bcoverston - Slashdot User

Online Carpooling Service Fined In Canada 541

Posted by kdawson on Friday November 14, 2008 @12:51PM from the regulatory-capture dept.

TechDirt is reporting on a disappointing development out of Canada. An Ontario transportation board has fined PickupPal, a Web-based service for arranging carpools, because a local bus company complained of the competition. (TechCrunch apparently first broke the story.) "[The transportation board has] established a bunch of draconian rules that any user in Ontario must follow if it uses the service — including no crossing of municipal boundaries — meaning the service is only good within any particular city's limits. It's better than being shut down completely, and the service can still operate elsewhere around the world, but this is yet another case where we see regulations, that are supposedly put in place to improve things for consumers, do the exact opposite."

Feed Wired: Pirate Music, Lose Your House (wired.com)

From feed by wiredfeed on Thursday May 08, 2008 @12:52PM

Digital music pirates are the same as drug dealers, prostitutes and gangs in New York and Los Angeles -- at least as it relates to the government's ability to declare your place a public nuisance, shut it down for as long as a year (or worse) and fine you. So it's time to knock on your teenager's door and pray he's just downloading porn.

Comment I've sent one (Score 1) 223

by bcoverston on Thursday February 02, 2006 @12:41PM (#14626833) Attached to: Western Union Ends Telegram Services

When I was in Brazil, Ten years ago, my Syster in Law had her first baby. I couldn't use a phone, communications were poor, and the fastest way to send congratulations was an international telegram. Sure it was expensive, but it's in the little rug-rat's baby book to this day.

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