Talmyr 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (2988) comment rss

  • On the post: Canadian News Outlet Warns Canadians That US Law Enforcement Officers Will Pull Them Over And Seize Their Cash

    Talmyr ( profile ), 17 Sep, 2014 @ 06:26am

    Re: Re: Oh puleeeze

    The difference is, if you are being shot at for speeding, you are in Switzerland.

    And no, I'm not kidding. Gun nuts' dream location...

  • On the post: Conan Doyle Estate Asks Supreme Court To Put Sherlock Holmes Back Under Copyright

    Talmyr ( profile ), 17 Sep, 2014 @ 06:18am

    Re:

    I think elements added in later stories may be under protection for a few years still. So if in a later story Holmes admitted a liking to polka dot curtains, and you mentioned this in your 'original' Holmes story, the estate may have room to sue you, although probably only over that small element - and would be incredibly Disney, sorry, petty of them.

  • On the post: Conan Doyle Estate Asks Supreme Court To Put Sherlock Holmes Back Under Copyright

    Talmyr ( profile ), 17 Sep, 2014 @ 06:14am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Final Shelocks Holmes copyright ends when?

    From Wiki:

    Works published or registered before 1978 currently have a maximum copyright duration of 95 years from the date of publication, if copyright was renewed during the 28th year following publication[39] (such renewal was made automatic by the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992; prior to this the copyright would expire after 28 years if not renewed). The date of death of the author is not a factor in the copyright term of such works.

    All copyrightable works published in the United States before 1923 are in the public domain;[40] works created before 1978 but not published until recently may be protected until 2047.[41] For works that received their copyright before 1978, a renewal had to be filed in the work's 28th year with the Library of Congress Copyright Office for its term of protection to be extended. The need for renewal was eliminated by the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992, but works that had already entered the public domain by non-renewal did not regain copyright protection. Therefore, works published before 1964 that were not renewed are in the public domain. With rare exceptions (such as very old works first published after 2002), no additional copyrights will expire (thus entering the public domain) until at least 2019 due to changes in the applicable laws.

    So it looks like most of the stories will be long out of copyright, with the later ones heading to 2025 - assuming they had the 28-year extension added (which is likely with Conan Doyle). His date of death only influences the most likely latest date of stories that he wrote, although it would be interesting to see what would happen if an unpublished one was 'found' and published now, or if someone took an incomplete story and 'finished' it.

  • On the post: David Letterman Mocks The Eagles Over Refusal To License Their Music

    Talmyr ( profile ), 17 Sep, 2014 @ 06:01am

    Re: This is so going to define my demographic...

    You may have to go hitch-hiling through the galaxy to find that one...

  • On the post: Be Happy: Software Patents Are Rapidly Disappearing Thanks To The Supreme Court

    Talmyr ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2014 @ 06:07am

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

    Again, you are being over simplistic thinking that 'pro-IP' only means people should have exclusive (and presumably total) control over imaginary property, even when said imaginings aren't automatically novel or unique.

    And it's an incredibly dumb argument to say that because he thinks bad IP is bad, he thinks all IP is bad. Logic, can you do it?

    That's equivalent to saying that because of witch-burnings or Crusades, all Christians are evil superstitious murderers.

  • On the post: CIA's John Brennan Refuses To Tell Senate Who Okayed Spying On The Senate

    Talmyr ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2014 @ 05:22am

    Re: Re: Seriously, is anyone surprised?

    If you are't a 'native American' you are not only an 'illegal immigrant' but probably a treasonous terrorist too. Just be glad your ancestors didn't get caught and sent to Australia.

  • On the post: Seattle Cops Crowdsourcing Legal Battle Against DOJ-Imposed Excessive Force Remedies

    Talmyr ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2014 @ 03:12am

    Re: Re: It's almost as if

    Yes, like lying about invading a sovereign country and causing megadeaths...

  • On the post: California Continues To Be Anti-Innovation: Tells Ridesharing Services That Carpooling Is Illegal

    Talmyr ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2014 @ 02:35am

    Re: Re:

    I would love to see their legal definition of hitch-hiking...

  • On the post: California Continues To Be Anti-Innovation: Tells Ridesharing Services That Carpooling Is Illegal

    Talmyr ( profile ), 16 Sep, 2014 @ 02:32am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: It is not ridesharing, it is transport for hire

    And then whine because people are needing to live on 'gubmint handouts'...

  • On the post: Ferguson PD Lies About Why It Released Videotape Of Store Robbery, Lies Some More When Confronted With The Facts

    Talmyr ( profile ), 12 Sep, 2014 @ 04:47am

    Re:

    Leaving aside your first paragraph, which is debunked quite happily in previous posts...

    If this was a hate crime, then it was by the trigger-happy (police) thug on the unarmed (black) man. Where have we seen this before, then defended like crazy by the rabid right?

    As for minorities supposedly being 'better' at than whites for hate crimes, aside from [Citation Required], I would say that it is likely that as they are oppressed much more than the 'poor' whites so are more likely to react to the endemic racism they face.

  • On the post: Former Head Of Australian Music Industry's Anti-Piracy Efforts Calls For An Infringement Small Claims Court

    Talmyr ( profile ), 12 Sep, 2014 @ 03:48am

    Re: Re:

    Ah, but this is infringement, not stealing. Why not use murder, arson or grand theft auto penalties - they are about the same level of closeness!

  • On the post: Fact Checking Is Dead: Mainstream Media Goes Nuts Repeating Debunked Claims By The Fake 'Inventor Of Email'

    Talmyr ( profile ), 10 Sep, 2014 @ 06:47am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Such as people shouting long enough that the Earth is only 6000 years old, which was disproved long ago, but some people would like to have that 'fact' ignored for their own superstitious reasons.

    Did you see the tizzies that the creationist organisations threw when they saw the recent Cosmos series with neil de Grasse Tyson? Quiet a bit like Ayyadurai 'complaining' about people not buying his made-up email history, because, you know, evidence.

  • On the post: Fact Checking Is Dead: Mainstream Media Goes Nuts Repeating Debunked Claims By The Fake 'Inventor Of Email'

    Talmyr ( profile ), 10 Sep, 2014 @ 06:43am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Dating anomolies

    Actually, we are a lot more sure of our dating methods than some (creationist-inspired) critics like to make out. Any scientist working with dating knows not to trust any one method blindly - the power comes when you can get matching results from multiple sources, and when we can test methods using other, different methods. The examples you 'quote' are known 'mistakes', such as people deliberately submitting the wrong type of sample for the wrong type of test - which of course will then give the wrong result! The only people who benefit from trying to put down radiometric dating are those anti-science people who would rather either deny humans can have an effect on the planet's climate, or who think the Earth is only 6000 years old.

    Scientists don't just randomly pick a 'theory' and vote on it - the agreement that a meteor strike took out the dinosaurs was based on years of painstaking searching, years of various tests, and a huge amount of actual evidence. I've watched the case build from a 'maybe' when I was a kid to 'pretty definite' now. Plus, the final, current view is slightly more nuanced - there were mass eruptions in India (Deccan Traps) at the same time that were already putting massive stress on the biosphere.

    Again, actual scientists are well aware that models are only that - but when various models not only agree with observations but can make testable predictions, they can be viewed with some confidence. But a lot of what we are discussing here is not based 'just' on models.

  • On the post: Heavy Metal Lyrics Posted To Facebook Result In Arrest For Terrorist Threats

    Talmyr ( profile ), 09 Sep, 2014 @ 01:54am

    Re: Re:

    I think that was the point of his comment...

  • On the post: George Lucas Wants Desperately To Preserve Old Movies… Unless They're His; So Fans Are Trying To Do It Instead

    Talmyr ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2014 @ 07:09am

    Re: Re:

    Just look at the BBC and old episodes of Doctor Who - it's one area they are desperate that there was 'pirating'!

  • On the post: ALS Association Tries To Trademark Ice Bucket Challenge, Despite Having Nothing To Do With It Originally

    Talmyr ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2014 @ 06:56am

    Re:

    Paul, in Britain we are donating to other charities. I'm in Scotland, so I donated to MND Scotland (http://www.mndscotland.org.uk/2014/08/ice-bucket-challenge-update/) but MND UK is at http://www.mndassociation.org/ if you wish to get involved.

  • On the post: DOJ Pretends No Fly Guidelines Haven't Been Leaked, Claims 'State Secrets' To Avoid Revealing Them To The Judge

    Talmyr ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2014 @ 06:54am

    Re: Re: Oh, it's coming

    That's enough with the Rethuglican fantasies...

  • On the post: As Expected, Aereo Pleads Its Case For Survival

    Talmyr ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2014 @ 02:39am

    Re: Re:

    You have a weird country.

  • On the post: As Expected, Aereo Pleads Its Case For Survival

    Talmyr ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2014 @ 02:36am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your an idiot Kenichi

    I look forward to seeing you railing at the content dealing/peddling companies for screwing over artists and actors, because 'the law' is that they should be fairly compensated, and MAFIAA shouldn't be 'dodging tax law' by using 'Hollywood' accounting.

    I'm waiting...

    crickets...

  • On the post: As Expected, Aereo Pleads Its Case For Survival

    Talmyr ( profile ), 01 Sep, 2014 @ 02:33am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your an idiot Kenichi

    Which is why they won every case up to the Supreme Court?

    Why do you hate the Free Market?

    Aereo are trying to provide a service following Whatever Idiocies the law requires, yet they are being penalised for trying to follow the law. They are trying to maximise user benefit and make a profit, like any good company should. Except for all the companies that you support, which are all apparently about turning the quickest buck while screwing over users and creators.

    This is censorship and destruction of disruptive innovation by corrupt law, plain and simple. If it were a genuine attempt to stop someone 'freeloading' then they would be happy to have Aereo compete while offering statutory fees. But it's not about that, it's about preventing Aereo offering a better service than anyone else can be bothered to do.

Next >>