Violynne 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Copyright Office Boss Admits Copyright Law Is Broken And Needs A Rethink… But Still Focused On Bad Ideas

    Violynne ( profile ), 21 Mar, 2013 @ 03:43am

    I hate to say it (no I don't) but "I told you so".

    No one who is in a leadership capacity regarding copyright has a clue about it. Hell, as she said, if we need a bunch of lawyers to figure it out, then how does she expect us to believe she has it figured out?

    I also want to mention a little rub here, as it's been bothering me for a long time.

    If TD wants to separate out the differences between the public's interest and the creator, then too it should focus on the fact consumers and advertisers are one in the same.

    We're the ones who pay for the commercial, so if a works is "bought" by advertising, such as the Superbowl, then by all rights we "own" it since we paid for it.

    This means we should fear no legal recourse for streaming, posting, copying, or hell, enjoying the Superbowl since we paid our "licenses" via advertising.

    Otherwise, we're all going to be sitting around going "how do we fix copyright when we can't even figure out how to define all the participants?"

    Because if you really think about it, everyone is in the public domain.

    To fix copyright can be done by including three simple words: WORK. FOR. HIRE.

    You know, like the rest of the world does it.

    Copyright just instills false entitlement that an author should have the right to earn money from a movie over the book he wrote, because they forget the movie is the ad for the book.

    Hell, even I bought Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" after I saw "Blade Runner".

    Prior to this movie, never heard of him.

  • On the post: Will People Trust Google's New 'Note' Keeping Service After Reader Shutdown?

    Violynne ( profile ), 21 Mar, 2013 @ 03:32am

    Reader isn't the only thing Google has shut down over the past few years. As other comments noted (hey... a pun!), Notebook was also removed.

    So was "my Google", which allowed us "apps" on our own custom home page.

    No, I do not trust this or any other service by Google.

    If I can't store it locally to my machine, I don't use it.

    This doesn't apply to just Google, but any "cloud" service.

    To me, "cloud" is just a synonym for "DRM".

    What difference does it make if it's lost in time.

  • On the post: Super Meat Boy Developer To EA: DRM Hurts Your Bottom Line More Than Piracy Does

    Violynne ( profile ), 20 Mar, 2013 @ 09:30am

    Re: Re: Re:

    DRM for housing is called the HOA.

    Don't pay the HOA and you lose your house.

  • On the post: Rep. Gohmert's Record For Stunning Technological Ignorance Is Broken By… Rep. Gohmert

    Violynne ( profile ), 20 Mar, 2013 @ 11:48am

    Gohmert Pyle.

    I like it. Reminds me of the TV icon who was also just as dim witted.

    And he's in Congress?

    I will start sleeping with both eyes open, now.

  • On the post: Super Meat Boy Developer To EA: DRM Hurts Your Bottom Line More Than Piracy Does

    Violynne ( profile ), 20 Mar, 2013 @ 07:05am

    As much as I'd like to agree, I still don't believe the DRM was about limiting piracy, but a first step into removing a consumer's right to resale.

    EA really, really hates Gamestop, falsely believing every sale the wonderful second-hand store gets should be going to them. After all, they made it, so entitlement seems to be expected.

    This is another problem EA fails to understand. If it wasn't for those cheap games, I wouldn't be buying the full price sequels today.

    One thing for sure is this: EA does make some great games, and I'll defend them here. But I will never pay full price for their games until they fix this problem.

    Gamestop gets my money, because they still treat me like a gamer.

  • On the post: How Hollywood's Own Pirates Must Inform The Future Of Copyright

    Violynne ( profile ), 19 Mar, 2013 @ 07:47am

    Re:

    " This is from a lawyer working within the movie industry."
    Makes you wonder, doesn't it, that if Universal had not lost its case against Sony, if this lawyer would have his job today.

    Some of the points he made I can see, but this is coming from a regime that's been hell bent on suing everything out of existence and I don't see any light at the end of the Hollywood tunnel.

    For that light, I rely on those who are doing the digging.

  • On the post: Supreme Court Gets It Right In Kirtsaeng: You Can Resell Things You Bought Abroad Without Infringing

    Violynne ( profile ), 19 Mar, 2013 @ 10:46am

    Yo, Costco! You may want to take this information to the courts and shove the issue up Omega's rear end!
    ;)

  • On the post: EA's Troubles Keep Getting Worse: Big Security Flaw Discovered In Origin Platform

    Violynne ( profile ), 19 Mar, 2013 @ 06:38am

    EA's troubles can not get any worse. The company's been at the bottom of the barrel for years now.

    Saying it's worse is like saying a flat tire is worse because someone stuck a nail in it.

    The only way to fix the problem is to change it.

    I don't see that happening, even as the CEO bails while pulling on his golden parachute rip cord.

  • On the post: Maxis: Your Reward For Buying Our Horribly Launched SimCity Is The Previous, Better Version Of It

    Violynne ( profile ), 18 Mar, 2013 @ 05:43pm

    Re: Re:

    ROFL. Now I understand your post. :)

  • On the post: Maxis: Your Reward For Buying Our Horribly Launched SimCity Is The Previous, Better Version Of It

    Violynne ( profile ), 18 Mar, 2013 @ 10:52am

    Haven't you figured it out yet? The execs at Maxis are role playing as the mayor!

    They're trying to do what we would do as mayors: tell the complaining citizens to shut the hell up and throw money at the problem in the hopes the community builds for a wonderful future.

    Just wait until Godzilla shows up. Then things really get nasty.

  • On the post: Bad Move: Google Removes AdBlock Plus From Google Play Store

    Violynne ( profile ), 15 Mar, 2013 @ 07:00pm

    Over my many years of life on this mudball, I've learned some important lessons. One of them is when a company reaches $1B in revenue, they turn on the very consumers who helped them achieve their goal.

    Google's motto needs an update to "Be Evil", dropping the "Don't". It's clear their definition of "evil" is not the same as their millions of users of their products and (annoying) services.

    Google is just paving the way for someone else to take its place.

    If a site doesn't let me use ad-blocking software, it's a site I don't want to visit.

    As far as ads/content goes, I enjoyed the ad Ford made which allowed us to play with a few of their cars. You can pretty much build it how you want, without having to visit their website.

    Now that's a useful ad and, if done right, I wouldn't block these types of ads.

    So learn from it, Google.

  • On the post: More Details On Copyright Office's Suggestions On Copyright Reform; Some Good, Some Bad

    Violynne ( profile ), 15 Mar, 2013 @ 04:52pm

    Well, Maria, it looks as though you just killed off your cushion job at the MPAA or RIAA by suggesting copyright terms be reduced.

    Oh well. No worries, though, because the next head of the copyright office will make damn sure the MPAA/RIAA draconian demands undo what you're proposing.

    Copyright is broken and these notes only prove it's not going to be fixed in my lifetime.

  • On the post: Surprise: Register Of Copyrights Expected To Call For Reduction In Copyright Term

    Violynne ( profile ), 15 Mar, 2013 @ 10:41am

    If there's someone in the copyright office proposing changes, I'm not confident the changes will be good.

    It doesn't help to see the talks start off with "rolling back" terms which are still much too excessive for the current age of digital distribution.

    Moreso, the last time someone from the copyright regime proposed a change, everyone else got screwed.

    The copyright office gets a vote of "No Confidence" from me, though by doing so, I may have unleashed a fate worse than what we have now.

  • On the post: How Much Does It Cost To Win Election To Congress?

    Violynne ( profile ), 14 Mar, 2013 @ 10:39am

    Someone told me that once a senator leaves office, those campaign contribution, I mean bribes, are taken with them on exit.

    Thank goodness our Congress isn't so corrupt as to make this little piece of information scary.

    I'm going to sob myself to sleep tonight.

  • On the post: How Much Does It Cost To Win Election To Congress?

    Violynne ( profile ), 14 Mar, 2013 @ 10:36am

    Someone once told me if a senator is voted out of/leaves office, this is money they get to keep.

    Son of a bitch am I in the wrong [censored] job. >:[

  • On the post: Warner Bros. Lets Veronica Mars Crew Prove Demand For A Movie Via Kickstarter

    Violynne ( profile ), 14 Mar, 2013 @ 03:43am

    Warner Bros., et al, should be following closely just how fans pay for content.

    Simply give them what they want, and damn, look at all the money flowing out.

    I should also point out that, when I contributed yesterday, several of the $1000+ packages were already sold out.

    Thanks, Hollywood, for proving you treat everyone as criminals first, customers second.

    Go, Rob! Can't wait to see the movie. I'll bring the popcorn!

  • On the post: Disappointing: Tim Berners-Lee Defends DRM In HTML 5

    Violynne ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2013 @ 10:42am

    Re: OVERLOOKING that purpose of HTML5 is ADVERTISING.

    ootb, your post is filled with more crap than what Taco Bell leaves us after a meal.

    If you really believe this, I've some stock aluminum foil I'd like to sell to you at a discount.

  • On the post: Disappointing: Tim Berners-Lee Defends DRM In HTML 5

    Violynne ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2013 @ 10:16am

    My two cents, so take them with a grain of salt.

    I do believe TBL understands the role DRM plays, but in order to push HTML 5, he's probably coming to a compromise.

    This new version has been on the back burner far too long, and it's all because DRM isn't included for the embedded streaming.

    In my opinion, I hope HTML 5 is forever stalled if it means accepting DRM.

    There should be absolutely no compromise regarding DRM and the internet. Ever.

    So get this through your head, Dodd.

  • On the post: Maxis Insider: EA Lying About Needing Servers For Single Player SimCity

    Violynne ( profile ), 13 Mar, 2013 @ 06:59am

    This is a company that's hell bent on destroying the second-hand gaming market, and every purchase helps them succeed.

    Thanks, gamers.

    Next, they'll be whining why they can't sell their games back to GameStop after playing them.

  • On the post: 7-Year-Old Student Suspended For Waving Around A 'Gun' Made From A Pastry

    Violynne ( profile ), 07 Mar, 2013 @ 12:11pm

    Rather than craft their fingers into a gun, these kids should start crafting a "bird".

    Schools today are nothing short of prisons. I truly feel sorry for kids today.

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