A Guy 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: EU Politician Wants Internet Surveillance Built Into Every Operating System

    A Guy ( profile ), 25 Oct, 2011 @ 10:46am

    Unworkable Anyway...

    Unless you also ban encryption on the internet, it wouldn't work anyway. The logging device would just capture an encrypted stream of data that would need 2 keys to decrypt, one for the black box and one for the encrypted stream of data.

    Bypassing this system would be trivial.

  • On the post: The Connection Between Wikileaks Censorship And PROTECT IP: Censorship Through Cutting Off Service Providers

    A Guy ( profile ), 21 Oct, 2011 @ 07:12am

    Luckily, the social structure of the internet is such that as soon as something it is taken down, it will immediately be reposted everywhere. It will be reposted with the news "the US government doesn't want you to see this." Everyone and their mother will soon know about it. Think the Streisand effect on steroids.

    Personally, I had never heard of Puerto80 or rojadirecta before the US government took them down. I still don't care enough to visit their site, but at least I now know that if I really wanted to find direct streaming of sporting events, rojadirecta is where to look.

  • On the post: US Blocks Chinese Company From Contract Bid: Worried China Might Spy On US Just As US Spied On Others

    A Guy ( profile ), 18 Oct, 2011 @ 07:59pm

    I think you're forgetting that China already uses several means to block US competition in their country and elsewhere. This seems like an intelligent move on the US's part.

    In fact, I bet Chinese actions in the US/China dynamic is behind a lot of the political will to pass the asinine IP laws that are discussed here.

  • On the post: Righthaven Still Trying To Avoid Paying Any Legal Fees Of Those It Illegally Sued

    A Guy ( profile ), 17 Oct, 2011 @ 09:02pm

    I wouldn't be surprised if Right Haven operates week to week or month to month by cash infusions from Stephens Media and they are currently trying to figure out of it is more legally advantageous to quickly declare bankruptcy or pay up to avoid having a court ordered trustee see the full details of the arrangement.

    That's just my guess, but it sounds like them.

  • On the post: Does Google Have What It Takes To Be A Platform, Rather Than A Product, Company?

    A Guy ( profile ), 13 Oct, 2011 @ 08:33pm

    Google does search well. Other than that, I find their services lacking. I don't really like Gmail's interface, I don't know why, I just don't. Google docs is inferior to MS Office and Libre Office, though as a file sharing platform it's not too bad.

    If Google released a good set of API's I could change Gmail's interface to be more pleasing and others could start integrating more convenient office features into Google Docs.

    Android does show real promise. Maybe that is a good incubator for developing a more platform oriented service.

  • On the post: Hulu's Owners Unable To Find Idiots Willing To Overpay To Take Hulu Off Their Hands Before They Kill It

    A Guy ( profile ), 13 Oct, 2011 @ 08:21pm

    Well, at least it's comforting to see entertainment execs living up to expectations. They will stick their heads firmly back into the sand and shout "LALALA piracy LALALA. Help me government we cannot compete.(because we're dumb)" and nothing will change.

    Meanwhile, my viewing habits will not change other than one less (and usually inferior) source for entertainment.

  • On the post: Universal Backs Away From Planned $60 VOD Release Of Tower Heist

    A Guy ( profile ), 13 Oct, 2011 @ 03:45pm

    Seems like a sensible course of action for universal. People might actually go see their movie in the theater. No one was going to rent it for 60 bucks. That price is ridiculous and no one in their right mind would pay it.

  • On the post: Nintendo Thrilled To Have Game Copy Devices Found Illegal In France

    A Guy ( profile ), 07 Oct, 2011 @ 05:22am

    Re: But Honestly....

    I'll stick to my PC. I don't understand the draw of consoles at all.

  • On the post: Nintendo Thrilled To Have Game Copy Devices Found Illegal In France

    A Guy ( profile ), 07 Oct, 2011 @ 03:57am

    Wow, that is the really short sighted victory. People who mod their consoles at least pay Nintendo. The emulator scene has already beat the Wii, and every other Nintendo console.

    This is another case of punishing paying customers and doing nothing to stop those whom don't pay at all.

  • On the post: There's No Such Thing As 'Natural' Search Results; Search Results Are Inherently Biased

    A Guy ( profile ), 21 Sep, 2011 @ 01:34pm

    You're incompetent government at work...

    I have criticisms of Google, mostly revolving around user privacy and user information storage.

    However, whose business do these people think they are doing? It is certainly not mine. I like Google's search engine. I like the services they provide. If they start failing due to market competition then that's okay but we don't need these asshats helping to kill a company that's shown to be successful.

    Which competitor do you think decided to bribe our Congressmen to put Google at the top of their "regulate a successful business into the ground" hit list?

    I would bet Apple, but I wouldn't bet against Microsoft either.

    Asshats...

    "We don't have enough jobs, maybe we can take apart a competitive successful businesses to improve that situation"

    unbelievable...

  • On the post: Obama Administration Trying To Move Away From Allowing Countries To Ignore Patents To Save Lives

    A Guy ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2011 @ 02:14pm

    Well, you know what this means...

    Poor countries will have even less reason to care about these agreements. I doubt it will even make a difference most places.

    If the citizens of these countries have the technical ability and economic/political motivation, I fully expect them to give us the middle finger and do it anyway, as they should.

  • On the post: Are You More Or Less Likely To Change Your Mind When The Majority Disagrees With You?

    A Guy ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2011 @ 10:09am

    Re:

    Just to clarify...

    "Because I will sleep with you if you agree with me" (for some) and "Because I will give you a big pile of money if you agree with me" do qualify as self interest, but you have to state it explicitly instead of implying it through a ridiculous ad campaign.

  • On the post: Police Ticket Guy Who Helped Direct Traffic After Traffic Light Failure; Then Leave Without Handling Traffic

    A Guy ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2011 @ 09:45am

    Hmmm....

    Fire the police chief

  • On the post: Are You More Or Less Likely To Change Your Mind When The Majority Disagrees With You?

    A Guy ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2011 @ 09:43am

    Explain how and why your position is in my self interest and I will be convinced. Short of that, I'm not known for changing my stances because they usually already align with my self interest.

  • On the post: Are You More Or Less Likely To Change Your Mind When The Majority Disagrees With You?

    A Guy ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2011 @ 09:21am

    Re: Science is not done by show of hands.

    At least one 10 year study disagrees with your stance on whole grains.
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070509161030.htm

    Maybe the only benefit was the people consumed less of what was actually terrible for them and ate whole grains instead, maybe whole grains are inherently good for you. Either way there does seem to be a benefit for at least some people.

    And here's a paper that debunks your serum cholesterol stance with extensive citations.

    http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/81/5/1721.full.pdf

    I'm glad we have Google now. Just think, when that study was published it would have taken more than 15 min to debunk people with dangerous medical ideas.

    I didn't bother to look up statins. Someone else can... or not.

  • On the post: Full List Of Sites The US Air Force Blocked To Hide From Wikileaks Info; Includes NY Times & The Guardian

    A Guy ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2011 @ 09:04am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    I think the word you're looking for is paradoxical.

  • On the post: Full List Of Sites The US Air Force Blocked To Hide From Wikileaks Info; Includes NY Times & The Guardian

    A Guy ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2011 @ 07:53am

    It's the military. It doesn't have to make sense. They have complete autonomy to enforce any ridiculous draconian rule they want, and they do so at every chance possible. According to several of my friends whom have served, they cannot even criticize the President of the United States. I understand he's their boss but that seems to against everything this country is supposed to stand for.

    Personally, I don't understand why people want to give up their most basic freedoms to serve, but I'm glad they do.

  • On the post: Netflix: We're Sorry About The Huge Price Increase, So, Uh… Qwikster!

    A Guy ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2011 @ 07:11am

    After they ruin Netflix by imposing more ridiculous conditions and price increases on it, at least the dvd mailer service will still exist in the form of qwickster for those whom want it.

  • On the post: EMI: There Should Be No Safe Harbors For Pre-1972 Songs

    A Guy ( profile ), 08 Sep, 2011 @ 11:57pm

    Re: Re: Re: EMI

    me too... weird parsing error

  • On the post: EMI: There Should Be No Safe Harbors For Pre-1972 Songs

    A Guy ( profile ), 08 Sep, 2011 @ 10:58pm

    In Someone elses words

    I ran across this on Google. It looks aimed at the copyright termination act but parts seem to apply to this conversation too:

    11 Reasons a Federal Copyright does exist in Pre-1972 Sound Recordings.
    1) THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT
    Back in 1925 Congress had intended to create Federal Copyright protection, and just finally got around to it in 1972.
    .
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    2) Federal Law Supercedes State Law
    IF State copyright laws were meant to be their protection, then why bother passing the Federal protection..
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    3) Pre-1972 Labels and Music holders have been collecting for 14 years now from Soundexchange as FEDERAL Copyright Holders.
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    4) The Effective Date on the Law is not determinative of when it begins.
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    5) Determining that Pre-1972 artists did not have a Federal Copyright law would be Discriminatory...
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    6) Federal Copyright protection has been claimed for pre-1972 label owners in LOTS of sampling cases...
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    7) Federalism...
    Since Marbury vs. Madison... Federal law trumps state law...
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    10) If the CD registrations were just derivatives under the State Copyright.. then when they were registered with the Federal Government and given a FEDERAL Copyright registration number...
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    11) The Fixed Medium of a 78, 33, 45, 8-track are precisely what is required to establish a Federal Copyright... and that is clearly what is required under the Constitution and subsequent acts creating and defining Federal copyrights... And those rights are enforced repeatedly in Federal Courts... as others are excluded from creating competing or similar works ... To the exclusion of others the labels have exercised their Federal Copyright in Federal courts, in numerous cases.
    .
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    In conclusion,
    It is basically just intellectually dishonest to even argue that their isn't a Pre-1972 Federal Copyright.
    Why does the white Don Henley and the Eagles deserve to get back the rights to their Masters under a Federal Law, but the poor black doo-wop group doesn't? Is that really an equal application of our Federal Laws...
    and flies in the face of what was clearly intended.
    The greed of a select few corporations and special interests will invariably try and contort this issue and attempt to create a smokescreen economic argument to protect their interests. However, it is a real no-brainer to see that putting these copyrights back into the hands of he artists would have the greater positive impact on a larger number of people and help the struggling U.S. and World economies.


    I can back them up with formal Caselaw, Legislative History, and Public Policy arguments in a formal mem/brief...if so requested.
    But I think this reasoning is pretty strong.
    thanks again for your time and consideration on this issue.
    Joel Kellum, Esq.

    http://www.copyright.gov/docs/sound/comments/initial/20110131-Joel-Brian%20Kellum-2.pdf

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