Extra Future[Engadget has the documentation][link]. I’d like to add my voice to the chorus of people decrying the use of “user interface” patents. This kind of thing can be pretty vile. For example, one of the patents is for:
>”Unlocking A Device By Performing Gestures On An Unlock Image,”
Which is absurd.
[link]: http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/02/apple-sues-htc-for-infringing-20-iphone-patents/ “Apple sues HTC for infringing 20 iPhone patents — Engadget”
As a result of the [recent court case against the site][case], they’ve [removed all torrents not registered on the site by the copyright holder][link].
[link]: http://blog.mininova.org/articles/2009/11/26/mininova-limits-its-activities-to-content-distribution-service/ “Mininova limits its activities to Content Distribution service at Mininova blog”
[case]: http://blog.mininova.org/articles/2009/08/26/mininova-considers-appealing-in-brein-case/ “ruling of the Court of Utrecht”
[A company called Volomedia was just granted a patent on “a method for providing episodic media.” and the EFF is tackling it.][link]
It walks like bullshit, talks like bullshit, and smells a whole lot like bullshit. The EFF is looking for examples of prior art (Prior to 19 November 2003).
[link]: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/11/eff-tackles-bogus-podcasting-patent-and-we-need-yo “EFF Tackles Bogus Podcasting Patent – And We Need Your Help | Electronic Frontier Foundation”
[Leaked from the secret meetings in Seoul][link]. It’s hard to view this as anything but an attempt by big business to employ government in propping up their busted-ass business models around the world.
[link]: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4510/125/ “Michael Geist – The ACTA Internet Chapter: Putting the Pieces Together”
[Disturbing news from the federal courts today][link], as a federal judge ruled that “government can obtain access to a person’s inbox contents without any notification to the subscriber.” which means anyone with a job in government can read your email without telling you.
Analysis at the link above, [here’s a PDF][pdf] of the actual ruling.
[link]: http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/11/02/1411252/An-Inbox-Is-Not-a-Glove-Compartment?from=rss “Slashdot Your Rights Online Story | An Inbox Is Not a Glove Compartment”
[pdf]: http://volokh.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Mosman.pdf “Federal Judge Michael Mosman’s ruling”
[From a functional standpoint, I am fine (even happy) with this, provided it kills asshole astroturfers dead][link]. From an ideological standpoint, I am pretty well against it. Either way, it’s an important moment in internet history. I wonder what effect this will have on Amazon reviews?
The first blog regulatory laws. Dang.
[link]: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/05/technology/AP-US-TEC-Bloggers-FTC.html?_r=1 “Bloggers Must Disclose Payments for Reviews – NYTimes.com”
[A light-hearted romp for the whole family][link].
>Since SWARTZ is the potential subject of an ongoing investigation, it is requested that SWARTZ not be approached by agents.
[link]: http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/fbifile “Wanted by the FBI (Aaron Swartz’s Raw Thought)”
[The author assumes that Kirby’s heirs will probably just end up with rights to royalties][link], which I can’t say I give a shit about it. Jack’s long gone.
[link]: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/in-wake-of-disney-marvel-deal-cartoonists-heirs-seek-to-reclaim-rights/?hp “After Disney-Marvel Deal, Cartoonist’s Heirs Seek to Reclaim Rights – Media Decoder Blog – NYTimes.com”
[You have to admire either their balls or their total disconnection from reality][link].
[link]: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/08/28/psystar_sues_apple_for_snow_leopard_exploding_iphones_update.html “AppleInsider | Psystar sues Apple for Snow Leopard; “exploding” iPhones update”
[Newsarama’s Jeff Trexler on what the recent guilty plea][link] of Christopher Handley in his “possessing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children and mailing obscene material.” case. Handley could be in jail for 15 years for owning some Manga. This is beyond not good.
[link]: http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/05/22/handley-comics-and-obscenity/ “Blog@Newsarama » Blog Archive » Handley, Comics and Obscenity”
[I’m sure the appeals process will be long][link]:
>Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde were found guilty of breaking copyright law and were sentenced to a year in jail.
>
>They were also ordered to pay $4.5m (£3m) in damages.
[link]: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8003799.stm “BBC NEWS | Technology | Court jails Pirate Bay founders”
I feel that their *attitude* didn’t help them with the judge. Google still indexes millions more torrent files than TPB ever could. Why no attack against them? See also: [Wired’s coverage][wired].
[wired]: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/04/pirateverdict.html “The Pirate Bay Guilty; Jail for File-Sharing Foursome”