Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

from the care-to-comment dept

This week, our first place winner on the insightful side is Toom1275 with a response to Universal Music's copyright claim over a public domain song:

And this is the kind of thing that is accurately described by the term "copyright theft" - using copyright as an excuse to steal the work of others.

In second place, it's Thad with a simple response to Macmillan's war on libraries:

Pirates, as always, are unaffected.

For editor's choice on the insightful side, we start out with an anonymous comment that delivered an important update to the Macmillan story:

KCLS boycotts Macmillan Publishers’ eBook embargo

KCLS is the King County, Washington Library System. It has 50 libraries and serves more than one million residents.

KCLS boycotts Macmillan Publishers’ eBook embargo

Effective November 1, 2019, the King County Library System (KCLS) will no longer purchase newly released eBooks from Macmillan Publishers . . .

King County in Washington state, includes a large portion the Seattle metro area. KCLS is, however, a separate system from the Seattle Public Library (SPL). Nevertheless, KCLS is one of the busiest public library systems in the U.S., and in 2018

For the fifth year in a row, KCLS was named the top digital circulating public library system in the country, with 4.8 million checkouts of eBook and audiobook downloads– a 23 percent increase over 2017.

Next, we've got Bloof responding to the latest failed attempt at suing for defamation over being called a racist:

Well, if there's one thing we all know by now it's that filing and losing a lawsuit over being called a racist is a surefire way to get people to stop calling you one, and surely isn't going to get the fact you're known for being a racist douchebag repeated across the internet until the end of time.

Seriously though, if you don't want to be called a racist douchebag, stop being racist douchebags. It's not hard, the vast majority of humanity manage to live their lives without making monkey noises and smashing watermelons to taunt African Americans.

Over on the funny side, our first place winner is Stephen T. Stone responding to that same lawsuit, and specifically to the argument that the behavior wasn't racist, it was a reference to the movie Castaway:

This is so much of a reach that it could be one of Dhalsim’s moves in a Street Fighter game.

In second place, it's an anonymous response to various silly proposals about hobbling libraries' use of digital materials to preserve some "original purpose":

The purpose of libraries is not to cut down trees and store paper. It is to store stone and clay tablets.

STOP INNOVATING TOO QUICKLY

For editor's choice on the funny side, we start out with an anonymous response to the notion that Universal Music's takedown of public domain material is okay because the notice only says it "may" contain unauthorized material:

It also "may" have turned him into a newt.

And finally, we've got Stephen T. Stone with a response to someone who suggested Twitter aim to filter out "someone who cannot read, write, speak in complete sentences, or express coherent thoughts":

How dare you suggest Twitter do something about @dril.

That's all for this week, folks!

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Reader Comments

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  1. icon
    ECA (profile), 17 Nov 2019 @ 12:44pm

    Modal Verb(knew there had to be a verb for this)

    A modal verb is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality – that is: likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestions, order, obligation, or advice. Modal verbs always accompany the base (infinitive) form of another verb having semantic content.
    In English, the modal verbs commonly used are can, could, may, might, must, will, would, shall, should, ought to, had better, "have to" and sometimes need or dare.

    epistemic modality, concerned with the theoretical possibility of propositions being true or not true (including likelihood and certainty)
    deontic modality, concerned with possibility and necessity in terms of freedom to act (including permission and duty)
    dynamic modality,[2] which may be distinguished from deontic modality in that, with dynamic modality, the conditioning factors are internal – the subject's own ability or willingness to act[3]

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 17 Nov 2019 @ 2:56pm

    Wow...

    An ECA post that's actually readable. Ah, it's entirely a copy and paste job. That explains why the only derp is in the subject line.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 17 Nov 2019 @ 4:12pm

    Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Libraries

    Speaking of updates to the story…

    As Macmillan declares its war against libraries and library readers — has anyone heard news whether authors are eager to sign on as footsoldiers and cannon-fodder in this combat?

    That article linked Macmillan's letter to authors, but have authors written back to the corporation? Do authors march forward, yelling, “Hooray for embargo!” ?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    That One Guy (profile), 17 Nov 2019 @ 4:46pm

    Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Libraries

    Given the greed and combative nature of the publisher I imagine most authors signed to them are keeping their heads down lest they incur some 'contract re-negotiations'.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    Federico (profile), 18 Nov 2019 @ 12:39am

    Re: Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Libraries

    It would be interesting to contact all eligible authors to suggest that they exercise their right reversion, like:
    https://www.authorsalliance.org/2019/11/12/rights-reversion-opening-classic-works-to-new-globa l-audiences/

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2019 @ 6:38am

    Re: Re: Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Librar

    It would be interesting to contact all eligible authors…

    Following along the lines of That One Guy's suggestion, the Macmillan corporation, under the leadership of its CEO John Sargent, may issue strict decrees to all its troops against any ‘fraternization with the enemy.’

    You don't want any authors shot, do you?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2019 @ 7:07am

    Famous writers and artists are millionaires because of copyright. The bitter ones, who never made it, can't stand this and blame the "industry" for doing exactly what makes those who succeed wealthy. The talent gets paid UP FRONT when they deserve to, so their work can't be "stolen" as they have the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, etc. protecting their employment rights.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2019 @ 7:34am

    Re:

    Famous writers and artists are millionaires because of copyright.

    Wrong, famous authors and artists are millionaires because their work resonated with an audience, and lots of people bought it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    Stephen T. Stone (profile), 18 Nov 2019 @ 9:05am

    Famous writers and artists are millionaires because of copyright.

    Piracy exists. Writers and artists still make money despite that fact. Copyright isn’t nearly as important to financial success as you claim, and you’d have to do one hell of a job in convincing me otherwise.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2019 @ 9:44am

    The bitter ones... [was Re:

    The bitter ones, who never made it, can't stand this and blame the "industry"

    “The industry” being there always, in the thoughts of the bitter ones, the Hollywood-Military-Industrial-Library-eReader complex.

    To give “the industry” its full due. In all its cold electric complexity. The bitter ones never made it there.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2019 @ 9:49am

    Re: The bitter ones... [was Re:

    Go back to bed. You're sleep-posting again.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    ECA (profile), 18 Nov 2019 @ 12:13pm

    Re: Wow...

    But those are the words we look for, or tend to find with there is a chance that you are going to be Upset/screwed...
    Ever read Legalese as a programming language?? Love all the flaws..

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    Marko Webber (profile), 18 Nov 2019 @ 12:40pm

    Yes so it's fine...

    So the skills gets paid more soon or more later when people are deserved and able to receive that. So I agree with everything you said. By the way I don't saw any sentece related to any racist behavior so don't worry.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2019 @ 5:19pm

    Re:

    So since you never made it, you're bitter? Thanks for own-goaling yourself again, John Smith.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    Federico (profile), 19 Nov 2019 @ 4:05am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Li

    Considering that for 87 % of professional writers (in UK) their main source of income is something other than writing, and a large majority get negligible amounts in royalties, statistically there is a very high chance that any author you write to has nothing to lose rom their publisher getting angry at them.
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jun/27/publishers-pay-writers-pittance-philip-pullman-a ntony-beevor-sally-gardner

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2019 @ 4:28am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Agains

    Authors have something significant to lose if their publishers go to war against them, and that is the availability of their published works. If they are working on a series, do they continue with it if their publisher has withdrawn earlier volumes from the market?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. icon
    Wendy Cockcroft (profile), 19 Nov 2019 @ 7:15am

    Re: Re:

    Correct, it's a popularity thing, not a rental thing.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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