Go5’s Techdirt Profile

On the post: Massachusetts Man Charged Criminally For Videotaping Cop… Despite Earlier Lawsuit Rejecting Such Claims

Go5 ( profile ), 05 Dec, 2012 @ 12:04pm

It's SAAPP

First we had Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.

Now we have Strategic Arrest Against Public Participation.

On the post: Amazon Freaks Out About Sock Puppet Reviews And Deletes A Bunch Of Real Reviews

Go5 ( profile ), 02 Nov, 2012 @ 04:02pm

one-star

Seems to me it would be far more helpful, for both Amazon and authors, if blatantly irrelevant reviews were deleted. The most obvious example of these are the widespread one-stars that complain about shipping, returns, or some other unrelated problem.

If I were an author, I'd be much more concerned by books being down-rated for reasons irrelevant to the content than by books being up-rated because the writer needed to buy a good review.

On the post: Congress Condemns Belarus For Doing A Bunch Of Things It Wants To Do

Go5 ( profile ), 11 Jul, 2011 @ 12:50pm

It's not that Congress doesn't realize what it's doing and saying, it's that Congress realizes that most voters aren't paying attention.

On the post: Apple Says That You Can't Give Away A 'Free' iPad Or iPhone In A Contest

Go5 ( profile ), 02 Jun, 2011 @ 02:27pm

While supplies last!

Free i-named pad computing device manufactured by a major fruit-flavored technology company.

On the post: AC/DC Says Their Songs Will Never Be Available For Download; Rest Of Internet Laughs

Go5 ( profile ), 09 May, 2011 @ 10:21am

This just in...

Wow. More clueless than my great-grandpa. That's an achievement, AC/DC.

On the post: Statutory Damages In Copyright Law Make It More Appealing To Sue Than To Innovate

Go5 ( profile ), 09 Apr, 2011 @ 08:48am

Damage? What damage?

If there's simply no reasonable way to calculate actual damages, maybe there's no actual damage.

On the post: The Artificially High Price Of Academic Journals And How It Impacts Everyone

Go5 ( profile ), 04 Mar, 2011 @ 01:52am

Interesting juxtaposition

"the effect of monopoly generally is to make articles scarce, to make them dear, and to make them bad."

In my RSS feed, immediately after this quote is an ad for Microsoft Windows.

On the post: Expendables Producers Begin Process Of Shaking Down Thousands For Cash

Go5 ( profile ), 10 Feb, 2011 @ 06:55am

strategery

It IS a brilliant business strategy ? if you're a lawyer.

I have no doubt some law firms are busily marketin themselves in this newfound legal speciality, and no doubt that content producers are lapping it up as a way to extend their revenues.

As long as the lawyers aren't taking more than 99%, producers could see it as a win. And no matter if there's negative publicity ? lawsuits come after the big splash, when income is waning anyway, and they can just form new production or distribution company for the next one.

On the post: NBC Universal Study Shows That It's Hollywood's Own Damn Fault So Much Content Is 'Pirated'

Go5 ( profile ), 03 Feb, 2011 @ 10:24pm

windows

When will these industries realize that WE have a window too?

In my case I call it my "give a shit window." If the music/movie/TV biz can't manage to lob their content through my moving, sometimes narrow window -- in the form I want it it, from Omnimax to iPhone to DVD with Dolby Surround -- then they lose.

Sorry. Better luck next time. Oh wait, this IS "next time."

It's no problem to pay money or see advertising -- I'm glad support artists and performers I enjoy -- but if the material isn't there, ready, in the right format, without hassles... Well there are plenty of other options that respect my time and attention.

Heck, these days just podcasts and friends' (very good) music is enough to keep me away from TV and movies and radio for months at a time.

See ya around, content industry! Write if you find relevance.

On the post: Scammers Move In: Facebook Getting Sketchy

Go5 ( profile ), 24 Jan, 2011 @ 05:29am

Re:

Then it should be Scammers'

On the post: If Your Business Model Is Based On Hoping Your Customers Never Do Math, You're In Trouble

Go5 ( profile ), 12 Jan, 2011 @ 09:47pm

I paid...

I was a paying subscriber. The value wasn't in the content per se, of course I could get that on my computer or phone.

The value was in the ink delivered to my door every morning. I could take it on the train, through the tunnel, without wifi or 3G or a battery, without stopping to stand in line. I'd leave it lying on the table at work, fueling interesting conversations with colleagues over lunch. Most days, my Times was read by two or three people.

Within reason, I didn't care what home delivery cost. I was paying to have instant, shareable news around all day -- until delivery became unreliable. The NYT quit selling what I was buying.

On the post: Expendables Producers Decide To Demand Cash From Fans Who Downloaded

Go5 ( profile ), 05 Jan, 2011 @ 06:26pm

New business model!

Next stop: "Pirated" copies, released via the producers indirectly, to drive the lawsuit revenue stream.

No need for distribution contracts, theaters, DVDs, or that Dolby stuff -- just seed a torrent and hire a grip of lawyers.

On the post: WordPress Accused Of Copyright Infringement For Its Famed 'Hello Dolly' Sample Plugin

Go5 ( profile ), 18 Dec, 2010 @ 07:36pm

Re: "Hello Dolly"

...trademarks aren't handed out so freely.

Lobbyists will solve that problem shortly.

On the post: The US's Reaction To Wikileaks Is Doing A Lot More Harm Than The Leaks Themselves

Go5 ( profile ), 13 Dec, 2010 @ 10:29am

The government doth protest too much for the purpose of diverting attention.

As more of the newsy-go-round is devoted to Wikileaks, less is devoted to the leaks themselves, the outrageous policy hypocrisy some illustrate, or unveiling our government's deep and shadowy marriage of state and corporate interests.

US corporatocracy depends on people not thinking for themselves. It's a very successful tactic.

On the post: Movie Studios Purposely Crippling Rental DVDs In Misguided Effort To Get People To Buy

Go5 ( profile ), 10 Dec, 2010 @ 08:49am

Leave it to the movie biz to stage a protracted, fitful, overly dramatic death scene.

On the post: 'Actor' Allegedly Threatening Carnival Cruise Lines For Filming Him & Not Paying Royalties

Go5 ( profile ), 01 Dec, 2010 @ 07:52am

whew

Saved by the waiver thingy!

On the post: Facebook Blamed For Accused Killer's Name Spreading…

Go5 ( profile ), 22 Nov, 2010 @ 07:11am

Spray paint the accused's name on the side of Barrister Caldicott's home, then threaten him with legal action for announcing the name.

If Caldicott still doesn't get it, Australia has facilities where people with conditions like his can receive developmental therapy.

On the post: Telco Opposition To Anti-Bill Shock Plans Doesn't Pass The Laugh Test

Go5 ( profile ), 13 Oct, 2010 @ 02:40pm

the [telco] doth protest too much, methinks

We can help the friendly telcos by making sure their generous, customer-oriented billing practices get lots of publicity.

On the post: The Rise Of Mass Copyright Infringement Filing Shakedown Factories In The US

Go5 ( profile ), 11 Oct, 2010 @ 05:24pm

First they came for...

They're wily fsckers, you have to give them that...

Going after mostly porn infringement (for now) effectively casts any opposition as "pro-porn." It will be hard for those accused (legitimately or not) to rouse much sympathy.

Later, armed with a stack of precedents, they'll be ready to file lawsuits over the more mainstream adaptations of Barbie Horse Adventures.

On the post: Not Being Able To Spy On Everyone Online Is A Feature, Not A Bug

Go5 ( profile ), 11 Oct, 2010 @ 04:49pm

For The Children! (tm)

It will be interesting to see which congress-critters jump onboard to sponsor this sort of legislation, then rush home to froth about government over-regulation and interference with business.

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