m b 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (47) comment rss

  • On the post: DEA Takes $16,000 From Train Passenger Because It Can

    m b ( profile ), 11 May, 2015 @ 01:12pm

    Re:

    Hahahah! That old rag again?

  • On the post: DVD Makers Say That You Don't Really Own The DVDs You Bought… Thanks To Copyright

    m b ( profile ), 23 Apr, 2015 @ 11:09am

    Re: What day is it?

    Yes, I'm afraid you will be required to white out all the pages before you sell those Harry Potter books :)

  • On the post: Will The Vulcan Salute Live Long And Prosper? The Rush To Lock Up 'Cultural Expression'

    m b ( profile ), 06 Mar, 2015 @ 06:41pm

    Perfect!

    This is the perfect example of how far down the slippery slope we have come, and is the perfect illustration for why we need to relax intellectual property laws, not restrict them further.
    Under this kind of foolish money grub, we will completely shut down the entire music and film industry. It will make clothing illegal, but of course, it will also outlaw nudity. The letter 't' will also become illegal.

  • On the post: Terrorized Into Irrationality: UK Police Demand Names of Charlie Hebdo *Supporters*

    m b ( profile ), 10 Feb, 2015 @ 11:12am

    The terrorists have won.

    We now live in a state of perpetual fear, and daily find our freedoms eroded, and the fools in power are not any better than terrorists themselves.

    ---
    Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
    - Benjamin Franklin

  • On the post: IRS Shuts Down Another High-Profile Asset Forfeiture Case, Gives $447,000 Back To Its Rightful Owners

    m b ( profile ), 29 Jan, 2015 @ 09:59am

    Your Country Is Broken

    This is just another fine example of how completely broken everything the US government, and legal system is.
    There are so many end runs around any sort of reasonable due process, that it is a complete delusion to believe Americans are not living in a totalitarian regime. (unless you are wealthy, then you can just buy your own version of "law")

  • On the post: The Cable Industry's Latest Lame Argument: We're Burying Sneaky Fees In Your Bill As Part Of An Effort To Be More Transparent

    m b ( profile ), 17 Jan, 2015 @ 12:05am

    Blatant Manipulation is what it is.

    So while they are at it, should they also include line items for Technician's Salary, Helpdesk Support, Facilities Rental, O&M, and Coffee machine power usage. Then they can blame rate increases on the landlord for increased rent or those damned Columbians for increasing the price of coffee.

    That is completely absurd. If the fees are for services that cannot be unbundled, then they do no deserve separate line items. That is the cost of providing the service, and playing some shell game with numbers is, frankly, despicable. It is a blatant attempt to obfuscate the rates, and a manipulation technique to make it difficult and undesirable for the consumer to compare rates and services: By providing too many choices, the consumer literally gets tired out trying to compare all the possibilities.

  • On the post: Canadian Anti-Piracy Company Caught Using Unattributed And Paywalled Articles To Fill Its Blog

    m b ( profile ), 08 Jan, 2015 @ 09:40am

    Re:

    I couldn't agree more, but honestly, how is that much different from the current state of copyright in general. The current copyright regime so greatly exceeds the intent, that it is nothing more than a government legislated monopoly pushed through by organizations that have a record of grossly ignoring the intellectual property of others to make a buck. Consider the number of movie studios that have sent rejection letters to writer's for a script, only to turn around and write a "remarkably similar" script a year later. Or look at the origins or the music industry in the USA: it is based upon selling copies of European recordings without paying the original artists.