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The information on Groklaw is not intended to constitute legal advice. While Mark is a lawyer and he has asked other lawyers and law students to contribute articles, all of these articles are offered to help educate, not to provide specific legal advice. They are not your lawyers.

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Samsung vs. Google: an Interview with Rafael Barbosa Barifouse of Redacao Epoca
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 07:38 AM EDT
Samsung vs. Google: an Interview with Rafael Barbosa Barifouse of Redacao Epoca

Google is not dependent on Samsung because it’s not dependent on Android. Samsung is not dependent on Google because Samsung is not dependent on Android. Android is valuable in theory but in practice its value is hard to identify. Historically it was planned as a defense against the hegemony of Windows, BlackBerry and iOS. In that respect it has succeeded. But playing defense is not enough to win a game. For Google to truly succeed in mobile it needs to define a better business model.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Preventing Regulatory Capture: with Posner chapter in draft for book.
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 08:21 AM EDT
Preventing Regulatory Capture: Special Interest Influence and How to Limit It | The Tobin Project

Free version of a 'draft' of a multi-discipline, academic book, scheduled to be published in late 2013. Use the link above to look at the contributions from different perspectives on this interesting idea.

If you want to just go straight to Judge Richard Posner's contribution it is:
Posner: The Concept of Regulatory Capture: A Short, Inglorious History - "pdf"

(Not being too familiar with Posner, I did not find this too informative about or immediately relevant to his views about patent law - maybe other interested parties can read some significance?)

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Did Twitter just patent the Observer Pattern?
Authored by: attila_the_pun on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 08:23 AM EDT
I don't have the strength to read the patent right now, but did Twitter just patent the Observer Pattern?

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Way Off Topic ;-) Feedly secret shortcut to Index page - gh
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 09:53 AM EDT
I gave up and tried ALL the possible short cuts.

Just looking for a open page in Background now (v opens it in
foreground).

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Off topic - Vote for this in Feedly - View original in *background* tab
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 09:55 AM EDT
New keyboard shortcuts: View original in *background* tab, Preview

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

New big bang pictures show universe older, expanding slower than thought
Authored by: JamesK on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 12:08 PM EDT
New results from looking at the split-second after the big bang indicate the universe is 80 million years older than previously thought, but core concepts in physics about the cosmos — how it began, what it's made of and where it's going — seem to be on the right track.

---
The following program contains immature subject matter.
Viewer discretion is advised.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Voyager 1 probe boldly goes, and goes – but is still in the solar system, says Nasa
Authored by: JamesK on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 12:12 PM EDT
Sens ors record a dramatic fall in radiation more than 11bn miles from the sun as galactic cosmic rays soar

---
The following program contains immature subject matter.
Viewer discretion is advised.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

NASA Technical Report Server closed
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 01:12 PM EDT
http://wolf.house.gov/press-releases/wolf-chinese-national-potentially-involved-
in-nasa-langley-security-violations/


http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/news/bolden-reassures-wolf-on-china-talks-budge
t-realities

ntrs.nasa.gov

So political games have closed a very large online library. For those who don't
know, the NTRS is (was) the repository for NASA video, images, engineering
reports, and other media. Over 1 million records. The documents contained in the
library were paid for by US taxpayer money, and released to the public.

Its not clear what is going to happen at this point, if the library opens with
no changes, if certain papers are taken down due to ITAR, or if the library
remains closed indefinitely.

Definitely not a good day for anyone in the sciences or history researcher.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Apple iPhones among products in Intertrust patent claim
Authored by: tiger99 on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 01:55 PM EDT
BBC

Well, they get what they deserve. Owners and abusers of software patents, that is. Every one a loser, one way or another. The answer is obvious.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

What Should Have Entered the Public Domain in 2013?: Philip K. Dick, James Bond, etc
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 02:39 PM EDT
What entered the public domain in the US in 2013? It’s not a long answer, because the answer is …. nothing.

Now here’s a question that yields a longer answer. What books would have entered the public domain if we were still operating under reasonable, pre-1978 copyright laws?

Here’s a little list that comes from Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain:

  • Winston Churchill, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples
  • Philip K. Dick, Minority Report
  • Ian Fleming, Diamonds are Forever (a James Bond novel)
  • Fred Gibson, Old Yeller
  • Billie Holiday, Lady Sings the Blues
  • Alan Lerner, My Fair Lady
  • Eugene O’Neill, Long Day’s Journey into Night
  • John Osborne, Look Back in Anger
  • Dodie Smith, 101 Dalmatians

You can also add films to the list, like:

http://www.openculture.com/2013/03/what_didnt_enter_the_public_domain_in_2013.ht ml

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

  • Not a surprise - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 03:26 PM EDT
    • Not a surprise - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 04:42 PM EDT
      • You lost me - Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 06:08 PM EDT
    • Not a surprise - Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 22 2013 @ 05:35 AM EDT
History
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 05:32 PM EDT
“History is much decried; it is a tissue of errors, we are told, no doubt correctly; and rival historians expose each other’s blunders with gratification. Yet the worst historian has a clearer view of the period he studies than the best of us can hope to form of that in which we live. The obscurest epoch is today; and that for a thousand reasons of incohate[sic] tendency, conflicting report, and sheer mass and multiplicity of experience; but chiefly, perhaps, by reason of an insidious shifting of landmarks.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
That is so On Topic for almost everything that crosses GL's pages, but was posted in additional material for Brian Krebs' latest problems.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

the 'Australian Tax'
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 09:08 PM EDT
An Australian parliamentary committee is looking into price gouging by software suppliers - where downloaded content and software is surcharged when delivered to Australian addresses through the internet ... see the justifications!

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

GoPro DMCA Notice?
Authored by: lnuss on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 09:30 PM EDT
According to what's in this Slashdot article, and the ArsTechnica article it points to, GoPro doesn't understand the law about DMCA itself, among other problems: http://news.slashdot.org/story/13/03/21/2151248/gopro-iss ues-dmca-takedown-over-negative-review

I've been looking at those sport cameras, but GoPro is now at the bottom of my list (or lower).

---
Larry N.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Forking and Dongle Jokes Don’t Belong At Tech Conferences --> Adria Richards
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 21 2013 @ 09:39 PM EDT
- http://butyoureagirl.com/14015/forking-and-dongle-jokes-dont-belong-at-tech-conf erences/

- http://www.dailycamera.com/business/ci_22841379/boulders-sendgrid-fires-adria-ri chards-after-online-firestorm

- https://twitter.com/adriarichards

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Adria+Richards%22

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Google engineer spills the beans on DRM
Authored by: SpaceLifeForm on Friday, March 22 2013 @ 12:50 AM EDT
Link

DRM software is nothing to do with protecting software companies from piracy, a Google engineer has claimed.

Writing in his blog, Ian Hickson said that discussions about DRM focus on the fact that it does not work. However, this discussion focuses on faulty logic which claims that the purpose of DRM is to prevent people from copying content while allowing people to view it.

Hickson claims that the purpose of DRM is not to prevent copyright violations but to give content providers leverage against creators of playback devices.

Now, mix in the faulty logic that software is patentable, when it is tied to a machine, and you can see how the darkside is attacking GPL.

The darkside is trying their best to kill off free software by manipulating the hardware vendors, because that is their only way to attack.

---

You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Microsoft Releases Law Enforcement Disclosure Report On Cloud Data
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 22 2013 @ 01:30 AM EDT
Microsoft said it received more than 11,000 U.S. law enforcement requests for information or content data of users of its products in 2012, according to a report issued Thursday.

Microsoft Releases Law Enforcement Disclosure Report On Cloud Data

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Timestamp triggered South Korea computer attack
Authored by: SpaceLifeForm on Friday, March 22 2013 @ 01:48 AM EDT
Link

The malware consisted of four files, including one called AgentBase.exe that triggered the wiping. Contained within that file was a hex string (4DAD4678) indicating the date and time the attack was to begin — March 20, 2013 at 2pm local time (2013-3-20 14:00:00). As soon as the internal clock on the machine hit 14:00:01, the wiper was triggered to overwrite the hard drive and master boot record on Microsoft Windows machines and then reboot the system.

Once the machine rebooted, users saw a message on their screens that read, “Boot device not found. Please install an operating system on your hard disk.”

The malware also included a module for deleting data from remote Linux machines. The malware searched for remote connections and used stored credentials to access Linux servers and wipe their master boot record.

Note the vector: Windows machines.

And from the second link:

The dropper for Trojan.Jokra parses this XML file for any connection with root privileges using the SSH protocol. It then extracts the parameters used in the connection.

In other words, never SSH into a linux machine as root using Putty. Never. The password you enter in Putty is definitely not safe being entered on a Windows machine.

Well, you should never do direct ssh over the net as root in the first place, you should first login as non-root, and then su to root if needed, but the point is, even if you do that, you are still entering your root password into Putty as cleartext, and Windows can see it.

A better option if you have to do such, is to boot a live linux OS from CD or USB key to do what you have to do.

Never trust Windows with Linux root passwords. Never.

Just don't do it, even if it is convenient.

Just say NO to Windows.

---

You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Alan Cooper Strikes Back, Files Counterclaim Against Prenda Law and Paul Duffy
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 22 2013 @ 12:23 PM EDT

Popehat has just posted an update on Prenda Law. It makes very interesting, if somewhat confusing reading.

Alan Cooper Strikes Back, Files Counterclaim Against Prenda Law and Paul Duffy

This is better than watching hockey. Well, maybe not. But better than watching cricket.

Wayne
http://madhatter.ca

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

A visualization of pi for high school math students
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 22 2013 @ 01:57 PM EDT
http://flowingdata.com/2013/03/22/a-visualization-of-pi-for-high-school-math-stu dents/

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Paypal (and privacy) under attack
Authored by: SpaceLifeForm on Friday, March 22 2013 @ 05:14 PM EDT
Link

---

You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Dodging the 'Australia tax'
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 22 2013 @ 07:47 PM EDT
There is a government enquiry going on regarding the price gouging of
Australian consumers and businesses (nicknamed the 'Australia tax') being
undertaken by the likes of Microsoft, Apple, and Adobe to name but a few.
The issue in not just packaged software, but even downloads.

Not surprisingly, the usual excuses have emerged such as 'don't blame us -
it's the content owners' (Apple), 'it costs so much more to set up a custom
web site in Australia' (Adobe), and 'if you don't like it, buy from someone
else' (Microsoft).

In response, consumer group Choice is advocating the use of anonymous
proxies and so on to bypass the geocoding to get a better deal. They did
describe it as a legal grey area.

My question is how grey is it? Putting the injustice of the 'Australia tax' to
one side for the moment, what is the risk of some US zealot doing an
'Aaron Shwartz' on some Aussie consumer taking Choice's advice?

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Judge clears Microsoft in Xbox patent case against Google
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, March 23 2013 @ 01:16 PM EDT
In yet another technology patent battle, Microsoft has come out on top against Google and its subsidiary Motorola Mobility in a case related to the Xbox gaming console.

In this particular case, Motorola filed a suit in 2010 with the U.S. International Trade Commission charging that the Redmond, Wash.-based corporation violated its patents related to communication between devices and video decoding.

But ITC Judge David P. Shaw issued a brief but succinct ruling on Friday clearing Microsoft -- at least at this level in the case.

---

It is held that a violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act, asamended, has not occurred in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the sale within the United States after importation, of certain gaming and entertainment consoles,relatedsoftware,or componentsthereofthat are alleged to infringe asserted claims 1 and 12 of U.S. Patent No. 6,069,896.

Rachel King, ZDNet

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Twitter sued £32m for refusing to reveal anti-semites
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, March 23 2013 @ 04:12 PM EDT
this could turn into a France v. EU v. US jurisdictional battle royale
In January, a French court ruled that Twitter must hand over the details of people who had tweeted racist and anti-semitic remarks, and set up a system that would alert the police to any further such posts as they happen. Twitter has ignored that ruling, and now the Union of French Jewish Students (UEJF) is suing it for €38.5m (£32.8m) for its failure.

The case revolves around a hashtag -- #unbonjuif ("a good Jew") -- which became the third-most popular on the site in October 2012. The UEJF took Twitter to court, demanding that those who had tweeted anti-semitic remarks using the hashtag be named by Twitter so the police could prosecute them for hate speech.

Twitter refused, arguing it was based in the United States and thus protected by the 1st Amendment's freedom of speech guarantees. A Parisian circuit court ruled against the social network, giving it two weeks to comply or face a fine of up to €1,000 (£849) for every day it doesn't.

Ian Steadman, Wired UK

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

"Grandma Got STEM" - Grandmothers who are brilliant at technology
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, March 23 2013 @ 11:33 PM EDT
A wonderful site called "Grandma Got STEM" profiles grandmothers who have accomplished marvellous feats of technology, and aims to drive a stake through the heart of stupid, thoughtless phrases like "How would you explain that to your grandmother?" or "So simple my grandma could do it."
Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Congressman boasts on Twitter about the money he got to support CISPA, then thinks better of it
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, March 23 2013 @ 11:37 PM EDT
CISPA is a bill before Congress that will radically increase the ease with which the government and police can spy on people without any particular suspicion. It is being rammed through by people like Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), who received a small fortune in funding from the companies that stand to get rich building the surveillance tech CISPA will make possible.

What's more, Rogers admits it, and even tweets about it!

Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Stop The Cyborgs
Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, March 24 2013 @ 03:28 AM EDT
Seems Google's Glass is not welcome everywhere

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

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