mlang 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (32) comment rss

  • On the post: Oracle Sues To Stop Lodsys Patent Trolling

    mlang ( profile ), 06 Jun, 2012 @ 08:04am

    Oracle is right to pursue this, irrespective of its actions elsewhere. Or are people here saying that once a company has made a big fool of itself we don't want them to take action against trolls?

    At least Oracle do develop.

  • On the post: Vibram Boss: IP Enforcement Is A Waste Of Time; You're Better Off Building A Relationship With Customers

    mlang ( profile ), 06 Jun, 2012 @ 07:42am

    No surprise that the lawyer says companies have to register your IP to have any chance. I'd love to see him try to enforce them in China. Of course, he won't try - but he'll still take your money.

  • On the post: Fox Issues DMCA Takedown To Google Over SF Chronicle Article… Claiming It Was The Movie 'Chronicle'

    mlang ( profile ), 29 May, 2012 @ 09:36am

    Surely a fine in the range of $200 to $150,000 per incorrect takedown request would be reasonable?

  • On the post: Apple And Microsoft Behind Patent Troll Armed With Thousands Of Nortel Patents

    mlang ( profile ), 23 May, 2012 @ 10:37am

    Why are politicians refusing to recognise the problems with IP laws? Surely there's enough lobbying power amongst those being hit to get through to more policy makers?

    There really needs to be a big media campaign to highlight the damage being done to world economies - but, post-SOPA, would any big media channels cover it?

  • On the post: It's Time To Re-Establish That If A Patent Blocks Progress, It's Unconstitutional

    mlang ( profile ), 20 Apr, 2012 @ 03:58am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Eek - straw men running everywhere.

    Firstly, a quick segue between wealthiest countries and per capita incomes. Two things not automatically connected for obvious statistical reasons.

    Secondly, swap "remarkably" and "coincidentally" and you'll see that you have no evidence of a causal connection.

    Thirdly, ignoring China, India, Russia from your richest countries list.

    Fourthly, not noticing that the US isn't even in the top 5 of income per capita countries. Yet, remarkably, part of China is. And I've no knowledge of whether Qatar is famous for it's patent laws.

    Jeez - talk about weak.

  • On the post: It's Time To Re-Establish That If A Patent Blocks Progress, It's Unconstitutional

    mlang ( profile ), 20 Apr, 2012 @ 03:42am

    Re: Re: Re:

    The problem with your argument is that your always talking about devices that are already under patent. But patent laws are primarily about deciding whether a patent should be granted in the first place. And if, after consideration and debate, it's decided that many of the devices patented should not have received patents...well then they're no "devices under patent" either.

    I think most people here believe that patents do have a place. They allow an inventor time to bring a product to market, and they allow inventors to gain investment in order to improve their product.

    Bringing a product to market and improving devices in the market are both forms of progress that I'm sure fit within the constitutional definition.

    Sitting on a patent and doing nothing except suing others for inventing the same thing is not a form of progress. The argument is that sitting on a patent and not using it productively is not progressive and therefore is invalidating the patent granted to it.

    In sporting terms, we call that "use it or lose it".

    What's wasting money is forcing the industry to spend money contesting patents that should not have been granted in the first place. And so, rather than progressing, the current situation is regressing. It's doing nothing to help with bonus points of throwing money away.

  • On the post: Why Do Copyright Industry Profits Get To Be The Yardstick For Civil Liberties?

    mlang ( profile ), 16 Apr, 2012 @ 02:51am

    Re: Re: Re:

    cock.

  • On the post: Why Do Copyright Industry Profits Get To Be The Yardstick For Civil Liberties?

    mlang ( profile ), 16 Apr, 2012 @ 02:48am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    random extra comma in there. oops

  • On the post: Why Do Copyright Industry Profits Get To Be The Yardstick For Civil Liberties?

    mlang ( profile ), 16 Apr, 2012 @ 02:47am

    Re: Re: Re:

    It could indeed be argued that copyright is a socialist concept, because the aim of copyright is to benefit the public. Combine that with a genuine free market and you can get a really good system.

    Ironically, given the 'socialism is a bad word' implication in AC's comments, the model preferred by large swathes of the media marketing industry, is closer to communism, ie. "WE TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN BUY, COMRADE".

  • On the post: Huh? Skype Thinks That If You Hate Twitter & Facebook You'll Use Skype More

    mlang ( profile ), 10 Apr, 2012 @ 09:53am

    Re: Re: Something different

    do that many people still send standard SMS messages?


    Erm, yes. Depends on the country, certainly, but even the reduced volume is still pretty massive in comparison to, say, Twitter. (from a UK perspective)

  • On the post: Huh? Skype Thinks That If You Hate Twitter & Facebook You'll Use Skype More

    mlang ( profile ), 10 Apr, 2012 @ 04:43am

    It could be argued that they're fostering the thought that Skype is a social network by doing this; social networking is where the money is.

    It probably wouldn't be a huge development to change to a social network site (whatever that really means). Their two problems would then be, 1) does anyone really want another social networking site, and 2) their USP would actually require people to be social.

  • On the post: Economist Notices That The US Is Getting Buried Under Costly, Useless Over-Regulation

    mlang ( profile ), 23 Feb, 2012 @ 08:31am

    Whilst I'm no supporter of small government for small government's sake, I agree with the suggestion that most legislative detail should be dropped in favor of overarching principles. The constitution does that at a high level, so why can't it be done at a per legislation level? To suggest that such a move would increase risk is demonstrative of the cynicism in the legal process. Loopholes are there because of the detail, not in spite of it.