Richard 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (30) comment rss

  • On the post: Amazon Announces It's Leaving Texas In Tax Dispute; Governor Blames Comptroller, Says He'll Fix

    Richard ( profile ), 14 Feb, 2011 @ 05:36pm

    Corporate Law Makers

    I have never had any issues with Amazon before, but this is yet another case of a major corporation creating/ bastardizing US Law to their own ends.

  • On the post: UK High Court Announces Judicial Review Of The Digital Economy Act

    Richard ( profile ), 11 Nov, 2010 @ 02:53am

    I had a response from the government when signing an on-line petition. The response was shitty to say the least:-

    http://www.hmg.gov.uk/epetition-responses/petition-view.aspx?epref=dontdisconnectus

  • On the post: Is It Legal For A UK Pub To Access A Greek Satellite System To Get Cheaper Football Games On TV?

    Richard ( profile ), 07 Oct, 2010 @ 08:28am

    Why can't they take it to the Monopolies commission in Brussels?

  • On the post: Another Smart Copyright Ruling In Spain: Google Not Liable For User Upload

    Richard ( profile ), 23 Sep, 2010 @ 02:44pm

    Leading the way

    Good to see that Spain getting this correct, just wish the rest of the governments would see the blatantly obvious.

  • On the post: Hey NY Times: Can You Back Up The Claim Of $200 Billion Lost To Counterfeiting?

    Richard ( profile ), 05 Aug, 2010 @ 09:02am

    Claims back-up

    She sent me a message on Twitter stating 'stephcliff

    @TheGift73 Happy to provide backup. Please e-mail me at sclifford at nytimes dot com.'

    So I asked her:

    'Dear Stephanie,

    Thank you for your reply on Twitter.

    Can you give any evidence to support the claim that you made in your article this past weekend that counterfeiting "costs American businesses an estimated $200 billion a year?" The figure seems ridiculously high?

    Could you also please state your sources.

    Kind regards,

    Richard'

    Still no reply 24hrs later and I doubt she will.
    Will keep you updated if she does.

  • On the post: Hey NY Times: Can You Back Up The Claim Of $200 Billion Lost To Counterfeiting?

    Richard ( profile ), 03 Aug, 2010 @ 08:33am

    Stephanie Clifford

    Good article. It really does get my goat when they just pick a random large figure out of the air for the shock effect. Journalists these days are getting really lazy, and reporters like her aren't helping those few out there who know what a real & true report is. Her Twitter username is @stephcliff I just linked her this piece, so let's see if she will give any hard evidence of her fact gathering.

  • On the post: More Law Firms Getting Into The Mass 'Pay Us Or We'll Sue You For Infringement' Business

    Richard ( profile ), 13 Jul, 2010 @ 08:28am

    ACS:Law Letter

    I recieved a letter from ACS:Law yesterday. I followed the advice by Beingthreatened.com and have also sent a copy of the letter to my MP and made a complaint to the SRA.
    The file that they alleged that I download was some acid house track for the 90's. I had to Google it to figure out what in the hell it was.
    I can categorically state that I have not nor would ever download anything like that, hence going by the book and sending my reply letter to them as advised by Beingthreatened.com and informing my MP.
    My MP has already read my email, sent about 3hrs ago and has told me that he will reply in full shortly.
    It's amazing that this company and all the others that are starting to practice this parasitic practice are allowed to continue to operate.
    Much more needs to be done about this and more people need to made aware about the practice of these firms. It worries me as to how many people have already just paid up due to intimidation.

  • On the post: As Hurt Locker Producers Sue Thousands For File Sharing… They Claim Free Speech Rights To Copy Story Of Soldier

    Richard ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2010 @ 07:24am

    Re: John Doe

    So if I make a mediocre film that costs me $100m to make and it only makes $20m at the box office because people didn't want to see it because it was, let's face it average at best; I can suddenly start running around like a headless chicken screaming, 'the pirates have stolen my earnings', or should I go back to the drawing board and make a better film next time round.
    Just because a film costs a lot of money to make, doesn't mean it's going to make a profit or even break even. If every film that was released did this then the worlds courts would be congested with dumb claims made by dumb people who make average run of the mill films.

  • On the post: As Hurt Locker Producers Sue Thousands For File Sharing… They Claim Free Speech Rights To Copy Story Of Soldier

    Richard ( profile ), 15 Jun, 2010 @ 08:12am

    Point?

    Why would they try and sue so many people? I understand that they are having a bit of a hissy fit for the film being a bit of a flop at the cinema, but why blame pirates? Seems like an excuse. If a film doesn't do well....we'll just blame it on piracy. Fucking morons.
    They can't honestly expect to make up for lost earnings for people not wanting to watch the film by suing people.
    If the film was any good then I'm sure a lot of the people who downloaded it would end up buying it on bluray/ DVD any way. I'd rather see a rough copy of a film first before deciding whether or not I thought it was worth spending £12 on a ticket and drink per person to watch it at the cinema.
    FYI I didn't download it, but watched it at the cinema and didn't think it was all that.
    There are plenty of films that do fantastically well at the box office and still get pirated, so blaming pirates for your film not doing well is just a piss poor excuse.
    I know people probably won't agree with me but that's just my own personal feelings on the matter

  • On the post: ACS:Law Keeps Sending Out More Threat Letters — Condemned By Politicians, ISPs And General Common Sense

    Richard ( profile ), 17 Mar, 2010 @ 06:27pm

    Baffling

    I am still amazed that this company is still able to send out these letters let alone the Law Society granting them permission in the first place to do so. Lord Lucas has shown great animosity towards them in The House which is a good thing as the little people rarely have a voice loud enough to be heard.
    I am glad that people are not just sitting back and taking this and I thank people like yourselves for keeping people updated about the situation and what is currently happening.
    It really wouldn't surprise me at all if Lord Mandleson didn't have something to do with these people or actually knows Andrew Crossley. (my assumptions and nothing to do with this site)
    I have come across a few people on Twitter and other places that have received a letter from this company and are clearly innocent as they are completely shocked at being threatened by a company they have never heard of for something they either haven't done or wouldn't have a clue how to it either. I just try to make them more calm by reassuring them that they aren't alone in this and pointing them to BeingThreatened.com and showing them articles like this.
    I think it's a disgrace for a firm to be allowed to get away with something like this whilst the government sit back and do nothing.