes That Print-On-Demand Website Isn't A 'Counterfeiting' Business Engaged In Infringement

    charliebrown ( profile ), 14 Nov, 2021 @ 09:01pm

    Re: Re: Re: This made me audibly laugh out loud

    haven't sucked enough dicks to rate if its a pretty penis or not? Now that made me audibly laugh out loud!

  • On the post: Metal Gear Solid 2 And 3 Taken Off Digital Storefronts Over Licensing For Historical Videos

    charliebrown ( profile ), 13 Nov, 2021 @ 11:55pm

    Re:

    I agree with the need for international fair use but negotiation on one goets nowhere fast because the lobbyists for MP+RI-AA claim it will only lead to rampant piracy. I mean, in reality, it'll just draw more attention to works which will lead to more sales of those works as opposed to them just laying in obscurity, but what would I know?

  • On the post: Metal Gear Solid 2 And 3 Taken Off Digital Storefronts Over Licensing For Historical Videos

    charliebrown ( profile ), 13 Nov, 2021 @ 11:52pm

    Re: Re:

    Yes, but do you realise how many countries there are?

  • On the post: Court Case Brought By Dairy Queen Over 'Blizzard' Trademark Infringement On 'Blizzard Water' Begins And Is Dumb

    charliebrown ( profile ), 28 Oct, 2021 @ 04:41pm

    I'd like to see Dairy Queen take on Blizzard the game company. Hey, if you're gonna do something stupid, why not go all the way?

  • On the post: The Surveillance And Privacy Concerns Of The Infrastructure Bill's Impaired Driving Sensors

    charliebrown ( profile ), 16 Oct, 2021 @ 11:19am

    Privacy Concerns Aside ...

    "...to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired." Yeah. Good luck with that. It would be so accurate, it can only detect when a driver MAY be impaired?

  • On the post: This Week In Techdirt History: October 3rd – 9th

    charliebrown ( profile ), 10 Oct, 2021 @ 12:57pm

    Re: Re: Fifteen Years Later, Just Sayin' .....

    Thanks for the reply and link, sumgai. I appreciate it!

  • On the post: This Week In Techdirt History: October 3rd – 9th

    charliebrown ( profile ), 10 Oct, 2021 @ 06:35am

    Fifteen Years Later, Just Sayin' .....

    Under the linked article about The Knack vs Run DMC, someone wrote "The real reason nobody is focusing on brick and mortar is probably less interesting -- The physical CD has probably sold bupkus in the last three years, and therefore there's no money to be made in suing over those sales." Link: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061005/002553.shtml#c414

    To which I say, well, actually, maybe not as that album was re-issued to CD and LP in 2002. I bought a copy of the CD in 2004 (within the three years) and the LP in 2013 (seven years later, so I guess the lawsuit failed).

    Soon will be the "Fifteen years ago" when Larrakin Music sued Men At Work over the "Down Under" use of "Kookaburra" and won. I still can't believe Larrakin won. Substantial portion my ass!

    By the way, does anybody know what happened with the "Stairway To Heaven" / "Taurus" case?

  • On the post: Apple Training Videos Highlight Company's Adversarial Stance On Affordable Repairs

    charliebrown ( profile ), 22 Sep, 2021 @ 11:54am

    Re:

    My iPhone 6 started falling apart around February this year (2021). It still "worked". I could make and recieve calls, so I didn't replace it until June. Incidentally, I got a second hand refurbished iPhone SE. Apart from the headphone socket, it is just like the iPhone 6 I had. I hope it lasts longer, but I'm not holding out much hope. I miss having a physical "home" button.

  • On the post: This Week In Techdirt History: September 12th – 18th

    charliebrown ( profile ), 19 Sep, 2021 @ 04:53pm

    Re: Wait. What?

    Yes, it is rather an oxymoron.

  • On the post: Will COVID Become Australia's 9/11?

    charliebrown ( profile ), 10 Sep, 2021 @ 03:08pm

    I Know Our Government

    "If the government likes its new powers, and its ability to keep its citizens contained, it may decide the crisis has no definite end in sight."

    Yes, well, with our government (greetings from Australia, by the way) I practically promise you that this will be the case. I'm already fed up with signing in every time I go grocery shopping. Oh, don't get me wrong, I understand why they want it done and while the virus is prevalent, I'm happy to do it, mandatory or not. But I can't wait until it's over. For some reason, I'm not expecting it to be. Ever.

  • On the post: Political Consultant Misrepresents Nearly Everything In Arguing That The Gov't Should Make Google/Facebook Pay News Orgs

    charliebrown ( profile ), 25 Aug, 2021 @ 12:17am

    An Idea I Had

    What if .... and hear me out first .... What if there was a newspaper where the owner, editorial staff and reporters all shared any profits equally? If it sells well, everyone makes a ton of money. And if it sells badly, everybody makes hardly any money. Like any other business. OK, maybe work out a contract where the reporter covering a building collapse might get paid more than the reporter covering the flower show, but those details can be worked out when you set it up. And you get the idea, right?

  • On the post: This Week In Techdirt History: August 15th – 21st

    charliebrown ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2021 @ 06:59pm

    This week in 2022

    Techdirt presents "This week in 2017", "This week in 2012", "This week in 2007", "This week in 2002" and "This week in 1997". Hey, will techdirt have a great big 25th Anniversary celebration? I suggest a Mike prepares a magazine article length post about all the advances in technology and why he feels so positive about everything. I like those posts each year and I think we could all use a great big dose of positivity right about now(ish). Start working on it now so it's ready on time, get Tim to bake a cake, decorate it with edibles and away we go!

  • On the post: Edvard Eriksen Estate Goes After Another Danish City For Having A Mermaid Statue

    charliebrown ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2021 @ 06:31pm

    Everyone's discussing copyright

    .... but my question is: Do these guys think their (grand)father invented the way mermaids look or something?

  • On the post: T-Mobile Investigating 100 Million Subscriber Data Breach

    charliebrown ( profile ), 16 Aug, 2021 @ 02:57pm

    Scale

    You do realize that, if the last few years are anything to go by, this breach will have been twice as big as first reported. Now you can't have 200 million subscriber's data breached if you only have 105 million subscribers, so I'd guess that all 105 million subscribers have been compromised.

    By the way, I still have a Yahoo! account. Not sure why, but I do. And I've had (and used) it since 2005.

  • On the post: This Week In Techdirt History: August 8th – 14th

    charliebrown ( profile ), 14 Aug, 2021 @ 10:25pm

    Used Music

    As I sit here playing a 31 year old, second hand CD, I can't help but wonder if the RIAA realise that there are billions of CD's out there already so if sales are at an all time low, part of the reason could be people like me who enjoy paying five bucks (Australian dollars) for an album and supporting my local bricks and mortar new-and-used music shop in the process.

    Only posting this because I am currently playing a hits of spring 1990 CD while reading Techdirt so it kind of popped into my mind. I know there was once a large debate on the merits and morals of buying used music but I have no qualms (never did) because I can't afford much new stuff, I like the old stuff, and I love physical media because it is mine and no record company (or any other landlord) can take it away from me!

  • On the post: Australian Court Ridiculously Says That AI Can Be An Inventor, Get Patents

    charliebrown ( profile ), 05 Aug, 2021 @ 09:20pm

    More Sensible

    There should be a distinction, I think, where if you program a computer to help you create something, you can have the patent on something. But if a computer has the idea all on it's own then it should be public domain.

    Of course, hwo you you differentiate between a programmer getting computer assistance to create something and a computer creating something of it's own accord? And, also, if you give a computer a patent, what happens when that computer dies? Many home computers are no longer in service after a few years, although I know business can hang on to systems for decades.

    So if you apply for a patent based on something you recieved computer based assistance to create, obviously including AI, then you can get it (all things being otherwise normal).

    Then again, if you programmed the computer, you would have to either be the program's full author or share the patent with the software author, because all you did was enter the paramaters .... wait, here's another rabbit hole.

    You know what? Just forget I said anything here! I'm trying to be a voice of reason but I'm not a lawyer so anything I say is probably technically unreasonable. Well NYAH to technology and arseholes!

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

    charliebrown ( profile ), 01 Aug, 2021 @ 03:48pm

    Re: Feedback Loop

    FIRST! to say that their feedback form is right here at https://www.techdirt.com/contact.php Secondly, I don't know if Mike is a professional writer. I thought he was a professional Google shill? </sarc>

  • On the post: GAO Tells US Government Its Speed Definition For Broadband Sucks

    charliebrown ( profile ), 16 Jul, 2021 @ 09:01am

    Australia

    After the National Broadband Network (NBN) was sabotaged by the current party in power (The Liberal Party, who is actually conservative), most Australians are lucky to get the "maximum" speed of 100Mb down, unknown up (was 40Mb but no more). The lucky few who got Fibre To The Premesis (FTTP) (and some who have Hybrid Fibre Coaxial - HFC) can get up to 1000Mb down, 50Mb up - but only guaranteed of around 300Mb down actual speed. FTTP was originally implemented for the NBN in 2009 by the then-in-power party, The Labor Party, the liberals. Isn't the naming confusing!

    Our house is in one of the last areas to be connected with FTTP in early 2016, some three years after the current party came to power. Why did we still get it? Because the contracts had already been signed to do fibre. We are very lucky, the FTTP installation ends about 500m south of us (about 1500 feet) down the road! Our connection is 250Mb down and 100Mb up. This plan is hideously expensive. For about Au$60 less we could get 1000Mb down and 50Mb up, but the up speed was suddenly like using 5Mb up even though the speed test showed it was all good. So at least now, we may be slower down, but we get what we pay for! At our house, we meet that good definition of broadband, but most Australians don't and most of that most simply can't.

    Most Australians got Fibre To The Node (FTTN) whereby they have fibre down the street, but then it goes through a converter then is DSL's down the old phone lines. Some lucky people got Fibre To The Basement (FTTB). That's usually reliable because the phone line in most houses are somewhat reliable still. But for these people, 100Mb down is the maximum and at "peak times" (usually 6pm to 11pm) it can drop drastically. No guarantee for their up speed. Sure, we have Netflix here, but most Australians are very familiar with watching a circle of dots swirl around their screen.

    I hope your government manages to pass that minimum definition because our government likes to copy yours. Unfortunately, though, our government loves to kiss Ruprt and Lochlan's asses way more! I'd say The Liberal Party can suck my dick, but I have standards!

  • On the post: 'Resident Evil 8: Village' Broken Due To DRM, Cracked Version Fixes It

    charliebrown ( profile ), 13 Jul, 2021 @ 11:52pm

    Developer's POV

    Watch this professional developer's critique of DRM. Suffice to say, he doesn't like it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ig4dqozB1I

  • On the post: This Week In Techdirt History: June 27th – July 3rd

    charliebrown ( profile ), 04 Jul, 2021 @ 06:32am

    Link Error?

    The link for Hilary Clinton's problematic tech platform is problematic as it linked to a story about copyright trolls using IP addresses to "prove" people infringed and a couple of judges who just don't buy it. It was a good article, but I think it may be the wrong one.

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