Nicholas Weaver 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (47)

• On the post: Aaron Swartz's Last Project: Open Source System To Securely & Anonymously Submit Documents To The Press

  

  Nicholas Weaver ( profile ), 16 May, 2013 @ 09:32am

  Far easier ways...

  Technology is not the primary solution, good operational security (OPSEC) is.
  
  E.g. http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/05/listen-up-future-deep-throats-this-is-how-to-leak-to-the-press-today/
  is my discussion of the problem.

• On the post: According To MN State Auditors, Success In The Music Biz Means Signing With A Major Label; Not Touring

  

  Nicholas Weaver ( profile ), 01 May, 2013 @ 10:28am

  Re: Re: Not the whole story

  Also, for that ONE year, her taxes are more likely to be kosher. Even if its a hobby, but a hobby that makes money, you can write off the hobby's (legitimate, documented) expenses against the hobby's income. The problem arises from the schedule C loss in all the other years.

• On the post: According To MN State Auditors, Success In The Music Biz Means Signing With A Major Label; Not Touring

  

  Nicholas Weaver ( profile ), 01 May, 2013 @ 08:56am

  Re: Re: Not the whole story

  Profit in 1 year does not a business make. The IRS has a policy:
  
  The IRS presumes that an activity is carried on for profit if it makes a profit during at least three of the last five tax years, including the current year ? at least two of the last seven years for activities that consist primarily of breeding, showing, training or racing horses. (Citation).
  
  It generally sounds like the state auditor phrased things rather poorly, but someone who has been doing an activity and showing a loss for 9 years out of 10 is trying to write off their hobby on a schedule C, rather than a legitimate business.
  
  Overall, a good general rule: Don't show a loss on your schedule C, especially on a repeated basis.

• On the post: What Can Judge Wright Do To Team Prenda Tomorrow?

  

  Nicholas Weaver ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2013 @ 06:40am

  Actually, I'll bet that most show...

  Or at least the lawyers: Steele, Duffy, and Paul Hansmeier. From their point of view, its far less painful for them to attend.
  
  They tried their last minute "You have no jurisdiction" gambit, got bench-slapped for it hard, and Judge Wright in his writing has made it pretty clear that he wants those three in his courtroom, even if their lawyer won't accept service on their behalf.
  
  Thus they can either fly coach and turn up today or fly Con-Air and turn up for the next hearing.

• On the post: Verizon Steps In On Prenda Case; Says Brett Gibbs Never Informed Them Of Judge's Order Killing Subpoenas

  

  Nicholas Weaver ( profile ), 11 Mar, 2013 @ 12:36pm

  Re: Implosion

  Remember, a Supernova is an implosion

• On the post: Bizarre Legal Threat Of The Day: Confused Zoo Owner Threatens Popehat Over… Well… Just Read It

  

  Nicholas Weaver ( profile ), 04 Mar, 2013 @ 12:02pm

  THe payday loan links...

  The payday loan links means they were hacked. There are some VERY bad SEO operators who are injecting that S@#)(* around the web.

• On the post: Google Looks To Cut 'Funding' To 'Illegal' Sites It Doesn't Fund In The First Place

  

  Nicholas Weaver ( profile ), 19 Feb, 2013 @ 10:52am

  This is already done...

  Cutting off the credit card funding is how both the pharmaceutical spammers and "OEM Software" spammers have been largely driven out of business:
  http://www.cs.gmu.edu/~mccoy/papers/CCS12Priceless.pdf
  
  Google doesn't need to do this: the copyright holders need to do it. And they can. They just have to care enough to do so.