Just claiming you're a service provider doesn't always cut it. I think ultimately, the service provider should have some responsibility for the action of its users if it's service is not completely "generic". For example, bit torrent sites are like a search engine, but you can't say they're like google because their services is 99% illegal downloads. If I open a "service" to allow my users to hack into CIA computers, you think they would care if I'm only a service provider?
People can use legal jardon all they want, in the end, that's why we have a jury system so people can use common sense to determine a case. If a service is intended to provide ways to by-pass security, then craigslist has some ground for argument.
On a side note, related to the ad-skipping service, what if those site now change their ad page to say "please login with "FREEPASS" to see the next page? Then if the ad-skipping program automatically enter the password for the user to skip to next page, would that consider as by passing security? With capchas, they clearly "display" the pass code needed to continue, so what's the difference?
Clearly, I don't know which side I'm on... but I'm enjoying the conversation here.
We may be overlooking the intentions of these ideas, which were meant to be helpful.
We allow patents so individuals can log their ideas so they work on implementing it and not worry about someone else steal it and beat them to the punch. Helpful? I would say yes.
Something like a patents marketing allows one to sell their ideas so they can see fruition of their ideas even when they don't have the resource to implement it, and yet still get some monetary compensation for coming up with the idea. Helpful? I would say yes.
No doubt, there are people/companies that are abusing the system that had good intentions. We're seeing how they are abusing it, can't we figure out a way to stop the abuse instead of trashing a system that is suppose to help the individual inventors? (and patent it :)
Why would people consider writing derivative work being creative? If you're so creative, create your own fictional world and show us. I just think using someone else's idea (and fame, usually) to write a derivative work is just lazy and trying to cash-in the original author's success. Copy right law is fostering creativity here by encouraging original ideas, instead of having 100+ Harry Potter parody because someone think they have a better ending.
On the post: Craigslist's Dumb Lawsuit Against Spam Tools Provider
piratebay was providing services too
People can use legal jardon all they want, in the end, that's why we have a jury system so people can use common sense to determine a case. If a service is intended to provide ways to by-pass security, then craigslist has some ground for argument.
On a side note, related to the ad-skipping service, what if those site now change their ad page to say "please login with "FREEPASS" to see the next page? Then if the ad-skipping program automatically enter the password for the user to skip to next page, would that consider as by passing security? With capchas, they clearly "display" the pass code needed to continue, so what's the difference?
Clearly, I don't know which side I'm on... but I'm enjoying the conversation here.
On the post: Bad Ideas: Trying To Build Patent Marketplaces
intentions
We allow patents so individuals can log their ideas so they work on implementing it and not worry about someone else steal it and beat them to the punch. Helpful? I would say yes.
Something like a patents marketing allows one to sell their ideas so they can see fruition of their ideas even when they don't have the resource to implement it, and yet still get some monetary compensation for coming up with the idea. Helpful? I would say yes.
No doubt, there are people/companies that are abusing the system that had good intentions. We're seeing how they are abusing it, can't we figure out a way to stop the abuse instead of trashing a system that is suppose to help the individual inventors? (and patent it :)
On the post: What's Wrong With Paying Homage To A Literary Classic By Writing A Sequel?
Re: creativity?
On the post: Visa Accidentally Charges People $23 Quadrillion
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