Keroberos 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (557)

• On the post: Rep. Gohmert Wants A Law That Allows Victims To Destroy The Computers Of People Who Hacked Them

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 19 Mar, 2013 @ 08:24am

  The stupid...it hurts...Lets also make a law that says it's OK to kill someone that you think, maybe, might be, but you're not quite sure, trying to kill you.
  
  I think we should pass a law that states "In order to pass legislation on a particular subject, you must first pass a college level test on that subject". Hell, even a high schooler with basic IT knowledge would know that's idiotic.

• On the post: Copyright Strikes Again: 'Real Calvin And Hobbes' Shut Down By Copyright Claim

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 27 Feb, 2013 @ 08:13am

  Re: Re: It's not trespassing if you are invited.

  Bill Waterson has stated in the past (and in the "Calvin And Hobbes 10th Anniversary" compilation book) that he was always worried about bootleg products exploiting his works. In his defense, he was very afraid that something he meant for the world to enjoy would be exploited commercially without his permission.

  This makes little sense. How does not giving any permission to use your works stop the bootleggers from profiting? It doesn't--they profit anyway, because they don't ask for permission.
  
  It's very sad that he would see his work wither and die from neglect and forgetfulnesses in some vain attempt to stop bootleggers from profiting from his work--which they do anyway.

• On the post: Copyright Strikes Again: 'Real Calvin And Hobbes' Shut Down By Copyright Claim

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 27 Feb, 2013 @ 08:05am

  Coppyright as an Incentive

  I think the big thing that all of the copyright maximalists are ignoring is the fact that copyright is supposed to be an incentive for new creation. How long has it been since Watterson produced something new concerning Calvin and Hobbes? Almost 20 years. Since He's not creating anything new, perhaps it should lapse into the public domain.
  
  This is a classic example of what copyright should not be--welfare for artists. No artist--no matter how talented, influential, or awesome (and Watterson is all three), should be allowed to sit on their copyrights and do nothing with them. This is the big thing that needs to be change regarding copyright--it lasts too long. Almost everything else about copyright could stay the same for all I care, but reduce the term to something like five years with possible extensions if you can show proof of continuing works. In this case, as long as Watterson's making new works with Calvin and Hobbes he can keep the copyrights on the old stuff--if not, five years after the last new strip it all becomes public domain.
  
  As an artist myself, if I were in Watterson's position I would be thrilled about what Michael Den Beste is doing and would give him permission to do it to all of the strips (and probably donate some money to him, and maybe work out a book deal with him too). Because as any artist knows, once your work drops out of the publics' consciousness--it may as well not even have existed. Unless I introduce them to it myself, I sincerely doubt my children will discover Watterson's work on their own--and that would be a shame.

• On the post: Copyright Strikes Again: 'Real Calvin And Hobbes' Shut Down By Copyright Claim

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 26 Feb, 2013 @ 07:19am

  Re: respect watterson's desires, not the law

  The authors desires and views on copyright and the use of his works are irrelevant. Once you publish a work it becomes part of our common culture. This is why copyright law has limitations on it in the form of fair use (which have sadly been eroded over time). For a creator to say, "You can't build off of my works" destroys the very process that they relied upon to build their works in the first place (nothing is ever created in a vacuum).
  
  As much as I respect the work of Watterson and other artists, they do not get to short circuit the creation of new cultural works based on their own whims. Being nice and polite about it doesn't change the fact that it is wrong and ultimately destructive to the art of our culture that they supposedly love.

• On the post: Bestselling Author Of Children's Books Accuses Public Libraries Of Stealing His Paychecks

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 19 Feb, 2013 @ 07:05am

  Re:

  Harry Potter books sell themselves...

  Not quite. They sell themselves NOW, after years of free publicity from things like word of mouth, reviews, and GASP free copies available from your local library (and this includes the digital versions that were made available on the same day as the retail version).

• On the post: Bestselling Author Of Children's Books Accuses Public Libraries Of Stealing His Paychecks

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 19 Feb, 2013 @ 07:23am

  And since when were libraries free? I pay my taxes which helps fund the public library system. I would rather my tax dollars go to the libraries than to the latest military or TSA white elephant.

• On the post: Bestselling Author Of Children's Books Accuses Public Libraries Of Stealing His Paychecks

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 19 Feb, 2013 @ 06:59am

  I think we should give this idiot what he wants--pull all of his books out of the libraries, in a few years no-one will know who he is, or care about what he has to say.

• On the post: Microsoft Makes Retail Versions Of Office Single Install

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 14 Feb, 2013 @ 03:14pm

  Re: Re:

  Yar har, fiddle di dee,
  Being a pirate is alright to be!
  Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free,
  You are a pirate!
  Arr yarr, ahoy and avast,
  dinky-dink-dink-a-dinkadefast!
  Hang the black flag
  At the end of the mast!
  You are a pirate!

• On the post: Congress Apparently Uninterested In 'Aaron's Law' To Reform CFAA

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 12 Feb, 2013 @ 06:27am

  Re:

  They do, they have all those meetings with the lobbyists from Hollywood to attend.

• On the post: Providing Electronic Access To Public Records Is 'Expensive' And Other Government Excuses For PACER Fees

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 11 Feb, 2013 @ 10:03pm

  I went to my local court to look up some documents. They were in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard.'

• On the post: Connecting With Fans In Unique Ways: Band Sets Up Treasure Hunt To Find Fan-Submitted Sounds In New Album

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 08 Feb, 2013 @ 09:29pm

  Re: That's Music?

  And your opinion matters, why?

• On the post: Teri Buhl Threatens To Sue Us And Others; Still Seems Confused About The Law

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 07 Feb, 2013 @ 12:41pm

  Re:

  At least it's more productive than battling with a nit-wit.

• On the post: How Unlocking Your Phone May Now Be A Crime: $500,000 Fines And 5 Years In Prison For First Offense

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 28 Jan, 2013 @ 01:03pm

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

  No. Microsoft does not require Secure Boot in Windows 8. Secure Boot is only required for having the Windows 8 Certified logo. My PC runs Windows 8 just fine, an older system with no UEFI--no UEFI=no Secure Boot.

• On the post: How Unlocking Your Phone May Now Be A Crime: $500,000 Fines And 5 Years In Prison For First Offense

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 28 Jan, 2013 @ 12:46pm

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

  ...or a fix a Dell that has a proprietary power supply?

• On the post: How Unlocking Your Phone May Now Be A Crime: $500,000 Fines And 5 Years In Prison For First Offense

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 28 Jan, 2013 @ 12:35pm

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

  Hmm...never tried to upgrade a video card in a Mac Pro have you?

• On the post: How Unlocking Your Phone May Now Be A Crime: $500,000 Fines And 5 Years In Prison For First Offense

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 28 Jan, 2013 @ 11:54am

  Re: Re: Re: Re:

  The firmware on the fan. If encrypted it would have to be decrypted and reverse engineered to make a functional replacement--this could fall under the anti-circumvention clause. It hasn't yet--so far as I know, but that could change very fast if we let it.
  
  Read the link in my earlier post. Lexmark won that case (it was overturned on appeal). If this case were to happen today, I would have serious doubts about having such a favorable appellate ruling again.
  
  They only have to win once, and we're screwed. We have to keep winning over and over again. Who do you think is going to win in the long run?

• On the post: How Unlocking Your Phone May Now Be A Crime: $500,000 Fines And 5 Years In Prison For First Offense

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 28 Jan, 2013 @ 11:40am

  Re: Re: Re: Older Phones

  It's been around in common law at least since the time of the Romans, but a specific citation for it in the US would be Coffin v. United States, 156 U.S. 432 (1895).

• On the post: How Unlocking Your Phone May Now Be A Crime: $500,000 Fines And 5 Years In Prison For First Offense

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 28 Jan, 2013 @ 11:34am

  Re: Re: Older Phones

  Not screwed up at all if you look at it as if they are trying to make us all felons (or at least criminals).
  
  [Good Bog, I'm starting to sound like a tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy nut.]

• On the post: How Unlocking Your Phone May Now Be A Crime: $500,000 Fines And 5 Years In Prison For First Offense

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 28 Jan, 2013 @ 11:29am

  Re: Older Phones

  Dubious protection at best.
  
  "Ya gotta receipt for that unlocked phone on ya?"
  
  It changes the justice system from the prosecutors having to prove your guilt, to you having to prove your innocence.

• On the post: How Unlocking Your Phone May Now Be A Crime: $500,000 Fines And 5 Years In Prison For First Offense

  

  Keroberos ( profile ), 28 Jan, 2013 @ 11:23am

  Re: Re:

  Do you mean "protection" like the way the Mafia will protect you?

Next >>