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Submission + - SOPA Talks To Resume In February (techdirt.com)

Submitted by
walterbyrd
walterbyrd writes: "For all the talk from some that SOPA was "dead," it appears it's alive and well and getting ready for its big re-entrance. Lamar Smith has just sent out a press release saying that he intends to resume the markup in February:"
Censorship

Submission + - Senator Rand Paul Promises PIPA Filibuster (ronpaulforums.com)

Submitted by
SonicSpike
SonicSpike writes: "WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the past several months, Sen. Rand Paul has opposed and led the charge against both the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Today, Sen. Paul issued the following statement.

“The Internet, as we know it, has had a profound impact on job creation, the global economy and prosperity. It has accelerated wealth creation and facilitated a more connected world. But the Internet’s development is based on the free flow of information, innovation, and ideas, not central government control,” Sen. Paul said.

“Both PIPA and SOPA give the federal government unprecedented and unconstitutional power to censor the Internet. These bills enable the government to shut down websites that it deems guilty of violating copyright laws. While we support copyright protections, we are also concerned about websites being shut down without their day in court, and making innocent third parties bear the costs of solving someone else's problems."

Sen. Paul concluded, “I will not sit idly by while PIPA and SOPA eliminate the constitutionally protected rights to due process and free speech. For these reasons, I have pledged to oppose, filibuster and do everything in my power to stop government censorship of the Internet.”"
Your Rights Online

Submission + - Supreme Court Says Congress May Re-Copyright Publi (wired.com)

Submitted by milbournosphere
milbournosphere writes: It looks like even public domain works aren't safe from copyright legislation. In a 6-2 ruling, the court said that, just because material enters the public domain, it is not “territory that works may never exit.”
In the majority opinion, Justice Ruth Ginsburg said “some restriction on expression is the inherent and intended effect of every grant of copyright.”
The legislation, [dissenting Justice] Breyer wrote, “bestows monetary rewards only on owners of old works in the American public domain. At the same time, the statute inhibits the dissemination of those works, foreign works published abroad after 1923, of which there are many millions, including films, works of art, innumerable photographs, and, of course, books — books that (in the absence of the statute) would assume their rightful places in computer-accessible databases, spreading knowledge throughout the world.”
As an editorial note, I find it interesting that 1923 is also the year the Walt Disney founded his company and started producing his works.
Google

Submission + - Microsoft can remotely delete Windows 8 apps (itnews.com) 3

Submitted by tripleevenfall
tripleevenfall writes: Microsoft will be able to throw a "kill switch" to disable or even remove an app from users' Windows 8 devices, the company revealed in documentation released earlier this week for its upcoming Windows Store.

"In cases where your security is at risk, or where we're required to do so for legal reasons, you may not be able to run apps or access content that you previously acquired or purchased a license for," said Microsoft in the Windows Store terms."If the Windows Store, an app, or any content is changed or discontinued, your data could be deleted or you may not be able to retrieve data you have stored," Microsoft said.

Both Apple and Google can flip such a switch for apps distributed by the iOS App Store and Android Market, respectively.
The Internet

Submission + - PIPA Co-Sponsor Drops Support for the Bill (facebook.com)

Submitted by Tiek00n
Tiek00n writes: Florida Senator Marco Rubio, one of the co-sponsors of PIPA, has dropped his support for the bill, and is encouraging co-sponsor Harry Reid to stop rushing the bill through congress. "As a senator from Florida, a state with a large presence of artists, creators and businesses connected to the creation of intellectual property, I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs. However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies." "Congress should listen and avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences. Therefore, I have decided to withdraw my support for the Protect IP Act."

Comment Re:Thus only punishing customers (Score 2) 383

by Drophet (#38556624) Attached to: Crysis 2 Most Pirated Game of 2011
Exactly.
I purchased two copies of Skyrim on November 11, 2011. One for the PC, and one for the PS3 (For the kids) - Bethsoft got my 130 bucks to add to their 600+ million in sales.
I still have the PC copy in it's package in my desk drawer... and have been playing the non-Steam version of Skyrim since NOVEMBER 10th.
I had been planning on purchasing Skyrim since announcement and I did this only to avoid the mandatory Steam installation. To date, I have never played any games on Steam - the requirement of any third-party program to "allow" me to play what I purchase will only encourage this behaviour in the future as well. I have also managed to avoid the buggy patch issues that plague so many as well. I will patch my game when there is a good, stable, non-game-breaking patch available. :)
Yes, I know the arguments for and against Steam (or other "services" like it)... I have made my choice. Cheers!
Apple

Submission + - Apple gain patent for blindingly obvious (theregister.co.uk)

Submitted by downundarob
downundarob writes: According to The register Apple have been granted patent 8,046,721 “A device with a touch-sensitive display may be unlocked via gestures performed on the touch-sensitive display. The device is unlocked if contact with the display corresponds to a predefined gesture for unlocking the device. The device displays one or more unlock images with respect to which the predefined gesture is to be performed in order to unlock the device. The performance of the predefined gesture with respect to the unlock image may include moving the unlock image to a predefined location and/or moving the unlock image along a predefined path. The device may also display visual cues of the predefined gesture on the touch screen to remind a user of the gesture.”
Entertainment

Submission + - Dark Tower Getting the HBO Treatment (hbowatch.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: At a release event for the new movie, ‘Tower Heist’, producer Brian Grazer revealed that Stephen King’s Dark Tower, a project plagued by budged issues and long awaited by fans all over the world, will be produced on HBO.

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