Australia did a "Free Trade Agreement" with the US in 2005 and suddenly our copyright law expanded by 20 years plus they almost killed our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
So excuse me if I feel like saying "Fuck You" to the American corporations and government. Don't worry, Americans, I say it to ours too!
As much as I see your point, that's what Naxos CD's tried to do: Find and record as much "obscure" music as possible, ironically locking it up under copyright as they release them. So they're simultaneously released and locked up?
Why, for example, is there copyright on old television shows? Specifically black and white television shows. Not many channels seem to play them. Sure, I see "I Love Lucy" all the time, but not many others.
Take, for example, "The Honemooners", copyrighted to a company that collapsed in 1956, some 58 years ago. What about "Green Acres", yes, in colour, I know, but it is made by Filmways, another company that hasn't existed since 1983, some 31 years.
Now you can't possibly convince me that these shows (and many others) need to be under copyright. They were going to make any money they were going to make many years ago. A vast majority of the cast are dead and the crew long since retired if still alive.
I guess the UN hasn't yet realized that countries have been routing around it for years and years. Decades even. I mean, all these treaties and international agreements that go around the UN, makes the UN seem pretty irellevant nowadays.
It strikes me that taxi owners are upset because they think Lyft and Uber, etc, are competing taxi services. They are not taxi services. They are carpooling services. Now there are a lot of similarities, obviously, but one is a taxi service and the other is not. For example, if you need a taxi now, you can get a taxi sent to you now. You can't do that with Uber or Lyft, etc. Their service can only be pre-arranged, often days in advance, not minutes in advance. They are different things.
Hollywod and Microsoft are two very different things, of course. One is has way more money than sense,is capable of influencing millions, hates piracy, siezes domains, blames Google for the drop in sales, constantly makes new versions of old things that nobody really wants whilst charging way too much for them..... And the other one is Hollywood!
(Why does Microsoft blame Google for a drop in sales? Google Docs vs Office and Android vs Windows Mobile, of course)
This content is not available in your country so you might as well pirate it because then you might actually get it before hell freezes over. Besides, why would we want your money? Crappy little Australian Dollars.
I don't know about America but the situation in Australia is that taxi drivers have to hold a taxi driver's license, the car has to be registered as a taxi (with signage, I assume) and all public liability insurance paid up. When you break it down, with fuel, it can cost $150 per day to run a fully licensed taxi car. That's just one vehicle.
The state government determines the amount that is charged by each taxi car. The amount usually goes up by a fewq cents per year. It is currently around AU$2 per kilometre (roughly AU$3.30 per mile). I do not know how much the state government gets in fees and charges from the taxi's owner but I assume they take some.
So far Uber is ssetting up in Australia and taxi drivers are concerned that they'll loose fares and thus money. They won't loose it all because people often take taxis on a whim and you can't use Uber for that. But so far the government hasn't said a thing. Either that or the Australian media doesn't care. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. I say give it time.
Let's face it, the government (of any country) will never stop spying on us because they can spy on us so they more than likely will. Is it right? No. But they'll do it anyway. Why should they stop (in their minds, at least).
Our current government, rumoured to be a world wide joke, is doing everything they can to screw us over at the moment. Not only have they de-funded almost all enviromental programs, they removed the position of Minister For Science from the portfolio of government.
They are claiming we are broke as a country (which is probably very true) but then commision a report, that cost millions, to try to find sollutions to the problem, but commission it from big business owners who conclude that the best thing to do is freeze the minimum wage and cut services to welfare, hospitals and schools whilst increasing taxes but not taxes on the rich, only on low and "middle" income earners.
Our federal budget will be out next Tuesday and you will hear Australia moaning collectively from wherever you live in this world as everything is being cut except government salaries and military spending.
This push for three strikes on internet or internet censorship is actually one of our least concerns at the moment and it is still a big concern. But in the grand scheme of things, it is actually quite low on the agenda for most Australians at the moment.
By the way, shortly before the election, it was announced that the government would filter the internet. The backlash was fast and servere. The policy was retracted within hours. But I don't think it was ever really retracted, it was just denied then they stopped talking about it publically.
Also, our prime minister is pushing the TPP like mad and has already signed trade agreements with Japan and China, claiming they will be good for Australia but then only releasing the details after signing, of course, leaving no room for discussion then ignoring any discussion anyway.
15 years ago, I had this idea to make a kiosk that was connected to a central server with every song ever recorded on it. And the idea was, custom CD's. You pick your songs, chuck in your money and return after several minutes to get your freshly burned CD-R. Then my idea went nowhere. Bandwidth in those days sucked. Hard drives weren't big enough. And, besides, the record companies probably wouldn't do it anyway. I mean, what if you only picked two songs from EMI, six from Sony, three from Universal and one from Warner: I bet they'd argue over who gets what? So idea good, execution non-existant, I got nothing, I don't care!
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Not Surprised
So excuse me if I feel like saying "Fuck You" to the American corporations and government. Don't worry, Americans, I say it to ours too!
On the post: This Week In Techdirt History
Re: humor
On the post: Defending The Indefensible: Hilarious Talking Points On Ridiculous Copyright Terms
Television
Take, for example, "The Honemooners", copyrighted to a company that collapsed in 1956, some 58 years ago. What about "Green Acres", yes, in colour, I know, but it is made by Filmways, another company that hasn't existed since 1983, some 31 years.
Now you can't possibly convince me that these shows (and many others) need to be under copyright. They were going to make any money they were going to make many years ago. A vast majority of the cast are dead and the crew long since retired if still alive.
On the post: UN Report Says Mass Surveillance May Violate International Law
The UN Says So? How cute!
On the post: Lyft Announces NYC Launch, Taxi Commission Declares It Illegal Hours Later
Taxi Services
On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
I'm Ripping Off Craig Ferguson?
(Why does Microsoft blame Google for a drop in sales? Google Docs vs Office and Android vs Windows Mobile, of course)
On the post: New Study Shows Legal Music Services -- Not Fear Of Harsh Copyright Laws -- Reduce Illegal File Sharing
Australia
On the post: Corrupt State Index: Virginia DMV Orders Uber And Lyft To Stop Operating Immediately
Taxi Fees
The state government determines the amount that is charged by each taxi car. The amount usually goes up by a fewq cents per year. It is currently around AU$2 per kilometre (roughly AU$3.30 per mile). I do not know how much the state government gets in fees and charges from the taxi's owner but I assume they take some.
So far Uber is ssetting up in Australia and taxi drivers are concerned that they'll loose fares and thus money. They won't loose it all because people often take taxis on a whim and you can't use Uber for that. But so far the government hasn't said a thing. Either that or the Australian media doesn't care. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. I say give it time.
On the post: Popular Wiretapping Tool Used By Law Enforcement Includes Backdoor With Hardcoded Password
On the post: Popular Wiretapping Tool Used By Law Enforcement Includes Backdoor With Hardcoded Password
Password
On the post: Data On 'Six Strikes' Suggests Little Real Impact
Re: Enforced
On the post: Privacy Rights Group Files Legal Challenge To GCHQ's Extensive Hacking Activities
Let's Face It
On the post: Awesome Stuff: Bottoms Up!
Trademark?
On the post: WIPO Boss Reappointed Until 2020, Despite Bogus Legal Threat Against Blogger
Why?
On the post: Australia's Attorney General Ignores All Evidence And Experts: Decides To Obey Hollywood's Commands On Copyright
Australia's Government (by an Australian)
They are claiming we are broke as a country (which is probably very true) but then commision a report, that cost millions, to try to find sollutions to the problem, but commission it from big business owners who conclude that the best thing to do is freeze the minimum wage and cut services to welfare, hospitals and schools whilst increasing taxes but not taxes on the rich, only on low and "middle" income earners.
Our federal budget will be out next Tuesday and you will hear Australia moaning collectively from wherever you live in this world as everything is being cut except government salaries and military spending.
This push for three strikes on internet or internet censorship is actually one of our least concerns at the moment and it is still a big concern. But in the grand scheme of things, it is actually quite low on the agenda for most Australians at the moment.
By the way, shortly before the election, it was announced that the government would filter the internet. The backlash was fast and servere. The policy was retracted within hours. But I don't think it was ever really retracted, it was just denied then they stopped talking about it publically.
Also, our prime minister is pushing the TPP like mad and has already signed trade agreements with Japan and China, claiming they will be good for Australia but then only releasing the details after signing, of course, leaving no room for discussion then ignoring any discussion anyway.
On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
Re: I know it's too late to be this weel's funny, but
On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
I know it's too late to be this weel's funny, but
HOW TO FIX HEARTBLEED:
.
On the post: A Look Back In Techdirt History
Huh
On the post: NSA Spied On Human Rights Watch And Amnesty International
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Sad Laughter
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