OCRemix initially made a kickstarter for an FFVI music remix. Initially they ran into legal issues with Squaresoft, but apparently sorted that out and then successfully funded the second incarnation.

If a third-party can successfully garner funds and create a prototype, I wonder how many of the big entities would be willing to license such projects for a cut of the profits at the end?

And yet... funded at $504 (of $500).
Maybe people felt it was easier than donating directly to help the guy out, but still...

If you add Battlefield 3 to the PS4, would that increase PS4 adoption? That's not likely, but bringing out Uncharted 4 probably will.

I mean adding a *new* title, possibly as an exclusive title (at least exclusive for the first while).

Something in the currently melting polar ice caps, perhaps. If it (or a chemical that breaks down into it) are in there in some form, they could be getting released as the ice melts.

This is what used to happen in the West, when companies were similarly unrestrained by legislation

Maple Leaf Meats. Deepwater Horizon. Exxon Valdez. Mount Polly Mine. Tepco.

I'd say that the East and the West do a fairly shitty job of enforcing regulation. You can have all the legislation you want but lack of enforcement or monitoring = fail. The West would like to point fingers at China but frankly we've been chasing profits at the expense of health+safety just as much.

Work uniform? If you're in Canada, then the answer is yes (actually, they supply it and you get a stipend for cleaning etc).

Well, it certainly wouldn't be a DCMA complaint, unless you've got the copyright on small members (or signs to small members, perhaps)?

Most likely it would be considered a form of harassment, possibly libel.

In the case of a search engine and to some extent a torrent index though, it's more like "There are signs located in the men's bathroom on fifth avenue, as well as in the back alley on third that say Jones_Supa has a small johnston"

It seems to me that the infringement is alleged, but the ownership shouldn't be. If they can't even come up with something definitive as to *what* is infringed, I would hope they could be liable.

And autoCAD, and MS Project. Visio. Exchange... and that proprietary application that's really popular with X.

Linux isn't really fighting against usability (yes, it does have some issues there), it's fighting against an entrenched user-base whose needs are tied to existing software. Porting Adobe might help for some, but there are still plenty of other things out there.

In the same vein, though, for a lot of users it's more than enough. It's got email, web browsing /w flash/java support (facebook and games), word-processor, spreadsheet, some basic games, and now even some stuff on Steam. Getting Adobe moved over would help add to that, but I'd imagine that if Steam ever gets their Steambox out there with a killer title (another Left 4 Dead, Half Life, etc variant would probably do it), then adoption will increase quite nicely as well.

Would that be "genocide" or "gendercide"?

Maybe females were less likely to attempt kickstarting stupid things like booby apps etc, or their projects are more meaningful to a given audience. Remember, not every kickstarter is a geek toy etc, there are a lot of projects with a more personal/direct aim that may be able to easily solicit funds from a targeted audience.

Then again, some dude managed to kickstart making potato salad for a ton of cash, so it seems there are still plenty of people out there to fund stupid projects too.

management is overrated, overpaid and in general the reason that things go south when (not if) they do

Well, when many companies have management that's making more in the first day than regular employees make in a year, yet when "things go south" they leave with a big severance package... yeah I can see where that idea may have come from.

If the engineer screws up big, (s)he's going to be fired or possibly charged.

Yes. Thus far. Gas is also generally lower than up here (Canada, about $1.32/L or $5/gallon), but it's certainly not going down in the long-run...

Unfortunately, an alternatively likely scenario might be.
Very few cars, because gas has reached a point where it's unaffordable to the average person and alternative energy/transportation sources have been prevented by powerful lobbying and government hubris.

It's basic a gamble in the reverse sense of the lottery. Instead of a big win, the insurance covers you against a big loss. Given the state of the court system, it's not even just in case you're really at fault. There was a case where a kid was biking with no reflectors/lights on a foggy night, he cut in front of a car and got hit. Of course it's a terrible thing, but given the situation there wasn't anything the driver could have done to avoid the accident.
However, a jury hears "young kid hit by car, crippled for life, medical expenses etc." Are you willing to gamble against paying some number that has a *lot* of zeroes behind it?