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Patents

Submission + - Five Things Every Software Developer Should Know (saperlaw.com)

Submitted by BBrown
BBrown writes: Saper Law Offices, the same Chicago law firm that has been mentioned here twice before for their successes against the RIAA, has posted a blog article on the legal issues surrounding software development. The article, titled "Five Things Every Software Developer Should Know", gives a concise but informative legal tutorial on patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. Definitely a must-read for anybody involved in a small or personal business doing software development.
Privacy

Submission + - How to Stop Pirates: Ask Nicely

Submitted by BillGatesLoveChild
BillGatesLoveChild writes: When Trey Harrison found his music lighting software 'Salvation' had been pirated, he was taken aback. Being an Independent Software Developer, there wasn't much he could do. So he contacted the Warez Group and asked them nicely. They wrote back and said sorry, that they at least hoped more people got to see it and that in accordance with his wishes, they wouldn't release it again.

But what of the Anti-Piracy tool "Armadillo Software Passport" that was supposed to have protected Trey's Software? Unlike the Pirates who responded straight away, Trey says he never heard a peep back from Armadillo. Seems the Pirates have better "customer support" than the Anti-piracy agents!

Of course, "Ask Nicely" may not work for the RIAA who as Orson Scott Card's famous essay pointed out have perhaps irreversible ill-will due to their history of ripping off artists and consumers and buying off Congressmen. But for smaller companies and independents, perhaps it's worth a try? There's even hope for the industry heavies. Mark Ishikawa of Anti-P2P Company BayTSP says 85% of people he sends a gentle warning on behalf of the MPAA "do not come back, with no headlines and no public relations blowups."

Could a softly-softly approach work better for IP owners that heavy-handed threats and lawyers?
Privacy

Judge Orders TorrentSpy to Turn Over RAM 726

Posted by Zonk from the i-do-not-think-that-word-means-what-you-think-it-means dept.
virgil_disgr4ce writes "In an impressive example of the gap of understanding between legal officials and technology, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian 'found that a computer server's RAM, or random-access memory, is a tangible document that can be stored and must be turned over in a lawsuit.' ZDNet, among others, reports on the ruling and its potential for invasion of privacy."
The Courts

Submission + - No anonymity for Colorado P2P defendants (internetcases.com)

Submitted by
Pablo Saga
Pablo Saga writes: "From Internet Cases: Finding that the RIAA and other record companies might not get access to precious data including the names, addresses and MAC address of unknown defendants in a new file sharing case, a federal court in Colorado has allowed the service of a special subpoena on Qwest so that the defendants can be tracked down. Colorado file sharers beware!"
Music

Submission + - Internet Radio royalties absurdly high (idobi.com)

Submitted by idobi
idobi writes: If there's any doubt that the RIAA's royalty for internet radio is insanely high, applying the rates to a single terrestrial station shows that it would collect $1.4 billion from that station alone. If soundexchange were able to collect royalties from a single internet radio station the size of KROQ in Los Angeles, it would be equivalent to 12% of the $11.51 billion in US music sales in 2006.
Software

Submission + - Encrypted & Private File-Sharing Thrives in Eu (gigatribe.com)

Submitted by
johnarama
johnarama writes: "We've seen lots written about file-sharing apps such as Kazaa and eMule, and even more about the sue-happy RIAA lawyers trying to make up for declining CD sales by collecting fines from unsuspecting downloaders. What we haven't read much about, however, is the new trend of encrypted file-sharing, which keeps all file-transfers out of the radar and lets downloaders exchange with each other without having to look over their shoulder! One such product, GigaTribe ( http://www.gigatribe.com/ ), quietly introduced in the US last December, and already adopted by over 400,000 registered users, lets users exchange files with each other within small, private communities of friends. The advantage of this sort of file sharing is that users know each other and are less likely to download infected or mislabeled files. The disadvantage of course, is the smaller selection of files to choose from. Such private and encrypted file sharing has grown quite common in Europe, and may be the next big thing in the US unless players like Kazaa and eMule can figure out a way to hide those generous users who are inviting the world to copy their music collections."
Enlightenment

Submission + - RIAA After Innocent Woman's 10yr old

Submitted by
cyberscan
cyberscan writes: "http://p2pnet.net/story/11878 The hate that has been generated against the Recording Industry of America by the Recording Industry of America seems to be well-earned. As part of its attack on Tanya Andersen, 43, a disabled mother living off medical benefits, it is trying to depose her 10 years old daughter, who was by the way, 7 at the time of the alleged infringement. I guess that since her mother has the audacity to deny the charges, the RIAA decides to go after her kid. The readers' comments says it all."
Music

Submission + - New twist in Santangelo case

Submitted by
newtley
newtley writes: "US district judge Colleen McMahon, who's hearing the Big Music file sharing charges levelled at Patti Santangelo, says she can move for an order of dismissal with prejudice and, "The Court has the power to entertain such a motion, and to grant it on whatever terms and conditions the Court deems appropriate." The last thing the RIAA wants is for the case to be heard. If that happens, they'll have not only to defend their position, but prove it, and so far, they've managed to avoid that, instead using the media to judge close to 20,000 men, women and children, finding them guilty of the non-existent crime of file sharing without having to go anywhere near a court, a jury or a magistrate. Now Santangelo, who's on record as saying she wants her case to go to trial so she can clear her name and get on with her life, and her lawyer, Jordan Glass will have to think deeply about their next step."
Music

Submission + - Copyright Royalty Board threats internet radio

Submitted by Mike89
Mike89 writes: On March 2, 2007, The CRB approved royalty rates that will bury any small webcaster, and create a heavy burden even for big broadcasters like Yahoo, AOL Music and Pandora. How high will these rates be? Around 100% of a small webcasters revenue, give or take a few points, in most cases. How did this happen? The RIAA told the CRB thats what they wanted, and the CRB just gave it to them. Save Net Radio has information on ways you can help stop this.
Music

Submission + - Open Dialogue With the RIAA

Submitted by Gates82
Gates82 writes: The University I attend holds an annual Security Awareness Week and this year the RIAA is going to be there for an "open dialogue". Is it worth the time to sit through an event like this to hear the slander from the horse's mouth? Given the opportunity what questions would you ask to the beloved association.
The Internet

Submission + - Milwaukee says NO to RIAA

Submitted by
neuron2neuron
neuron2neuron writes: "Recently, the University of Wisconsin (based in Madison, WI) announced that it would not forward on threatening letters from the RIAA to its students. Now, some of the other schools in the system are going along with it in what can only be seen as a setback to the recording industrys thuggish policies. More at http://torrentfreak.com/milwaukee-says-no-to-riaa/ "
Space

Submission + - Sole Survivor of Heaven's Gate Cult Speaks

Submitted by whatevski
whatevski writes: Today is the 10th anniversary of Hale-Bopp's closest pass by Earth, when the members of the Heaven's Gate cult killed themselves wearing matching black jumpsuits and Nikes. Remember them? Seems like so long ago. Turns out there was one survivor of the cult, and he broke a long silence to give the LA Weekly an interview. He's still a true believer, and is even trying to sell a screenplay that he and his fellow cult members started writing 10 years ago. The article also has embedded video excerpts of DO and his follower's "exit statements" that they recorded before they "exited their vehicles" to move on to "the Next Level." Spooky, but fascinating.
Robotics

Journal Journal: Mini-Grand Challenge Organized by UK University

Journal by jtogel
At Essex, we have for some time been working on automatically learning how to race cars in simulation. It turns out that a combination of evolutionary algorithms and neural networks can learn how to beat all humans in racing games, and also come up with some quite interesting, novel behaviours, which might one day make their way into commercial racing games. While this is simulation, the race is now on for the
User Journal

Journal Journal: IDIOTS: Outing the Idiots of the World 10

Journal by eno2001

So. Yesterday morning I'm walking to work. I get to the intersection of two major roads. The lights change and I get my "WALK" sign. As I start crossing the crosswalk, this stupid woman in a white SUV begins to make a left turn from the adjacent street onto the street I'm crossing. If she didn't stop, she would have hit me. But as it is, she's blocking traffic on the street she's turning from by being halfway in the crosswalk and directly in the path of oncoming traffic. I've seen this happen

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