Rather than heavy-handed and open-ended regulations that stifle the Internet, we need a statute offering clear and enduring rules that balance innovation and investment for all parts of the Internet ecosystem.
I think this is the biggest part of the problem right here. Senator Thune is conflating "the Internet" with "Internet service providers." Given their long history of abusive behavior, yes, we absolutely do want to "stifle" them as much as possible, for the good of the (actual) Internet!
the fact that, whatever else one might want to say about President Trump, his administration is certainly active, meaning there is much more about which to leak.
This has long been one of my observations about American politics: Democrats are, generally speaking, well-meaning but ineffective, whereas Republicans really know how to get things done, but the things they get done tend to be horrifying!
Coca-Cola has built a large business on their branding. The "secret formula" to Coke isn't all that secret; you can find it floating around the Web easily enough.
The true "secret" to the flavor is that they use coca leaf extract with all the actual cocaine removed, and of course the government is not all that keen on letting people import it. (Unless of course you're Coca-Cola and can invoke "whoever has the gold makes the rules.") So it's very difficult for anyone else to replicate the exact taste.
I think part of it is perception. Google provides a valuable public service, whereas Uber seems to be engaged in a full-out sprint lately to see how fast they can reach, and then surpass, Comcast levels of corporate evil in the public eye. When you go supporting them over Google in a straight-up corporate espionage case in which (assuming the allegations are correct of course) they are clearly in the wrong, just because something something patents something something, it looks really bad.
Remember the good old days, when trade deals were so boring nobody even cared they were happening?
I certainly don't! I was in middle school when NAFTA happened and I still remember the uproar from people predicting the problems it would (and eventually did) end up causing.
What’s more, the German government has a long, sad history of using Article 103 to silence people who criticize foreign despots like the Shah of Iran and Chile’s Augusto Pinochet.
Now, I don't know enough about Pinochet to speak on the subject, but by all accounts he was a pretty rough guy. I do know that the Shah of Iran doesn't deserve to be spoken of in his company.
The problem with assassinating the character of someone in living memory is that there are still people around who remember them. For example, my mom lived in Iran under the Shah, growing up. (My grandfather was an engineer doing contract work there at the time.) She and her sisters have a lot of happy memories of that time, because the Shah was building Iran into the sort of place where Western, Christian girls could feel safe. He was improving opportunities for women in his country, he was reducing the oppressive influence of Islam on society, and he was making education more widely available.
Whatever his personal faults may have been, his agenda as a leader was to make Iran a more civilized place, and he was actually succeeding! Right up until the Islamist barbarians overthrew him, that is, plunging the country into a totalitarian hellhole that it has still not recovered from.
Lots of interesting links in the first paragraph, but the one thing I didn't see is any link to information about the process for submitting a comment. That would be quite useful; I'm sure a lot of Techdirt readers have something to say on the subject.
Of course he's pro-consumer. You just have to understand the subtleties of it. He (and the companies he represents) are pro-consumer, just like a wolf is pro-sheep: they'd be in a really difficult spot without them!
Then there's the thing about "hackers." There's more than one type of hacker,
No, there really isn't. That's a bit of pointless culture-warring from the FSF over something that's already been settled in the public consciousness decades ago. A hacker is a computer criminal, and that's the only thing anyone associates with that term, outside of a very small band of folks who might as well be still fighting the Civil War for all the good it does.
Even "ethical hackers" (ie. pentesters and security researchers) are people who do the same things as hackers (break into computer systems) but with authorization or for good purposes rather than nefarious ones.
Please bear in mind that a rule of thumb is neither absolute nor always accurate. What it is is something that is generally understood to be a good first-order approximation.
This should be a no-brainer--if it's your property, it's your property, period--but in a world in which DRM is legally protected, anything goes.
Again, the DMCA is the root from which all digital copyright abuse springs in modern times, and we need to recognize this.
When a weed grows in your garden, you can cut it off above ground, and then deal with it when it grows back again and again and again... or you can uproot it and then you're done with it. If we want to make any real progress pushing back against copyright abuse, we need to uproot it by repealing and reversing the abusive DMCA that allows for takedowns on accusation alone and DRM that tramples on fundamental property rights. Otherwise, people will just continue to build upon it further.
Wow, is Quake still a thing? I actually had no idea.
The one I generally hold up as an exemplar in this discussion is Neverwinter Nights. Published in 2002 (not quite as old as Quake, but 15 years is nothing to sneeze at) and still selling today, because they published a powerful set of mod tools along with the game and actively encouraged the creation of a mod community.
On the post: Prenda's John Steele Pleads Guilty, Admits To Basically Everything
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Tears for the loss of a national icon
On the post: Senator Thune Begins Pushing A 'Net Neutrality' Bill That's Likely To Kill Net Neutrality
I think this is the biggest part of the problem right here. Senator Thune is conflating "the Internet" with "Internet service providers." Given their long history of abusive behavior, yes, we absolutely do want to "stifle" them as much as possible, for the good of the (actual) Internet!
On the post: State Dept. Memo To End Leaks Promptly Leaks To The Media
This has long been one of my observations about American politics: Democrats are, generally speaking, well-meaning but ineffective, whereas Republicans really know how to get things done, but the things they get done tend to be horrifying!
On the post: Disappointing To See Google's Waymo Sue Over Patents
Re: Re: Re: Re: Why protect trade secrets by law?
The true "secret" to the flavor is that they use coca leaf extract with all the actual cocaine removed, and of course the government is not all that keen on letting people import it. (Unless of course you're Coca-Cola and can invoke "whoever has the gold makes the rules.") So it's very difficult for anyone else to replicate the exact taste.
On the post: Disappointing To See Google's Waymo Sue Over Patents
Re: Re: Yeah, I don't get your point here, Mike.
I think part of it is perception. Google provides a valuable public service, whereas Uber seems to be engaged in a full-out sprint lately to see how fast they can reach, and then surpass, Comcast levels of corporate evil in the public eye. When you go supporting them over Google in a straight-up corporate espionage case in which (assuming the allegations are correct of course) they are clearly in the wrong, just because something something patents something something, it looks really bad.
On the post: Judge Blocks California's IMDb-Targeting 'Ageism'' Law, Citing Free Speech Concerns
Re: Re: Re: Of Course It's IMDB's Fault
On the post: In Latest Twist To The Global Trade Deal Saga, EU Now Looking To Fill The Gap Left By US In Exiting TPP
I certainly don't! I was in middle school when NAFTA happened and I still remember the uproar from people predicting the problems it would (and eventually did) end up causing.
On the post: Techdirt's Readers Kept This German Comedian Out Of Prison
Now, I don't know enough about Pinochet to speak on the subject, but by all accounts he was a pretty rough guy. I do know that the Shah of Iran doesn't deserve to be spoken of in his company.
The problem with assassinating the character of someone in living memory is that there are still people around who remember them. For example, my mom lived in Iran under the Shah, growing up. (My grandfather was an engineer doing contract work there at the time.) She and her sisters have a lot of happy memories of that time, because the Shah was building Iran into the sort of place where Western, Christian girls could feel safe. He was improving opportunities for women in his country, he was reducing the oppressive influence of Islam on society, and he was making education more widely available.
Whatever his personal faults may have been, his agenda as a leader was to make Iran a more civilized place, and he was actually succeeding! Right up until the Islamist barbarians overthrew him, that is, plunging the country into a totalitarian hellhole that it has still not recovered from.
On the post: Why The DMCA's Notice & Takedown Already Has First Amendment Problems... And RIAA/MPAA Want To Make That Worse
On the post: If New FCC Boss Ajit Pai Is So 'Pro Consumer,' Why Does The Telecom Industry Need To Pay People To Say So?
On the post: Former RIAA Executive Attacks Fair Use
Hey MPAA dude, you know what's the simplest way to create "a wealth of accessible cultural artifacts"?
Stop making them harder to access! That's how.
On the post: Apple Says Nebraska Will Become A 'Mecca For Hackers' If Right To Repair Bill Passes
No, there really isn't. That's a bit of pointless culture-warring from the FSF over something that's already been settled in the public consciousness decades ago. A hacker is a computer criminal, and that's the only thing anyone associates with that term, outside of a very small band of folks who might as well be still fighting the Civil War for all the good it does.
Even "ethical hackers" (ie. pentesters and security researchers) are people who do the same things as hackers (break into computer systems) but with authorization or for good purposes rather than nefarious ones.
On the post: T-Mobile Not So Subtly Hints That It Wants To Disrupt The Cable TV Industry
On the post: Court Says Google Has A First Amendment Right To Delist Competitor's 'Spammy' Content
Re: Re:
On the post: Court Says Google Has A First Amendment Right To Delist Competitor's 'Spammy' Content
Experience teaches that this is not a bad rule of thumb. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility!
On the post: Apple Wants To Stop You Fixing Your iPhone And iPad: Source Says It Will Testify Against 'Right To Repair' Legislation
Re: Re:
On the post: Apple Wants To Stop You Fixing Your iPhone And iPad: Source Says It Will Testify Against 'Right To Repair' Legislation
This should be a no-brainer--if it's your property, it's your property, period--but in a world in which DRM is legally protected, anything goes.
Again, the DMCA is the root from which all digital copyright abuse springs in modern times, and we need to recognize this.
When a weed grows in your garden, you can cut it off above ground, and then deal with it when it grows back again and again and again... or you can uproot it and then you're done with it. If we want to make any real progress pushing back against copyright abuse, we need to uproot it by repealing and reversing the abusive DMCA that allows for takedowns on accusation alone and DRM that tramples on fundamental property rights. Otherwise, people will just continue to build upon it further.
On the post: Comcast, AT&T Are Paying Minority Groups To Support Killing Net Neutrality
Re: Re: Re: just ONE of the reasons...
On the post: Comcast, AT&T Are Paying Minority Groups To Support Killing Net Neutrality
Re: just ONE of the reasons...
On the post: Counterpoint: As Denuvo Lauds Its Weeks-Long Control, 20 Year Old Game Still Selling Due To Its Modding Community
The one I generally hold up as an exemplar in this discussion is Neverwinter Nights. Published in 2002 (not quite as old as Quake, but 15 years is nothing to sneeze at) and still selling today, because they published a powerful set of mod tools along with the game and actively encouraged the creation of a mod community.
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