Slashdot Mirror
Slashback: TIPS, FatWallet, MPlayer
Facts is facts, Ma'am. joebeone writes "WalMart has backed down [AScribe.org] from it's DMCA claim in the FatWallet case[1] after FatWallet countered that facts are uncopyrightable (at least in the US). Let this be a lesson to those who would use the DMCA to unjustly intimidate websites into removing content. I definitely think that Boalt Hall's Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic deserves some major credit for sticking up for the little guys who don't have the litigatory resources that companies like WalMart have.
[1] WalMart claimed that their day-after-thanksgiving sale prices were copyrightable."
Maybe they just changed the drop location. An anonymous reader writes "There was one small ray of light in the Homeland Security Act. A provision inserted in the bill killed the Justice Department's TIPS initiative. You'll recall that TIPS was the DoJ's proposal to create a domestic spy network using ordinary citizens. And I was hoping to join up and inform them that John Ashcroft wears women's underwear. Oh well ..."
Best way to play back "L.A. Confidential." An anonymous reader writes "The best media player for *nixes, MPlayer, has just gotten better with the ability to play Windows Media Player 9 (WMV9 and WMA9) files. When Sorensen playback was added the only remaining codecs were the Window Media Player ones. Now that this is complete, Linux finally seems to have a complete solution for multimedia playback. It just remains for the mainstream distros to include this gem."
Measure three or four times at least, cut once. jdevons writes "The Owner-Builder Book that I reviewed a while ago has been updated. The author reads slashdot regularly and included many of the ideas and suggestions offered in the slashdot comments ..."
Jeff, Rob and Chris in their Hollywood makeup. updog writes "The film Revolution OS, which has been discussed on Slashdot here and here, is now available on DVD at Netflix (btw, it's interesting to note that this Netflix version is sub-licensed under the guise of pay-per-view television, and the director J.T.S. Moore wasn't even aware of its existence until recently.)
A 2 Disc Special Edition DVD will be available in January 2003, and will include additional interviews, bonus material, and better video quality over the Netflix version. You can make sure that you're notified when it's released by requesting info here. Finally, I've written a review of the Netflix version of the DVD, which you can read here."
Next year's stocking stuffer, maybe? An anonymous reader writes "nvmax.com is running a story/press release explaining how Dynamism.com is teaming up with the Zaurus Open Source development community to bring the Sharp Zaurus SL-C700 to English!. I need to get one!"
What I want is C-64 style Aztec. retro128 writes "For all of your old schoolers out there, Tierra Entertainment has released a re-make of King's Quest II, which includes original art, completely redone music, and a few extra things not seen in the original game (some early screen shots hinted at a town, which did not exist in the original). What's remarkable is that Tierra has no affiliation with Sierra whatsoever, and is driven by two developers who wish to remain anonymous. I've played their re-make of KQ1 and it's up to snuff. Check out the main page or go straight to the good stuff."
When we've got the Total Awareness Network. Let the computers do the work!
Man, remember when we were worried about Carnivore?
I am perpetually shocked at the willingness of Americans to give away the rights for which their ancestors suffered so much.
Menace the average modern American with anything halfway alarming -- terrorism, crime or any other of today's various boogeymen -- and in place of their forebearers' bravery, idealism and resolve, they will show cowardice, surrender and an astounding aptitude for cognative dissonence. They will gratefully trade their liberties for even the illusion of security, and will gladly indenture themselves to anyone who claims to offer them safety. How far we've fallen from the day when men like Washinton, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt fought for and to protect the central ideas of American Democracy.
How we've betrayed the bravery of our heritage.
I believe that if America stands for anything, it's the rights which it is supposed to guarantee its citizens. Strip that away, and what are you left with? Nothing more than a location on a map and base nationalism. To give away our hard-won rights is disgusting cowardice, and to strip them from others is nothing less than treason.
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
I think its important to point out that avifile was first to get the windows media player 9 codecs to work. Its another great multimedia project. Check it out at:
http://avifile.sourceforge.net/
Actually, I think this was a partial success for Wal-Mart (from their point of view). With the threat of the DMCA, they got the prices removed so their competitors could not undercut them. They then backed down AFTER the post-Thanksgiving sale, costing them little to nothing to do so, and avoided the cost of actually having to pursue the lawsuit. Other than the relatively small press-coverage on /. and the single blurb on WSJ, they take almost no bad press over the whole affair. I'd say they accomplished exactly what they set out to do.
As great as the KQ series was I really preferred Quest for Glory II.
There was nothing like going out and fighting forever until you were SO strong nothing was a match for you...
EGA games *always* need to be redone... They were our classics.
I remember playing kings quest way back when - having to load different floppies etc...
That game got me so hooked on computer games i still cant pull myself away.
hmmm.... maybe this isnt a good thing. It's like having nostalgia for my first hit off Whitney's crack pipe. oh wait, she's too rich for crack - and I'm too poor for games these days.
Pardon me, but I don't think that Wal-Mart's "seen the light" or become a good guy in this regard.
--
Runnin' around, robbin' banks all whacked on the Scooby Snacks...
Are they still countersuing Walmart for damages, purgery, anything?
This is not a win unless they are hurt for their actions. They still kept FatWallet from getting the word out. They've still used the DMCA to stifle legitimate works. And it hasn't cost them a thing.
"One wonders if Wal-Mart's bluff on this was simply a ploy to have the prices taken down before the sale and while planning all along to back down later."
If that's true, then they shot themselves in the foot. When the next major retail holiday rolls around, nobody (including FatWallet) will be inclined to take anything down.
So what happens to Wal-Mart now that they've submitted the claim that their prices were protected by copyright under penalty of perjury? Surely even though they've withdrawn the claim, they don't get to "take back" the fact that they perjured themselves?
Hopefully you are right and someone stands up to them next year, we'll see.
STOP ROCK VIDEO
...only renamed.
This is the relevant section that supposedly eliminated TIPS:
SEC. 880. PROHIBITION OF THE TERRORISM INFORMATION AND PREVENTION SYSTEM.
Any and all activities of the Federal Government to implement the proposed component program of the Citizen Corps known as Operation TIPS (Terrorism Information and Prevention System) are hereby prohibited.
All it does is prohibit the proposed program under the Citizen Corps known as TIPS. A strict reading of the language could leave a way to revive the program under a different name.
It may seem a bit legalistic and paranoid, but legalities like that are precisely how unpalatable programs are implemented anyway.
Someday, you're going to die. Get over it.
WRONG! Go have a look at the supported formats on the MPlayer site. You will see that there are still unsupported formats. Linux does *not* have a complete solution for multimedia playback. I found this out when I tried to play some wmv files with MPlayer. They didn't play, so I checked the MPlayer site (earlier today) and found out that I will need to use Microsoft media player if I want it to work. Oh well. So much for windows media under Linux...
right wing pistol packing rabbis
Perhaps this is some usage of the term "right wing" I'm not familiar with. Does it mean someone who can read and comprehend the English language?
And why rabbis? I don't happen to know the percentage of the members of the JPFO that are rabbis, but I think that it is clear that they aren't the majority. I can't think of any reason you would refer specifically to rabbis that reflects well on you.
there's and NRA man in the white house
Who has done more harm than good to the Bill of Rights. Granted, it is at the will of the people, and he has been handed difficult times (or at least times when it is easy and popular to do the wrong thing for freedom).
And the NRA, frankly, is way off target (if you'll forgive the pun). First, their (our, I am a member) single minded focus on the second amendment is, IMHO, misguided. More importantly, their willingness to barter with our freedoms hardly makes them true defenders of our rights, in fact it would be generous to say that they defend the status quo.
the second amendment is not the part of the Bill of Rights under real attack these days
The second amendment is very much under attack. I may not bear arms at all in the municipality in which I live. What does "infringe" mean in your language?
-Peter