fishbane 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Fresh Off Victory Over Dish, TiVo Sues AT&T, Verizon

    fishbane ( profile ), 09 Sep, 2009 @ 08:41pm

    Re:

    Seriously.

    Quote ...

    "So Echostar is 10 times as big, but spends two thirds of what TiVo does on R&D. For every dollar that TiVo earns in revenue, 21 cents goes to R&D. For every dollar that Echostar earns in revenue, 1.9 cents goes to R&D."

    Echostar owns a huge infrastructure including +12 satellites, the rocket to push them, uplink centers and on an on. You have to subtract that cost and r&d from the equation before introducing the DVR cost.

    Honestly, Tivo has rolled over and become to SCO of the DVR world.

  • On the post: Kiddie Monitoring Software Spying On IM Chats, Selling Info To Marketers

    fishbane ( profile ), 09 Sep, 2009 @ 08:22am

    Whiteshoes: Start your wordprocessors

    I suspect there's at least a few 2nd year associates doing Madison County feasibilities this week...

  • On the post: Singer Claims Sony Music 'Pirated' His Songs; Has Police Raid Their Offices

    fishbane ( profile ), 09 Sep, 2009 @ 06:41am

    Re: It's a contract dispute, then?

    I can't speak for others, but if there's interest in labels, labels' use of artists as human shields in policy disputes, artists' complaints about labels, the changing market for both, then a datapoint-story seems like a perfectly reasonable thing about which to run a a short blog post.

    Or to look at it differently, this will be the 12th comment on an apparently uninteresting-to-SteveD story, to which SteveD also commented, unless someone slides one in before I finish typing this.

    Also, meta.

  • On the post: USPTO: Using Three Knowledge Bases To Diagnose Is Patentable

    fishbane ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2009 @ 09:40am

    Re:

    Doh. 'blade' was supposed to be struck out.

  • On the post: USPTO: Using Three Knowledge Bases To Diagnose Is Patentable

    fishbane ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2009 @ 07:40am

    Re: Re:

    That HIVdb appears to be one database.

    Well, that would be a big part of the problem. I shudder to think what sort of legal definition of "database" could end up coming out of this. Actual, you know, real world databases (here, the word used to mean an assemblage of information) can be composed as anything from one or more flat files, one or more logical sets of more or less structured information stored in whatever way by a DBMS... the list goes on. Put aside common usage of the word, what 'database' means varies based on the DBMS. Most commonly, "database" tends to mean separate namespaces in which sets of data are organized, but like anything else computer related, namespaces are mutable.

    For that matter, go ask an accountant how many spreadsheets they have with exactly three tables in them. Do those become separate "databases" if they are saved as three logically distinct files?

    Hell, the innovation of the URL was basically nothing more than coming up with a simple structure to append a protocol and global identifier to system-local file references. Of course, URLs also reference dynamic content. What do you call a system that compares a user's GPS history with Google Maps and Starbuck's store locations? Before you answer, tell me how many "databases" are used in Google Maps. And then ponder another system that uses this system to mash up the data with purchase history and a calorie lookup table.

  • On the post: USPTO: Using Three Knowledge Bases To Diagnose Is Patentable

    fishbane ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2009 @ 07:22am

    I think I'm going to call this the Mach 3 decision. Just add another blade database and patent! But mine has five - count 'em! "databases".

  • On the post: Fine, Let Newspapers Collude

    fishbane ( profile ), 25 Aug, 2009 @ 04:49am

    The logical next step for them is to demand that "news" sites all be required to charge.

    Perhaps we need a national newscare mandate. For the children, or something.

  • On the post: Australian Police Start Wardriving; Telling You To Lock Up Your WiFi

    fishbane ( profile ), 23 Jul, 2009 @ 11:48am

    Those saying that it is good public education, etc. should answer why it is cops doing this. Should trash collectors educate the public on wasting water?

    It is silly for cops to do this. Granting, arguendo, that it is a good idea (not something I believe, but-) spending scarce resources on using public servants that many are already intimidated by to "educate" people on a topic that cops are likely uneducated in themselves is wasteful.

    It is a misuse of public authority.

  • On the post: Google To The World: Don't Be So Sure YouTube Isn't Profitable

    fishbane ( profile ), 22 Jul, 2009 @ 08:50am

    Re: huh?

    Just cause GOOGLE says so?

    I take it you're prefer to listen to people whos' minds aren't clouded by silly little things like actual facts? Granted Google is hardly a disinterested party, and may not be above spreading a bit of fud. But I, for one, pay more attention to what they have to say on their own profitability than random net.trolls.

  • On the post: Apparently, Providing Derrida's Works For Free 'Harms The Diffusion Of His Thoughts'

    fishbane ( profile ), 21 May, 2009 @ 09:00am

    Derrida wouldn't write anymore philosophy if his copyrights aren't respected! And that's totally valid, because Derrida demonstrated that binary oppositions are linguistic constructs, and thus death, as a binary construct, makes no sense to discuss.

  • On the post: If You Thought Your Mobile Phone Contract Was Bad… This Guy Got 60 Years In Jail…

    fishbane ( profile ), 19 May, 2009 @ 05:51pm

    I don't know about Texas, but here in Maryland a prisoner was just convicted for using a smuggled cellphone to order a hit on an informant. Illegal cellphones have become tools used to continue criminal enterprises while the leaders are incarcerated.

    OK. How about convicting people for conspiracy to commit murder, and not concentrate on the cell phone?

    If someone hurts someone else by dropping an air conditioner on them, do you want to legally target air conditioners, or the behaviour?

    Alternately, if contraband is a problem in prisons, why not look at the most likely vector of contraband: the guards. Assuming that the source of drugs, alcohol and cellphones isn't the guards has to rest on the assumption that they're both perfectly honest and also completely incompetent at searching visitors, vendors, etc.

  • On the post: If This Is The Sort Of Writing That Strong Copyright Creates… I'll Pass

    fishbane ( profile ), 14 May, 2009 @ 11:06am

    Re: To the point

    Unsubscribe.

    Don't post pointless complaints.

    And how about posting something that isn't a complaining rant every now and then? Honestly, it's depressing. Believe me, I know this post is a complaint as well, but after months of occasionally being interested enough in what you have to say to look into it further, I'm sick of constantly regretting clicking the link. It's such a definitive trend at this point I could make money off it.

    OK, I take it back. I'm still giggling about that.

  • On the post: Did Google Really Seriously Consider Buying A Stake In The NY Times?

    fishbane ( profile ), 12 May, 2009 @ 06:05am

    Meh, I don't see it as that surprising. It seems like exactly the sort of contrary opportunism that Google would entertain. Given the option and positioning (and piles of cash) they have, were I they, I'd try to think it through, too - why not? Seems like they came to the same conclusion your (and my) gut says - Bad Idea on several dimensions - but thinking through the idea that there might be something Google could add value to is something they'd think through.

  • On the post: Everyone Assumes Copyright Only Applies When They Like It

    fishbane ( profile ), 11 May, 2009 @ 09:58pm

    Re: Copyright

    But with all of the lawsuits I think it is very hard to pin someone down for stealing an inanimate object, a piece of coding. But companies are trying hard like the Pirate Bay Lawsuit, many companies are trying to target the source, because getting all the individuals is to great of a job for almost anyone.

    Could you be more clear? I can't tell if you're saying "it is hard to pin someone down" in the sense that one can nail someone in court, or if you mean it is difficult to use the threat of legal intervention to stop someone from doing something.

    Of course, both of those lead to the same results, which is sort of the point being made by Mike (and a matter of serious concern to a lot of u)s. But perhaps that isn't your project.

    It isn't hard to find examples of hypocrisy - you're on the right blog to find them. I'm sure you've already googled "WRT54G", and done the same with "intellectual property" in the search string.

    So, what else are you looking for?

  • On the post: Google Sued Over Android Name… But Was It Actually Being Used?

    fishbane ( profile ), 01 May, 2009 @ 02:09pm

    Anybody know how to parse these TESS things?

    ANDROID DATA (e-commerce):
    http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4002:vqe5gu.2.5

    ANDROID (mobile os):
    http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4002:vqe5gu.2.16

  • On the post: Congress Wants WiFi Owners To Keep Log Files For 2 Years… For The Children

    fishbane ( profile ), 20 Feb, 2009 @ 02:03pm

    Tie intent to limits

    I would love to see a rule of evidence emerge that considered stated intent of the bill. So in this case, only CP/underage solicitation cases could be pursued, and not, say, copyright violations.

  • On the post: Comedian Smashes Mobile Phone; Fearing 'Joke Stealing'

    fishbane ( profile ), 17 Feb, 2009 @ 01:03pm

    Re: No Talent

    Your missing the point - he tells a joke he has written to a few people in a comedy store, someone records it and sells it. Its not his joke anymore and hes not getting paid for it...

  • On the post: One More Reason Not To Blindly Trust What A Computer Tells You

    fishbane ( profile ), 03 Feb, 2009 @ 12:10pm

    Funny

    And to think, our current economic meltdown was driven mostly by automated systems and too credulous humans.

    This is the way the world will end, not with a bang, but a perl script.

  • On the post: Pet Peeve: Anyone Who Says 'Free Is Not A Business Model'

    fishbane ( profile ), 15 Jan, 2009 @ 11:09am

    FlightAware

    Have a look at flightaware.com, a company that started doing flight tracking against a bunch of entrenched incumbents and, like, immediately became the largest and most visible by giving away the flight tracking that the others were charging ten to hundreds of dollars a month for, selling advertising, and doing commercial data deals, selling reports online, selling access to their database via SOAP/WSDL, and so forth.

  • On the post: Our Congress Has Failed Us: Gives In On Telecom Immunity

    fishbane ( profile ), 20 Jun, 2008 @ 07:17pm

    Re: Not so hard to understand...

    "By going along, the Dems hope to blunt any political advantage Bush and his fellows could have gotten out of this."

    Or perhaps by going along, the Dems hope to have all that power vested in *their own* presidential candidate someday...

    Even so ... 293-192? We can only hope that the Senate lives up to its role of giving crap like this a "sober second look"...

    They need to completely outlaw donating to political parties and candidates. Instead, anyone who presents a signed petition with enough names to suggest that they have enough voter interest/a big enough party to stand a chance should be eligible to run a campaign at taxpayer expense, up to a fair and reasonable limit that is the same for all comers. Said campaign funds being administered by an independent and nonpartisan branch of the government, of course, one subjected to heavy watchdogging, much as the administration of the elections themselves is subject to heavy watchdogging.

    Raise taxes in the upper brackets. That will take the money mainly from the same people that will no longer be spending millions donating to campaigns, so they end up no worse off financially than now, but lose the ability to exert undue political influence.

    Then we once more have a government "by the people, for the people".

    But if the Senate passes this crap, watch for the Supreme Court's reaction. If they do nothing, move to Canada. Canada still has a functional Charter of Rights and Freedoms, last I checked; they didn't trash their version of the first amendment after 9/11 or their fourth after Napster and 9/11. :P

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