Well, I suppose that's one way to kill OSS
on
VLC & European Patents
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
You just threaten that it breaks one of your patents, it ties up the developers into looking at the code and the patents. Development will be slower because of tied up resources, and you can attempt to kill it off. Even if the claim is bunk, you still make them lose much development time.
While it's probably not what DTS is after, they really don't compete with MPlayer, perhaps other companies will try it.
I'm just surprised DTS would even bother. After all, if your decoding capabilities are built-in to the most commonly used players, wouldn't that give prospective clients more incentive to use DTS? *shrug*
A few companies here advertise their high-speed internet. In many of the ads I have seen lines such as "Share music!" or "Download music!" They are actively advertising to their customers to use P2P.
Couldn't the music biz interpret this too as aiding file-sharing and destroying their business model? Perhaps Shaw and Telus (2 major high-speed ISP's here) need to be shutdown?
Really. What if they take the $3 million, make an episode, and it sucks. Or goes back into seasons 2 or 3? Or anything to do with Voyager?
A TV-studio (or movie) takes a chance and do it all the time. However, normal, everyday geeks shelling out money, are they prepared to take that big of a chance?
Another thought, what if the studio figure it's not their money, so let's experiment with the show and take it in a direction they normally wouldn't try?
However, given their stance on Linux drivers, my next purchase will be Nvidia. I don't like the fact that I can't use my DVI port because ATI doesn't feel like it.
[Johnny and Bough are in a dark tunnel] Johnny English: It may be pitch black, but we can still see. Bough: Can we, sir? How? Johnny English: The Bedouin monks of the Al Maghreb mountains developed a system of sonic chanting. Bough: I see, sir. Johnny English: The sound of their chanting would bounce back off any obstacles, and using their highly tuned ears they could paint a mental picture of the path ahead. Bough: Brilliant, sir. Johnny English: However, you must always sing in E-flat. Johnny English: [singing] Thank you for the music / The songs I'm singing Bough: Is it working, sir? Johnny English: Extremely well, thank you, Bough. Johnny English: [singing] Thanks for all the joy that... [Johnny hits the tunnel wall] Johnny English: Ow!
Thanks to imdb.com Ok, not quite what the article was getting at.;-)
Ok, one guarantee is there will always be freeloaders. Why pay, if you can go through some sort of effort and get it for free? And if the quality is lower, oh well...
To me $5 is a good deal, especially if it's playing in the theatres when I'm watching it at home. This is reasonable. Here, if I go with a couple of friends it's $36 to get in, let alone popcorn, etc.
$5, you're at home, no talking around you, no one getting up blocking your view. If it's a LoTR type long movie, have a pee-break in the middle of it by pausing it! This is the same price range as a movie rental around here (from the big chains, Blockbuster, VHQ, Roger's Video, etc).
Isn't this what everyone has been clamoring for? Cheap price, easy access? DRM? It's $5, let them DRM it all they want! It's not like you get to leave the theatre (which is really what we are comparing it to) with a movie after you've watched it! It's the same price as a movie rental, treat it as such.
If someone really really wants to spend a day downloading it, burning it, finding out it's not good quality, then finding a better quality one, then downloading that one for a day, then burning it, then finding out the audio sucks...ad nauseum, let them. I'll spend the $5 knowing I'm getting a good quality release I can trust the first time around.
And $1-$2 for older releases, that's pretty good too. Movie rentals are much higher than $2 each.
As one who has been one of those "poor schmucks", the problem rarely lies with the technician sent onsite to repair the computer.
Once cause of hardware fault has been determined, appropriate part has been replaced and computer restarted, it is up to the administrator to say, "Yup, this thing is fine now, let's all go home."
It was up to the admin to determine that all processes that are supposed to be running are running.
It was up to the admin to verify that the monitoring equipment was actually getting reasonable data and/or get someone to do it.
It was up to the admin to go through his startup checklist (and hey, on such an important system they do maintain a checklist, right?) and say everything has been checked off.
Some don't. Nope, a quick "ps -ef" with a couple of screens of info flying by, and then, "Yup, it's done." Even pushing to inquire and saying, "I can stay here to help if you want," will still get you a, "Nah, go home."
I will say I have met and had the pleasure of working with many who actually do spend time checking, double checking, handing off to co-worker to check again, and then to the apps and/or database person, then waiting for the director to say, "Yup, let's all go home." This is the norm on critical machines, not the exception, thankfully.
Just like advertisers and companies had to deal with the radio to TV shift, they will have to deal with another. Will it be a complete and saturating shift, like radio to TV? Or just partial? We'll see on that one.
Not too many crowd around the radio to listen to news, sitcoms, music and sports, but at one time that's what they did. Music is still listened to on the radio, but news, sitcoms, and sports are on TV, and people crowd around the TV. And now more people depend on the internet and their computers for entertainment.
I would expect more companies to begin advertising in games. You know, as you run around in one of them, you'll see Coke signs, IBM, Ford, Dell, etc.
"how stupid are you if you think people will embrace being laid off to save the company a couple of bucks?"
This is because companies feel that you should put them before you. You do what's best for the company, not yourself. Hence, of course you will gladly be laid off to save them a few bucks.
Look at the words they use. "Mandate". "Build consensus." IOW, you will be fired, and you'll like it!
They expect a loyalty order of:
1. Company 2. You 3. Family 4. Friends 5. Country
Whereas, for myself it is:
1. Daughter 2. Myself 3. Family 4. Friends 5. Country 6. Company
Hate to break it to my employer, but they rank very low on the list. I'm sure there are things between 4 and 6 that I don't have off the top of my head.
How many of you would do business with a company who would buy a license from SCO?
I think buying a license, and then allowing it to be public knowlege that you did so would be corporate suicide. Unless you didn't want Linux (or to an extent, Unix) to succeed.
" Asked Williams, the computer security expert: "Are you saying there's no such thing as a secure and accurate computer? Do you fly on airplanes?" "
That would be the most insane statement in the whole article. There is no such thing as a secure and accurate computer. Only one way to completely secure a computer. Turn it off, encase it in a 30ft concrete tomb. Very few will get to it, yet it still isn't totally secure, I'm sure there's a bunker buster out there that'll destroy it.
Accurate? Hardly. A computer will tell you what you program it to. If someone can change it's purpose (or results) you've no longer got accuracy. Note how the comment doesn't question the accuracy of input/output to the computer?
And finally, flying on airplanes. I think history has shown that there is no such thing as a failure-proof aircraft. However, I will still fly on them, because I hope that procedures ensure that it's not Williams flying it with a computer only.
Vip
The really sad part is...
on
SCO Nigerian Spam
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
...that should they actually need money to continue the lawsuit, some venture capitalist somewhere will gladly give them the money to do so, in exchange for 30%.
"While animation studios compete fiercely for ticket sales and are not known as team players, all three agreed that a project that would benefit the entire open-source community--while delivering a technology they needed--was worth their cooperation"
And isn't that what open source is all about? An itch to scratch that turns into something useful?
Intertrust is laying claims to patents over DRM. What happens when you get GPL'd code for DRM? Perhaps not DRM globally, but for inter-company or inter-network communications? Then along comes Intertrust and sues you for breaching their patents? Sues who, exactly? Linux community? RedHat? IBM?
Here, check out these patents at http://www.uspto.gov 6,601,236 Cross platform program installation on drives
using drive object - IBM 6,601,059 Computerized searching tool with spell checking
- Microsoft 6,594,644 Electronic gift certificate system - Amazon 6,590,593 Method and apparatus for handling dismissed dialogue boxes
- Microsoft
There's 4 found in a couple of minutes. All were awarded in July. Show me the innovation in those, or something that isn't common sense, perhaps even being done many years ago? E-gift-certificates?? Seems like all they did was describe a gift cert, and then slap email on it. Amazon also has one-click shopping.
And finally, here's a great kicker. All they did was take something that commonly happens via hardwire network, change the hardwire to wireless, and then patented it.
6,601,040 Electronic commerce terminal for wirelessly communicating to a plurality of communication devices
- USA Technologies, Inc. (Wayne, PA)
How do those even qualify for patents?
And again, what if those are done in open source, whether BSD, GPL, or any other? You immediately step on someone else's patents, and then they lay claim to Linux and all of this SCO stuff starts all over again?
I'm just wondering what the plan is. RedHat's $1million is for open source based companies to "steal" patents?
And I definitely take offense when someone uses these idiotic patents to file suit against someone else, whether it's IBM, MS, or anyone else.
"No, what's changed is that the RIAA has spent the last 30 years buying as much influence in politics as they can. Why else would a middling-sized outfit like them be able to push around the tech industry, whose gross sales figures outstrip them nearly 10 to 1?"
Let's try looking at it from a different angle. What if the tech industry giants and the RIAA have the same goal in mind? That would be DRM.
DRM could/would/will allow complete control over a PC, from the hardware level all the way up to the software, including documents you make and write, or music you make and write.
Intel, MS, Sun, IBM, they all would love to be able to "control" what is done with their stuff, and where, by whom, etc. NVidia and ATI would love it so the barrier for entry into the video chip marketplace would be getting "certified", and make that as tough as possible.
RIAA wants the same thing, except for content instead of hardware. They specify where to listen, when, what kind, and so on, and the barrier to entry for other music becomes that much higher.
Commenting on the stars getting paid so much, when you can get people to pay $100 million total to see you doing your job, then you should also consider asking for $12 million to do your job.
Arnie had 5 consecutive $100 million movies. After that he was able to charge between $20 and $30 million per movie.
Sounds reasonable to me.
The rest I agree with, lower prices and better movies. I just rented Daredevil. OMG, I want my 2 hours back.
Slashdot Mirror
You just threaten that it breaks one of your patents, it ties up the developers into looking at the code and the patents. Development will be slower because of tied up resources, and you can attempt to kill it off. Even if the claim is bunk, you still make them lose much development time.
While it's probably not what DTS is after, they really don't compete with MPlayer, perhaps other companies will try it.
I'm just surprised DTS would even bother. After all, if your decoding capabilities are built-in to the most commonly used players, wouldn't that give prospective clients more incentive to use DTS? *shrug*
Vip
A few companies here advertise their high-speed internet. In many of the ads I have seen lines such as "Share music!" or "Download music!" They are actively advertising to their customers to use P2P.
Couldn't the music biz interpret this too as aiding file-sharing and destroying their business model? Perhaps Shaw and Telus (2 major high-speed ISP's here) need to be shutdown?
Vip
Really. What if they take the $3 million, make an episode, and it sucks. Or goes back into seasons 2 or 3? Or anything to do with Voyager?
A TV-studio (or movie) takes a chance and do it all the time. However, normal, everyday geeks shelling out money, are they prepared to take that big of a chance?
Another thought, what if the studio figure it's not their money, so let's experiment with the show and take it in a direction they normally wouldn't try?
Vip
Vip
However, given their stance on Linux drivers, my next purchase will be Nvidia. I don't like the fact that I can't use my DVI port because ATI doesn't feel like it.
Vip
[Johnny and Bough are in a dark tunnel]
;-)
Johnny English: It may be pitch black, but we can still see.
Bough: Can we, sir? How?
Johnny English: The Bedouin monks of the Al Maghreb mountains developed a system of sonic chanting.
Bough: I see, sir.
Johnny English: The sound of their chanting would bounce back off any obstacles, and using their highly tuned ears they could paint a mental picture of the path ahead.
Bough: Brilliant, sir.
Johnny English: However, you must always sing in E-flat.
Johnny English: [singing] Thank you for the music / The songs I'm singing
Bough: Is it working, sir?
Johnny English: Extremely well, thank you, Bough.
Johnny English: [singing] Thanks for all the joy that...
[Johnny hits the tunnel wall]
Johnny English: Ow!
Thanks to imdb.com
Ok, not quite what the article was getting at.
Vip
Ok, one guarantee is there will always be freeloaders. Why pay, if you can go through some sort of effort and get it for free? And if the quality is lower, oh well...
To me $5 is a good deal, especially if it's playing in the theatres when I'm watching it at home. This is reasonable. Here, if I go with a couple of friends it's $36 to get in, let alone popcorn, etc.
$5, you're at home, no talking around you, no one getting up blocking your view. If it's a LoTR type long movie, have a pee-break in the middle of it by pausing it! This is the same price range as a movie rental around here (from the big chains, Blockbuster, VHQ, Roger's Video, etc).
Isn't this what everyone has been clamoring for? Cheap price, easy access? DRM? It's $5, let them DRM it all they want! It's not like you get to leave the theatre (which is really what we are comparing it to) with a movie after you've watched it! It's the same price as a movie rental, treat it as such.
If someone really really wants to spend a day downloading it, burning it, finding out it's not good quality, then finding a better quality one, then downloading that one for a day, then burning it, then finding out the audio sucks...ad nauseum,
let them. I'll spend the $5 knowing I'm getting a good quality release I can trust the first time around.
And $1-$2 for older releases, that's pretty good too. Movie rentals are much higher than $2 each.
Vip
You mean like this guy?
8 .html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/sports/jewell_10-2
To jmcmunn, who posted above, I would say you are incorrect, just because they released Mr. Jewell's name, they weren't "pretty sure about this one."
Vip
And then you get this:
Maher Arar sent to Syria
Note how the authorities go on a finger pointing spree.
Vip
Telus, a big ISP in Canada, specifically advertises by saying "Download music for free!" Not only that, but for signing up, you get a free MP3 player.
Yes, the "billionaire corp" is "really fighting for their right to charge you $24.95/mo so you can download stuff for 'free'".
Vip
Parking lot complaints
825 complaints in 18 months in one city against one company. The data was sold by the government to the parking company.
Vip
As one who has been one of those "poor schmucks", the problem rarely lies with the technician sent onsite to repair the computer.
Once cause of hardware fault has been determined, appropriate part has been replaced and computer restarted, it is up to the administrator to say, "Yup, this thing is fine now, let's all go home."
It was up to the admin to determine that all processes that are supposed to be running are
running.
It was up to the admin to verify that the monitoring equipment was actually getting reasonable data and/or get someone to do it.
It was up to the admin to go through his startup checklist (and hey, on such an important system they do maintain a checklist, right?) and say everything has been checked off.
Some don't. Nope, a quick "ps -ef" with a couple of screens of info flying by, and then, "Yup, it's done." Even pushing to inquire and saying, "I can stay here to help if you want," will still get you a, "Nah, go home."
I will say I have met and had the pleasure of working with many who actually do spend time
checking, double checking, handing off to co-worker to check again, and then to the apps and/or database person, then waiting for the director to say, "Yup, let's all go home."
This is the norm on critical machines, not the exception, thankfully.
Vip
Just like advertisers and companies had to deal with the radio to TV shift, they will have to deal with another. Will it be a complete and saturating shift, like radio to TV? Or just partial? We'll see on that one.
Not too many crowd around the radio to listen to news, sitcoms, music and sports, but at one time
that's what they did. Music is still listened to
on the radio, but news, sitcoms, and sports are on TV, and people crowd around the TV. And now more
people depend on the internet and their computers
for entertainment.
I would expect more companies to begin advertising in games. You know, as you run around in one of them, you'll see Coke signs, IBM, Ford, Dell, etc.
Vip
"how stupid are you if you think people will embrace being laid off to save the company a couple of bucks?"
This is because companies feel that you should put them before you. You do what's best for the company, not yourself. Hence, of course you will
gladly be laid off to save them a few bucks.
Look at the words they use. "Mandate". "Build
consensus." IOW, you will be fired, and you'll
like it!
They expect a loyalty order of:
1. Company
2. You
3. Family
4. Friends
5. Country
Whereas, for myself it is:
1. Daughter
2. Myself
3. Family
4. Friends
5. Country
6. Company
Hate to break it to my employer, but they
rank very low on the list. I'm sure there
are things between 4 and 6 that I don't have
off the top of my head.
Vip
The Linux culture wants bugs identified, in this case successful crack attempts, so that they can be fixed. Generally all open source is this way.
The MS culture does not want them identified. It seems that they would rather hide them than be embarrassed by them.
Could this be a reason for Linux having more successes than Windows? More people willing to report a successful Linux attempt?
Also, wouldn't your desktop PC classify as a server if it's on the internet with ports open?
If it's not a server, why are any ports open?
Linux by default is a server, once you have ftpd or telnetd or even sendmail, they are open for use, hence they "serve" stuff out.
Vip
Vip
How many of you would do business with a company who would buy a license from SCO?
I think buying a license, and then allowing it to be public knowlege that you did so would be corporate suicide. Unless you didn't want Linux (or to an extent, Unix) to succeed.
Vip
" Asked Williams, the computer security expert: "Are you saying there's no such thing as a secure and accurate computer? Do you fly on airplanes?" "
That would be the most insane statement in the whole article. There is no such thing as a secure and accurate computer. Only one way to completely secure a computer. Turn it off, encase it in a 30ft concrete tomb. Very few will get to it, yet it still isn't totally secure, I'm sure there's a bunker buster out there that'll destroy it.
Accurate? Hardly. A computer will tell you what you program it to. If someone can change it's purpose (or results) you've no longer got accuracy. Note how the comment doesn't question the accuracy of input/output to the computer?
And finally, flying on airplanes. I think history has shown that there is no such thing as a failure-proof aircraft. However, I will still fly on them, because I hope that procedures ensure that it's not Williams flying it with a computer only.
Vip
...that should they actually need money to continue the lawsuit, some venture capitalist somewhere will gladly give them the money to do so, in exchange for 30%.
Vip
Look at the patents at http://www.uspto.gov
None of them are anything beyond taking what is commonly done via hardware and adding the word "RF" in there.
They also own the patent on frequency modulation to send data.
NTP Inc btw readily admits that this is it's business model.
Vip
"While animation studios compete fiercely for ticket sales and are not known as team players, all three agreed that a project that would benefit the entire open-source community--while delivering a technology they needed--was worth their cooperation"
And isn't that what open source is all about? An itch to scratch that turns into something useful?
Vip
However, he is correct.
From imdb.com, Toy Story 2 trivia:
Wheezy the penguin is a tribute to the Linux mascot, Tux.
Vip
Intertrust is laying claims to patents over DRM. What happens when you get GPL'd code for DRM? Perhaps
not DRM globally, but for inter-company or inter-network communications? Then along comes Intertrust and sues you for breaching their patents? Sues who, exactly? Linux community? RedHat? IBM?
Here, check out these patents at http://www.uspto.gov
6,601,236 Cross platform program installation on drives
using drive object - IBM
6,601,059 Computerized searching tool with spell checking
- Microsoft
6,594,644 Electronic gift certificate system - Amazon
6,590,593 Method and apparatus for handling dismissed dialogue boxes
- Microsoft
There's 4 found in a couple of minutes. All were awarded in July. Show me the innovation in those, or something that isn't common sense, perhaps even being done many years ago? E-gift-certificates?? Seems like all they did was describe a gift cert, and then slap email on it. Amazon also has one-click shopping.
And finally, here's a great kicker. All they did was take something that commonly happens via hardwire network, change the hardwire to wireless, and then patented it.
6,601,040 Electronic commerce terminal for wirelessly communicating to a plurality of communication devices
- USA Technologies, Inc. (Wayne, PA)
How do those even qualify for patents?
And again, what if those are done in open source, whether BSD, GPL, or any other? You immediately step on someone else's patents, and then they lay claim to Linux and all of this SCO stuff starts all over again?
I'm just wondering what the plan is. RedHat's $1million is for open source based companies to "steal" patents?
And I definitely take offense when someone uses these idiotic patents to file suit against someone else,
whether it's IBM, MS, or anyone else.
Vip
"No, what's changed is that the RIAA has spent the last 30 years buying as much influence in politics as they can. Why else would a middling-sized outfit like them be able to push around the tech industry, whose gross sales figures outstrip them nearly 10 to 1?"
Let's try looking at it from a different angle. What if the tech industry giants and the RIAA have the same goal in mind? That would be DRM.
DRM could/would/will allow complete control over a PC, from the hardware level all the way up to the software, including documents you make and write, or music you make and write.
Intel, MS, Sun, IBM, they all would love to be able to "control" what is done with their stuff, and where, by whom, etc. NVidia and ATI would love it so the barrier for entry into the video chip marketplace would be getting "certified", and make that as tough as possible.
RIAA wants the same thing, except for content instead of hardware. They specify where to listen, when, what kind, and so on, and the barrier to entry for other music becomes that much higher.
Vip
Commenting on the stars getting paid so much,
when you can get people to pay $100 million total
to see you doing your job, then you should also
consider asking for $12 million to do your job.
Arnie had 5 consecutive $100 million movies. After
that he was able to charge between $20 and $30
million per movie.
Sounds reasonable to me.
The rest I agree with, lower prices and better movies. I just rented Daredevil. OMG, I want
my 2 hours back.
Vip