Vincent Clement 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: According To WSJ, Google Not Just A 'Thief' But A 'Digital Vampire'

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 25 Jun, 2009 @ 08:58am

    Re:

    But there's no way to opt-out of Google news without opting out of indexing altogether

    Incorrect. Straight from Google News:

    "If you don't want your site to be included in Google News, please let us know and we'll remove it from our index.

    Keep in mind that the removal process normally takes a few days and that your articles already included in Google News will expire after 30 days."

    Says nothing about being removed from all indexes. Just the index for Google News.

  • On the post: How Can There Be Unauthorized Playing With Toys?

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 19 Jun, 2009 @ 03:39pm

    Violent scenes? Playmobil has sets that include cops and robbers, complete with guns. The business world has truly gone insane.

  • On the post: How Can There Be Unauthorized Playing With Toys?

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 19 Jun, 2009 @ 03:39pm

    Violent scenes? Playmobil has sets that include cops and robbers, complete with guns. The business world has truly gone insane.

  • On the post: If You Must Dig Up A Highway… You Might As Well Install Infrastructure For Fiber Optic Cables

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2009 @ 01:14pm

    Re: No! We can't have this!

    2) Surely some company has a patent on the conduit idea. It makes too much sense, why hasn't it been done before?

    Many large cities have conduits where various telecommunication and electricity providers run their cables. Sometimes, storm sewers are utilized to carry those cables.

    Yes, because running a pipe below grade must be a unique idea that no one has thought of in the past thousand or so years and is worthy of protection.

  • On the post: Andy Kessler: Piracy Happens, Get Over It

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2009 @ 06:09am

    Re:

    We have a winner.

    I can't count how many CDs and LPs I recorded onto Maxell tapes during the 70s and 80s, especially during my four years at university. It expanded my musical horizons.

    But during my university years, I visited the record store at least once or twice a week, usually buying something, sometimes based on the stuff I recorded on to the blank tapes.

  • On the post: Andy Kessler: Piracy Happens, Get Over It

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2009 @ 05:58am

    Re:

    The reality is that the cost of distributing digital goods is almost zero. So, yes, people (as in the demand side of the market) do have an expectation that it should be free or close to free.

    There is no business model when you clients are no longer playing

    Suggest you look at Google, Microsoft, Firefox, etc. They all offer free products and seem to be doing okay.

  • On the post: Andy Kessler: Piracy Happens, Get Over It

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 16 Jun, 2009 @ 05:29am

    Re:

    Except that bank robbers actually steal something, sometimes under the threat of deadly force. The owner of the thing that was stolen is deprived of its use.

    Downloading something does not deprive the original owner of its use.

  • On the post: Musicians Don't Need Venture Capitalists Any More

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 09 Oct, 2007 @ 05:49am

    Tim: I agree that Tyler overestimates the importance of the recording industry while downplaying the importance of the internet and buying music online.

    He may be a smart person, but Tyler seems confused when it comes to the recording and music industries. He called Radiohead an indie band despite having several platinum and multi-platinum records in the UK and despite being on a major record label.

  • On the post: Has Wal-Mart Lost Its Technology Edge?

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 09 Oct, 2007 @ 05:28am

    Re: Are You Kidding?

    Wal-Mart is in little danger of losing its dominance in the department store biz.

    It's that kind of thinking and arrogance that does large companies in. K-Mart, IBM and GM all used to be dominant. Things change, and they can change quickly.

    You'd be a fool to think a small player like Target or any similar are going to beat WM at the game they invented.

    Really? Last I looked Target reported much better growth numbers than Wal-Mart. Who is the fool?

  • On the post: Blu-Ray Glitches Illustrates DRM Pitfalls

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 06 Oct, 2007 @ 11:46am

    Re: DRM

    That's because some DRM/Copy protection schemes insert bad blocks that older DVD players have fits about it. My old APEX DVD player has issues with some newer DVDs - it skips around and sometimes pauses.

    It is so rewarding to pay for a DVD (Costco always has some good deals) and then be treated like a criminal for playing the DVD in an older DVD player. This just forces me to rip the DVD with all the crap removed.

  • On the post: Websites Still Designed For People Who Don't Use Them

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 29 Sep, 2007 @ 05:28am

    You mean like this: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/

    As best as I can tell, about 75% of the page is taken up by ads and other non-news items.

  • On the post: Small Companies Look To Move Antitrust Suits To Europe

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 25 Sep, 2007 @ 04:31am

    Re:

    At worst, Microsoft was found guilty of monopolistic behaviour. Semantics perhaps, but a slight difference that is important.

    As to Europe, well, anything American is an easy target. France has always looked at developing a French version of various Google services. Europeans are a funny bunch. Governments invest billions into Airbus, farm subsidies and so on, but have the nerve to file anti-trust suits against large American companies.

  • On the post: Even Movie Industry Execs Seem To Think The DMCA Is Unreasonable

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2007 @ 04:43pm

    Re:

    Think about the first thing that pops up when you insert a DVD? Ah yes, the good old Interpol and FBI warnings. Yes, the movies studios, instead of thanking you for spending your hard earned money on their product, want to remind you that they don't trust you and that copying is a punishable offence. What a way to treat customers.

  • On the post: Even Movie Industry Execs Seem To Think The DMCA Is Unreasonable

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2007 @ 04:38pm

    Re:

    I'm not for people en-masse bootlegging

    And the facts seems to support that most people do not engage in en-masse bootlegging. Most people just want to be able to make copies of their DVDs so that they can put the originals away, safe from prying hands. A few less people want to convert them to other formats (PSP, phones, PDAs, Divx/Xvid, etc).

  • On the post: Even Movie Industry Execs Seem To Think The DMCA Is Unreasonable

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2007 @ 04:31pm

    Re:

    It happens with or without DRM, so why would a movie studio or record company waste their money on something that does not prevent copying and only decreases the value of a product?

    The answer to your question is: You don't worry about preventing someone from making the content available online.

    Despite the availability of 'free' music and movies online, people still buy music and movies and the record and movie companies continue to make money. The summer box office wasn't too shabby. How much did Transformers take in?

  • On the post: Spying On Your Ex-Girlfriend Not Quite What Homeland Security's Database Is For

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2007 @ 04:21pm

    Re: Re: You Don't Know

    Must have been a 'liberal' jury in a 'liberal' court.

    /sarcasm off

  • On the post: Spying On Your Ex-Girlfriend Not Quite What Homeland Security's Database Is For

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 24 Sep, 2007 @ 04:20pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: You Don't Know

    So why don't you watch or read any of Rupert Murdoch's media properties or check out the multitude of right-wing blogs out there.

    It's quite telling that you would rather have laws protecting government employees not citizens from misguided prosecution.

  • On the post: What's More Important: Accurate Elections Or Fast Results?

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 20 Sep, 2007 @ 07:59pm

    Re: Weeks for a manual count ?

    You have to keep mind that in the US, you could be voting for any number of political positions during one election. You could be voting for the President, Senator, Congressperson, Governor, Sheriff, even the local dog catcher.

  • On the post: Playlist Patented… Everyone Sued… But Did Apple Pay Up?

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 17 Sep, 2007 @ 04:07pm

    Re:

    Many of these patent hoarders are lawyers.

  • On the post: Russia Cracking Down On Software Piracy… But Only On Gov't Critics?

    Vincent Clement ( profile ), 10 Sep, 2007 @ 09:49pm

    Putin is slowly returning Russia back to the good old days where you don't dare criticize the government, for fear of being arrested for breaking some law or tax evasion. One only has to look at Yukos and now Rosneft at what happens when you criticize or challenge Putin.

    So while the US government congratulates Russia on it's crackdown on piracy, they turn a blind eye to the abuse of power against those that dare criticize the government. I guess it fits with the whole 'your either with us or against us' motto.

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