Chris 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (1771) comment rss

  • On the post: Sometimes It's Better To Just Let People Copy Your Content Than Deal With Licensing

    Chris ( profile ), 28 Mar, 2011 @ 08:34am

    Re: ok to steal, but... = license

    Agreed, I had this thought as well. You can't truly both offer up your content free of restrictions and then want to place restrictions on it.

  • On the post: Broadcasters To Sue Time Warner Cable For Making It Easier For People To See Their Shows & Ads

    Chris ( profile ), 28 Mar, 2011 @ 08:25am

    Re: Re: Re:

    I don't even think that was a strawman, since he didn't claim that overthrowing the government was the OP's argument, nor offer any argument to knock it down. I'm not sure what that was, honestly. Maybe a bizarre slippery slope?

    1. Abolish the FCC.
    2. ???
    3. Anarchy!

  • On the post: Judge Says The iPhone Didn't Violate Nokia's Patents

    Chris ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2011 @ 06:34pm

    You Know What They Say

    Those who live be government fiat, die by government fiat.

  • On the post: Should Have Known Better Than To Trust The NY Times: China 'Protest' Hangups Story Is Bunk

    Chris ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2011 @ 02:20pm

    Re:

    This proves that Mike is obviously a member of the Illuminati. Good catch! Now pass the tinfoil.

  • On the post: Should Have Known Better Than To Trust The NY Times: China 'Protest' Hangups Story Is Bunk

    Chris ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2011 @ 01:37pm

    Re: Re: A two-fer!

    +1

    Reminds me of a Shoe comic I kept around.

    Cosmo: Bartender, I'd like something cold and loaded with vodka!
    Bartender: Pal, have I got an ex-wife for you!

  • On the post: Should Have Known Better Than To Trust The NY Times: China 'Protest' Hangups Story Is Bunk

    Chris ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2011 @ 12:13pm

    But . . . but . . . journalism!

    If we don't all pay up now, we might have to get our news from sources not as thorough at fact-checking as the NYT!

  • On the post: Drop In P2P File Sharing Due To Limewire Shutdown A Pyrrhic Victory For The Recording Industry

    Chris ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2011 @ 10:32am

    Re: The music war is over...

    Streaming

    Don't worry, we have our lawyers working overtime to destroy this technology as efficiently as possible.

    - The RIAA

  • On the post: If AT&T Puts A Meter On Your Broadband, But That Meter Is Grossly Inaccurate, Is That Meter Really There?

    Chris ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2011 @ 08:42am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Need for government oversight

    Actually, the main cause of monopoly creation in a market is lack of government oversight

    I think, as Bastiat would say, you are not taking into account what is unseen. :)

    It's easy to point at big mergers and immediately conclude that markets always consolidate into large monopolies and that the government is the only thing that can stand in their way, but that doesn't take into account the wide variety of other ways that the government impedes or removes competition beforehand so that only the large companies are left. See: Regulatory capture.

    Usually, when people support regulation to "stick it to the big corporations", they only end up ensuring that only the big companies remain.

    "We're tired of these big corporations selling dangerous toys! We demand that every new toy go through a million dollars worth of safety testing before it can be sold! Also, why is Mattel the only toy company? Stupid market; all it creates are monopolies!"

  • On the post: If AT&T Puts A Meter On Your Broadband, But That Meter Is Grossly Inaccurate, Is That Meter Really There?

    Chris ( profile ), 25 Mar, 2011 @ 08:32am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Need for government oversight

    Hence the very next sentence: "The case you're describing only happens when the company has a monopoly".

    Government often strikes deals with these companies to allow only them in a particular area. This isn't a condemnation of companies as much as it is the government for removing the consequences for bad customer service.

  • On the post: FDA Suddenly Bans Drugs That Have Been On The Market For Decades

    Chris ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2011 @ 03:01pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: And!

    So your solution is to privatize it

    Yes. Third party companies would pop up to sign-off on (and possibly underwrite) drugs. If they screw up, they not only lose money in lawsuits, but also lose consumer confidence. If consumers don't trust that the validating company is testing the drugs properly, their label on the front of the bottle won't be of any value to the drug companies, who will go with someone else.

  • On the post: NY Times In Denial: Only Teens & The Unemployed Will Game The Paywall

    Chris ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2011 @ 02:48pm

    Re:

    So what you're saying is that they are ignoring the pirates, since they can't do anything about them anyway, and focusing on customers that want to pay them.

    First, spending $40 million to put up a paywall is hardly "ignoring pirates". Second, "focusing on customers that want to pay them" should include figuring out how to get those customers to want to pay them (i.e. giving them a reason to buy), and not just throwing up a toll booth and declaring victory.

  • On the post: If AT&T Puts A Meter On Your Broadband, But That Meter Is Grossly Inaccurate, Is That Meter Really There?

    Chris ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2011 @ 02:34pm

    Re: Re: Re: Need for government oversight

    Companies *have* to screw you over in every possible manner.

    Err, not if they want your repeat business they don't. The case you're describing only happens when the company has a monopoly and doesn't have to give a crap about customer satisfaction.

    However, the main cause of monopoly creation in a market is . . . the government.

  • On the post: If This Is 'Piracy' Then I Support Piracy

    Chris ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2011 @ 08:11am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    What you are admitting is that both sides have rights.

    Physical property rights, yes.

    I can invite you on my lawn to yell if I like. You can't go there alone.

    If a person uses their computer to send me a file, and I accept it, I am "on their lawn" by invite.

  • On the post: South Korea Wants To Mandate Everyone Must Install 'Security' Software To Prevent 'Zombies'

    Chris ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2011 @ 08:04am

    Re: Re: alternate OSes

    Running Linux should be considered running "security software."

    Only if you like living with a false sense of security. When users will click "Accept" on every popup that displays itself, no OS will save you.

  • On the post: Russia Won't Recognize The Pirate Party Because It Doesn't Like The Name

    Chris ( profile ), 23 Mar, 2011 @ 02:23pm

    Indeed

    I end up posting about IP a lot in various places, and I try very hard to use "copying" or "illegal copying" rather than "piracy", due to the ridiculousness of the comparison.

  • On the post: If This Is 'Piracy' Then I Support Piracy

    Chris ( profile ), 23 Mar, 2011 @ 02:10pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Freedom of speech applies to the government, not to individuals. I don't have the right to stand on your lawn and shout at your family as they walk by; neither do you have a right to post on TechDirt.

    That said, I wouldn't support getting rid of Anons. Some of them actually contribute and it's easy enough to mark down the trolls.

  • On the post: Should A Company Be Liable For What Its Affiliates Do?

    Chris ( profile ), 23 Mar, 2011 @ 07:43am

    Re: It's called agency law

    If you ask someone to do something and they do it wrong the liability falls on you if they believe that the actions were in the scope of what you directed them to do.

    I think the key section of that sentence is the last: "what you directed them to do".

    Also, "if [the affiliate] believes" is I think incorrect, as anyone can say they believed anything. I would think it would be what a court decides a reasonable person would believe in the same circumstance.

  • On the post: Should A Company Be Liable For What Its Affiliates Do?

    Chris ( profile ), 23 Mar, 2011 @ 07:41am

    Re: It's called agency law

    If you ask someone to do something and they do it wrong the liability falls on you if they believe that the actions were in the scope of what you directed them to do.

  • On the post: Should A Company Be Liable For What Its Affiliates Do?

    Chris ( profile ), 23 Mar, 2011 @ 07:36am

    Re: Re: Re:

    It can be very difficult to prove this kind of thing - so maybe not.

    Due process is hard. Better to just shoot first and not have to ask questions at all.

  • On the post: Patent System Gone Mad: Google Doodles Is Now Patented

    Chris ( profile ), 22 Mar, 2011 @ 01:22pm

    Re: CyanogenMod vs Google

    That didn't have to do with patents, I don't think. I think it was more along the lines of a trademark problem. Google didn't like that he was distributing files with Google's name all over it.

    Similar to how Mozilla is all about open source, but they still objected to (the browser now known as) Iceweasel using potentially-confusing trademarked items.

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