If the attorney omitted the prior art on purpose in order to get the patent issued, it's even possible that he or she could be censured or disbarred.
Right, and the DMCA works so well because to file a takedown requires that you swear under oath that you are the copyright owner and no lawyers have been willing to sign off on anything without due diligence.
You could switch to another VoIP provider, but don't think for a minute that Verizon won't target them next. Or you could just go back to Verizon and help fund their terror war against VoIP.
Reading the comments that follow the article is just as much fun. Someone says when they can plug in a usb stick and it is autodetected, or intall a program by double clicking on it, they will consider linux. Apparently it's been a few years since he actually has seen a gnome or kde desktop. I do those things regularly and I'm running a couple versions behind on my favorite desktop distro.
Hell, I run Debian stable and even I can do this...
It really makes no sense. The WHOLE point of patent applications being public is so that people can study (and improve on) them. Private individuals are free the build, study and even improve on patents (and they can even patent their improvements). In fact, it is conceivable that he could invent a solution, patent it, and then force HID to pay him to use his invention.
Giving a demo or publishing a paper is in NO WAY a patent violation. If he were building and selling a device that relied on the patent, then they might have a case.
Bits can be copied. Speculating on how to remove their fundamental property is waste of time. Speculating on how to make bits track and implement legislation (laws do change, you know?) is even more inane.
Judge Jackson summarized all the reasons anyone would ever need nicely in the Findings of Facts from the U.S. v. Microsoft case. Don't write your paper until you've read every word there.
It's not even an exhaustive list of horrible things MS has done. It's not even an exhaustive list of horrible things MS did during the case (e.g. faking video evidence).
And the fact that they got away scott free when Bush came into office doesn't make me feel any better about them either.
Today Novell is the only company in our industry that
is able to provide a customer not only with the code
to run Linux, not only the service and support for it,
but the patent, a patent covenant that runs for
Microsoft Corporation, and that we think is very
important, again, as you heard from Ron, for all of
the customers in the industry.
... And you'll see, as well, an economic commitment
from Novell to Microsoft that involves a running
royalty, a percentage of revenue on open source
software shipped under the agreement.
And some words from Ballmer (same link as above):
And then the second thing I'm going to say is, if you
want to use Linux, let's make sure that you get a
version of Linux that respects our intellectual
property, and I will even help you with that because
of the commitment we made.
...we've struck a deal under which we can provide
patent agreements to Linux customers in which
Microsoft's intellectual property is respected, and we
are appropriately compensated for the use of our
intellectual property.
... Novell is actually just a proxy for its customers,
and it's only for its customers.
"If you make an agreement which requires you to pay a royalty to anybody for the right to distribute GPL software, you may not distribute it under the GPL," Moglen told CNET News.com Thursday. Section 7 of the GPL "requires that you have, and pass along to everybody, the right to distribute software freely and without additional permission."
No, Copyright doesn't give the creator control of how their works are disseminated. For example, the first sale doctrine allows me to resell any book that I purchase to whomever I wish.
Second, there are many instances of Compulsory Licenses, where the creator can NOT refuse your use of their work. If you write and record a song, I have a legal right to cover it and distribute it commercially provided I pay you royalties. You can not refuse me and you don't even get to set the price (although you are free to accept a lower price or waive the fees, etc).
Chevy may not have the right to use the original Radiohead recording, but they DO have the legal right to record a cover of the song and use that. They'll have to pay, but Radiohead CAN'T refuse.
The purpose of Copyright law is not to give artists control, it is to give them an incentive to create.
Weird. The phrase Wisdom of the crowds was coined by James Surowiecki as the title of his book (see also wikipedia).
The premise was that crowds, on average, can do better than a committee of experts. It's not that there is someone always in the middle, it's actually the highs and the lows aggregated that make sense in the wisdom of the crowd.
This sounds like the old scam. Pick 1000 people. On day 1, send 500 of them a prediction that stock A will go up and send the other half a prediction that the stock will go down.
On day 2, the stock either went up or down. Either way, you made a correct prediction to 500 people. Split the 500 and send two more predictions on an all new stock.
Keep repeating this. On the fifth day, you'll have 75 people who have seen you make 5 perfect predictions in a row. Now ask each of them for $10,000 to invest in your next prediction...
Just because one person happens to have hit the mean each time doesn't mean he's got "the knack". Statistically, there's sure to be someone whose guesses approach the mean. But that doesn't mean that their next prediction is any more likely to be accurate.
Yeah, but google.com/ig can also let you throw your RSS feeds into one place. Plus, no blinking banners across the top!
What I *really* like about google is that I can also format my personalized page for mobile access. Not only can I now easily read my RSS feeds on my blackberry, but google also filters/adapts links from the RSS for mobile access.
Good for you. I recently dumped Verizon in favor of Speakeasy w/VoIP (via Covad). I think Verizon is still getting a cut from Covad, but I can't help that. The local cable company is worse than Verizon.
A few years back, my long distance carrier was changed ("slammed") to MCI without my authorization. I called Verizon and had to get them to put me back and waive the "change of carrier" fees ($10 for LD, $10 for regional LD, all times two since they charged both for the unauthorized change and the reversion). This took several months as they kept forgetting that there were four $10 charges that I wasn't responsible for.
After this happened, I asked how to avoid it and they said I could put a lock on the number which would only allow a change if I authorized. I said "do it". Three months later, it happened again (including their failure to promptly credit me the $40). When I asked how this happened with a lock, they said that MCI must have asked to unlock it. I asked what good the lock was (I may have said "fucking lock"). They said that I could add a password this time. I asked why they didn't think to tell me that in the first case, but fine. I came up with a password on the spot: "Verizon Sucks". They told me it could only be 10 letters. "V-E-R-I-Z-O-N-S-U-X". They checked with a supervisor who said they could accept that password. (Yes, I know, I shouldn't share a password, but I don't have them anymore).
The only good that came out of all that was that in the future when I called to fix billing mistakes (a fairly regular occurrence with Verizon), they would ask me for my password and then they knew exactly where I stood with them vis-a-vis their service.
I have more stories, but I don't have my blood pressure medicine handy so they'll have to wait for some other time...
Wait, you're saying our telecom and cable industries are unregulated? Sheesh, things are hopeless for libertarianism if anyone thinks the US is unregulated.
Of course, I'm not saying everyone would have cheaper internet access if the telecom were truly deregulated. The point of a free market is effeciency, not cheap internet. And, of course, TANSTAAFL. Max marginal tax rate in 1990: Sweden: 65%; US: 33%.
The thing that bugs me is that no one will fight these. In the end, Apple just said "Hey, if I pay you $100mil, we can wipe out the rest of the competition together." Anyone else with deep enough pockets to fight it will ultimately come to the same conclusion. The only people that would be willing to spend the next decade fighting over this patent don't have the money to do so.
RIM looked like they were gonna fight the good fight (despite starting out on the wrong side), but ultimately knuckled under. It's only a matter of time before Dish caves to TiVo. I guess Microsoft is still chugging away against Eolas, but when MS is your biggest ally, you're in trouble.
Oh, and Creative, unlike other patent trolls, does have real products. I guess all the BS about "defensive" patents didn't help Apple, did it?
I can confirm that it has been updated. I have an email about the 2005 recall that our IT staff sent and at that time, it only listed 9 of the 36 5-digit codes now listed on the dellbatteryprogram.com website. They seem to be using the same web site to track PPIDs that they used for the old recall. I think that makes sense, since some may have missed the 2005 recall and they may as well check ALL recalled batteries in one place.
I save virtually everything (spam being the biggest exception; I also delete logs but they are kept permanently on another account). All outgoing messgaes are stored in folders (refiled quarterly). Other messages are refiled into their appropriate folder. I typically keep my inbox under 50 messages.
I use exmh/nmh and glimpse to index everything. It's not google, but I can search everything in about 30 seconds or less if I restrict the search to a hierarchy of folders. Since things are well organized, glimpse only comes into play for more obscure searches anyways.
% folders -recurse|tail -1
TOTAL = 105045 messages in 223 folders.
Why only last week I forwarded someone a discussion I had in 1993 about rounding.
The problem is that C++/CLI is not ANSII. Even in MS's own documentation, they often refer to their language simply as "C++".
The Brits are concerned that if MS can't even keep the name straight, what's the chance of everyone else doing so. The end result will be programs that claim to be C++ programs that won't compile without MS.
So if I ever use my political freedom to express one point of view, I am then forever compelled to express diametrically opposed points of view as well?
It's not like Jyllands-Posten burned down the US embassy over Piss Christ. There reaction to that sort of anti-christian speech was, as is their right, to counter it with their own speech.
Slashdot Mirror
You could switch to another VoIP provider, but don't think for a minute that Verizon won't target them next. Or you could just go back to Verizon and help fund their terror war against VoIP.
It really makes no sense. The WHOLE point of patent applications being public is so that people can study (and improve on) them. Private individuals are free the build, study and even improve on patents (and they can even patent their improvements). In fact, it is conceivable that he could invent a solution, patent it, and then force HID to pay him to use his invention.
Giving a demo or publishing a paper is in NO WAY a patent violation. If he were building and selling a device that relied on the patent, then they might have a case.
Bits can be copied. Speculating on how to remove their fundamental property is waste of time. Speculating on how to make bits track and implement legislation (laws do change, you know?) is even more inane.
People are surprised that their bosses annual salary is more than their own annual salary?
It's not even an exhaustive list of horrible things MS has done. It's not even an exhaustive list of horrible things MS did during the case (e.g. faking video evidence).
And the fact that they got away scott free when Bush came into office doesn't make me feel any better about them either.
As long as they don't fix the flaw, he can still exploit it and circumvent any extra scrutiny they try and put on him.
I find it hilarious that a new law had to be passed "for the new millennium" that couldn't even account for changes in less than a decade.
Second, there are many instances of Compulsory Licenses, where the creator can NOT refuse your use of their work. If you write and record a song, I have a legal right to cover it and distribute it commercially provided I pay you royalties. You can not refuse me and you don't even get to set the price (although you are free to accept a lower price or waive the fees, etc).
Chevy may not have the right to use the original Radiohead recording, but they DO have the legal right to record a cover of the song and use that. They'll have to pay, but Radiohead CAN'T refuse.
The purpose of Copyright law is not to give artists control, it is to give them an incentive to create.
I thought you put the shaving cream on so you knew where you already shaved.
This sounds like the old scam. Pick 1000 people. On day 1, send 500 of them a prediction that stock A will go up and send the other half a prediction that the stock will go down.
On day 2, the stock either went up or down. Either way, you made a correct prediction to 500 people. Split the 500 and send two more predictions on an all new stock.
Keep repeating this. On the fifth day, you'll have 75 people who have seen you make 5 perfect predictions in a row. Now ask each of them for $10,000 to invest in your next prediction...
Just because one person happens to have hit the mean each time doesn't mean he's got "the knack". Statistically, there's sure to be someone whose guesses approach the mean. But that doesn't mean that their next prediction is any more likely to be accurate.
Stick with the aggregated mass knowledge.
Yeah, but google.com/ig can also let you throw your RSS feeds into one place. Plus, no blinking banners across the top!
What I *really* like about google is that I can also format my personalized page for mobile access. Not only can I now easily read my RSS feeds on my blackberry, but google also filters/adapts links from the RSS for mobile access.
Good for you. I recently dumped Verizon in favor of Speakeasy w/VoIP (via Covad). I think Verizon is still getting a cut from Covad, but I can't help that. The local cable company is worse than Verizon.
A few years back, my long distance carrier was changed ("slammed") to MCI without my authorization. I called Verizon and had to get them to put me back and waive the "change of carrier" fees ($10 for LD, $10 for regional LD, all times two since they charged both for the unauthorized change and the reversion). This took several months as they kept forgetting that there were four $10 charges that I wasn't responsible for.
After this happened, I asked how to avoid it and they said I could put a lock on the number which would only allow a change if I authorized. I said "do it". Three months later, it happened again (including their failure to promptly credit me the $40). When I asked how this happened with a lock, they said that MCI must have asked to unlock it. I asked what good the lock was (I may have said "fucking lock"). They said that I could add a password this time. I asked why they didn't think to tell me that in the first case, but fine. I came up with a password on the spot: "Verizon Sucks". They told me it could only be 10 letters. "V-E-R-I-Z-O-N-S-U-X". They checked with a supervisor who said they could accept that password. (Yes, I know, I shouldn't share a password, but I don't have them anymore).
The only good that came out of all that was that in the future when I called to fix billing mistakes (a fairly regular occurrence with Verizon), they would ask me for my password and then they knew exactly where I stood with them vis-a-vis their service.
I have more stories, but I don't have my blood pressure medicine handy so they'll have to wait for some other time...
Wait, you're saying our telecom and cable industries are unregulated? Sheesh, things are hopeless for libertarianism if anyone thinks the US is unregulated.
9 .html
e s.html
Of course, I'm not saying everyone would have cheaper internet access if the telecom were truly deregulated. The point of a free market is effeciency, not cheap internet. And, of course, TANSTAAFL. Max marginal tax rate in 1990: Sweden: 65%; US: 33%.
Oh, and regarding Cuba: http://www.overpopulation.com/articles/2002/00001
Marginal tax rates: http://www.econlib.org/library/enc/MarginalTaxRat
The thing that bugs me is that no one will fight these. In the end, Apple just said "Hey, if I pay you $100mil, we can wipe out the rest of the competition together." Anyone else with deep enough pockets to fight it will ultimately come to the same conclusion. The only people that would be willing to spend the next decade fighting over this patent don't have the money to do so.
RIM looked like they were gonna fight the good fight (despite starting out on the wrong side), but ultimately knuckled under. It's only a matter of time before Dish caves to TiVo. I guess Microsoft is still chugging away against Eolas, but when MS is your biggest ally, you're in trouble.
Oh, and Creative, unlike other patent trolls, does have real products. I guess all the BS about "defensive" patents didn't help Apple, did it?
I can confirm that it has been updated. I have an email about the 2005 recall that our IT staff sent and at that time, it only listed 9 of the 36 5-digit codes now listed on the dellbatteryprogram.com website. They seem to be using the same web site to track PPIDs that they used for the old recall. I think that makes sense, since some may have missed the 2005 recall and they may as well check ALL recalled batteries in one place.
CP/M was fine, but I installed ZCPR on all my Kaypros...
I use exmh/nmh and glimpse to index everything. It's not google, but I can search everything in about 30 seconds or less if I restrict the search to a hierarchy of folders. Since things are well organized, glimpse only comes into play for more obscure searches anyways.
% folders -recurse|tail -1
TOTAL = 105045 messages in 223 folders.
Why only last week I forwarded someone a discussion I had in 1993 about rounding.
Back in my day, I was given red/green glasses and told to watch B&W TV. I suppose it might be difficult to find B&W TVs nowadays...
The Brits are concerned that if MS can't even keep the name straight, what's the chance of everyone else doing so. The end result will be programs that claim to be C++ programs that won't compile without MS.
So if I ever use my political freedom to express one point of view, I am then forever compelled to express diametrically opposed points of view as well?
It's not like Jyllands-Posten burned down the US embassy over Piss Christ. There reaction to that sort of anti-christian speech was, as is their right, to counter it with their own speech.