Adrian Lopez - Slashdot User

Submission + - House Judiciary Committee SOPA Hearings Stacked 5 (techdirt.com)

Submitted by

Adrian Lopez

on Tuesday November 15, 2011 @02:17PM

Adrian Lopez writes: "Techdirt reports that 'apparently, the folks behind SOPA are really scared to hear from the opposition. We all expected that the Judiciary Committee hearings wouldn't be a fair fight. In Congress, they rarely are fair fights. But most people expected the typical "three in favor, one against" weighted hearings. That's already childish, but it seems that the Judiciary Committee has decided to take the ridiculousness to new heights. We'd already mentioned last week that the Committee had rejected the request of NetCoalition to take part in the hearings. At the time, we'd heard that the hearings were going to be stacked four-to-one in favor of SOPA. However, the latest report coming out of the Committee is that they're so afraid to actually hear about the real opposition that they've lined up five pro-SOPA speakers and only one "against."'

Demand Progress is running an online petition against such lopsided representation."

Submission + - Internet Blacklist Back in Congress (rawstory.com)

Submitted by Adrian Lopez on Tuesday November 16, 2010 @02:55PM

Adrian Lopez writes: A bill giving the government the power to shut down Web sites that host materials that infringe copyright is making its way quietly through the lame-duck session of Congress, raising the ire of free-speech groups and prompting a group of academics to lobby against the effort.

The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) was introduced in Congress this fall by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). It would grant the federal government the power to block access to any Web domain that is found to host copyrighted material without permission.

Opponents note that the powers given the government under the bill are very broad. Because the bill targets domain names and not specific materials, an entire Web site can be shut down. So for example, if the US determines that there are copyright-infringing materials on YouTube, it could theoretically block access to all of YouTube, whether or not particular material being accessed infringes copyright.

Submission + - Hollywood's Victory Over TPB May Be Short Lived

Submitted by Adrian Lopez on Saturday April 18, 2009 @11:52AM

Adrian Lopez writes: According to PC World: "Hollywood may have won a battle, but the war against piracy is far from over. Unauthorized file sharing will continue (and likely intensify), if not through The Pirate Bay, then through dozens of other near identical swashbuckling Web sites. ... What Hollywood needs to remember is sites like The Pirate Bay are like weeds. When you try to kill one, they grow back even stronger. In this case, The Pirate Bay already moved most of its servers to the Netherlands, a move that could keep the site running even if The Pirate Bay loses its appeal."

Submission + - Neutrality Opponent Calls Google a Bandwidth Hog 1

Submitted by

Adrian Lopez

on Saturday December 06, 2008 @07:50PM

Adrian Lopez writes: "According to PC World, an analyst with ties to the telecom industry — in a baseless attack on the concept of Net Neutrality — has accused Google Inc. of being a bandwidth hog:
"Internet connections could be more affordable for everyone, if Google paid its fair share of the Internet's cost," wrote Cleland in the report. "It is ironic that Google, the largest user of Internet capacity pays the least relatively to fund the Internet's cost; it is even more ironic that the company poised to profit more than any other from more broadband deployment, expects the American taxpayer to pick up its skyrocketing bandwidth tab."
Says Google:
"Not surprisingly, in his zeal to score points in the Net neutrality debate, [Cleland] made significant methodological and factual errors that undermine his report's conclusions," wrote Whitt, calling Cleland's cost estimates "overblown."
"

Submission + - Nintendo Cracks Down on Copying Devices

Submitted by

Adrian Lopez

on Monday October 22, 2007 @08:33PM

Adrian Lopez writes: "Nintendo is cracking down on mod chips and copying devices with the help of the Hong Kong government:

"The Hong Kong High Court has intervened, at Nintendo's request, to help stop a global distribution operation involving game copying devices and modification chips that violate the copyrights and trademarks of Nintendo DS and Wii.

On Oct. 8th, the court ordered the raid of Supreme Factory Limited facilities, through which Nintendo representatives seized more than 10,000 game copying devices and mod chips over the course of three days. The devices seized are used to copy and play Nintendo DS games offered unlawfully over the Internet, and the mod chips allow the play of pirated Wii discs or illegal copies of downloaded Nintendo games.""

Slashdot Top Deals