Boycott SOPA: There'a an [Android] app for that!
“Armchair activists now have a tool that can transport their SOPA protestations into the real world: Boycott SOPA, an Android app that scans barcodes and tells you whether an object’s manufacturer/publisher is a supporter of the much maligned Stop Online Piracy Act.” Read more…
(source: ExtremeTech)
New algorithm can predict red-light runners
“Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found a way to figure out when you’re likely to blow through that red light you’re fast approaching in your car. By analyzing a vehicle’s speed, deceleration, and proximity to the stoplight, the new algorithm can predict which cars will violate the most basic of traffic laws: red means stop.” Read more…
(source: CNET)
Rep. Lamar Smith: Idiot of the day!
Rep. Lamar Smith, the chief sponsor of the ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ (SOPA), has dismissed the opposition to SOPA as illegitimate and of minor importance.
WTF? Have you been paying attention at all to who opposes this bill?
AOL, Boing Boing, Creative Commons, Daily Kos, Disqus, Bay, Etsy, Facebook, foursquare, Google, Grooveshark, Hype Machine, Kickstarter, Kaspersky, LinkedIn, Mozilla, MetaFilter, OpenDNS, O’Reilly, Radar, Reddit, Techdirt, PayPal, Torrentfreak, Tumblr, Twitter, TechCrunch, Yahoo!, Zynga, Scribd, YCombinator, Wikipedia, Reddit, Namecheap, Petzel, ICanHasCheezburger, Quora Embedly, MediaTemple, CloudFlare, StackExchange, Github, Linode, Hostgator, Square, The Huffington Post, Craigslist, ESET, 4chan. Yeah, real light-weights!
(source: Digital Trends, TechCrunch)
Obama pledges to veto anti-net neutrality legislation
“The White House said Tuesday that President Barack Obama likely would veto upcoming legislation that would unwind net-neutrality rules the Federal Communications Commission adopted last year. “ Read more…
(source: Wired)
Why big media is going nuclear against the DMCA
“When Congress updated copyright laws and passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in 1998, it ushered an era of investment, innovation and job creation. In the decade since, companies like Google, YouTube and Twitter have emerged thanks to the Act, but in the process, they have disrupted the business models and revenue streams of traditional media companies (TMCs). Today, the TMCs are trying to fast-track a couple of bills in the House and Congress to reverse all of that.” Read more…
(source: Tech Crunch)
Piracy is NOT theft: Problems of a nonsense metaphor
“When talking about piracy the entertainment industry and politicians often use the term “theft.” This is a huge problem according to the Swedish sociologist of law Stefan Larsson. In his thesis ‘Metaphors and Norms – Understanding Copyright Law in a Digital Society,’ he explains that these metaphors are in part keeping the wide gap between people’s norms and the law intact.” Read more…
U.S. government also a villain in piracy act story
“Now that we’ve had a few days to digest the MPAA-backed Stop Online Piracy Act (PDF), can we all finally agree that the MPAA is evil and Hollywood wants the Internet to die? And then can we stop letting them write laws for us?” Read more…
(source: CNET)
Patriot Act turns 10, with no signs of retirement
“The USA Patriot Act, the law granting the government vast surveillance powers that was adopted in the wake of September 11, turns a decade old Wednesday. But despite its namesake of “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism,” the law seemingly is being invoked far more to target domestic crime than for fighting terrorism.” Read more…
(source: Wired)
(via uberhumor)
The brain on trial
“Advances in brain science are calling into question the volition behind many criminal acts. A leading neuroscientist describes how the foundations of our criminal-justice system are beginning to crumble, and proposes a new way forward for law and order.” Read more…
(source: The Atlantic)
‘Copyright trolls’ unite to prevent downfall of BitTorrent lawsuits
“A pivotal case that could mean the end of many mass-BitTorrent lawsuits is currently ongoing in a Virginia federal court. Labeling the pay-up-or-else scheme as a “shake down,” the judge wants to know why he should allow copyright holders to massively coerce people into paying huge cash settlements. Realizing the importance of the case, a fellow anti-piracy law firm has now joined in to protect its livelihood.” Read more…
(source: TorrentFreak)
The economics of (killing) mass-BitTorrent lawsuits
“While mass settlement lawsuits filed against alleged BitTorrent users have the potential to bring in millions in revenue, recent rulings in US District courts are going to severely cut into potential profits. Has the tide turned? It looks like a distinct possibility.” Read more…
(source: TorrentFreak)
98% of BitTorrent users in copyright shakedown filed in wrong jurisdiction
“After a major copyright settlement case featuring The Expendables was found to be fatally flawed last month, United States Copyright Group and client Nu Image dropped the case. Now, sidestepping an uncooperative judge in Columbia, the team are hoping to get more joy from one of his counterparts in Maryland, but they still haven’t learned their lesson. Tests by TorrentFreak reveal that 98% of 4,165 potential defendants in the case are being sued in the wrong jurisdiction.” Read more…
(source: TorrentFreak)
Umbrellas are now illegal in Seattle thanks to Mayor McGinn
“As basic human rights go, the right to take shelter under an umbrella is about as basic as it gets, especially in drizzly Seattle. It’s also a right that, at least for the Occupy Seattle protestors in Westlake Park, seems to have been revoked, thanks to Mayor Mike McGinn.” Read more…
(source: Seattle Weekly)
Google reports “considerable progress” in fight against piracy
“Last year, Google announced that it would begin censoring piracy-related terms from its Autocomplete and Instant services. Under intense pressure from United States music and movie companies, Google is continuing to take measures against piracy. Their latest report on the issue reveals that they have made “considerable progress” against online infringement and that they will deepen their efforts during the months to come. …”
“Rather than focusing purely on taking unauthorized content offline, they would seek to make it unfindable instead. As countries grapple with the various site blocking proposals currently sweeping the world, the music and movie industries have piled pressure on the site that helps people find content above almost any other – Google.” Read more…
(source: TorrentFreak)
