This does have a problem. England uses the Loser pays system. Microsoft once attempted to use the fact that a company sueing them for copyright violations wouldn't be able to pay MS's legal costs if MS won.
Unfortunately for Microsoft, they were being sued under Scottish law. The article didn't actually explain how that works, but did say something about scottish law allows you to be poor and right.
I did hear a suggestion that damages should be based on a multiple of the loser's costs. Quite a nice idea, but breaks down if someone decides to defend themselves.
Its the lawyers being ultra paranoid that somebody might pirate their header files. It's not that people can't get almost identical header files elsewhere, its just that THEY created them, so YOU can't use them. Then they decided to make the terms more general so that they cover everything.
Its a bit like the copyright notice in the UNIX true program (the empty script version, not the GPLed version with the help options)
Yes it would. It is also hard to claim that it breaches copyright since it only allows people to look at sites in a different way, and by putting material on a public wwebsite, you implicitly give permission for people to download it. Then there's the isue that since they are claiming this is contributary to breach of copyright, the "save as" menu option on netscape is also contributary.
The problem is that you have to argue this point. Corporations are very very slow witted. And what benefit would it give? Its so much less hassle to just agree.
Why? I think that history has shown us many times that the English and French do not mix
Not referring to that little spat we had called the Hundred Years War are you? It was all in the spirit of gentlemanly fun. There were no hard feelings on either side.
Is it my imagination, or has the stance taken by the media shifted slightly regarding DeCSS, and the DMCA. A short time ago, the DeCSS was described as a program that allows copying of DVD's. Here it is described as a "utility that is used to defeat the encryption on DVDs". Perhaps we could keep it up, and get it described as "a tool to allow people to watch DVD's without paying a cut to the MPAA"
My contract says something along the lines of the company gets first refusal on anything developed in my own time, and I'm not allowed to offer a more desirable deal to any other company.
It might also be possible to insist on a perpetual non-revokeable licence for company use of any work written by the employee.
If they want to release under GPL, then this is not a problem. If they want to release as shareware, then they get all the money, apart from what the company would have paid.
I'd also insist on restricting it so that it only applies to work directly relating to the company, or fields that the company might reasonably be expected to branch into.
Thats a god point. Setting off a Nuke on the moon would have been a total PR disaster! Once it had gone off, the soviet ruling classes would have claimed that it was a demonstration of the miliatary might of the USSR!
The USSR probably had the technology to put a nuke on the moon before the US. If they had done this, would the US have thought that they would never win against the might of the mighty Soviet Union?
Why should we waste our money on presumptive research, 90% of which will turn out to be a complete waste of time and money?
Because 10% is worth the time and money. Electricity was considered a scientific curiosity for many years. If that was abandoned because it wasn't profitable, then I think the 20th century would have looked a bit different.
Has anyone worked out the maths on this? I would expect it to fall towards the sun (if the sail was taken down), miss, and head away again at approximately the same speed. The sail would be able to give it a good boost especially if it got very close to the sun. It might even be possible to use a nearby planet as a slingshot. This would mean that we'd have to get to a star before deciding where to go next though.
MS Works was the problem in my case. The only Word processor that doesn't handle Word Format is made my MS. Strangley enough, last tinme I tried RTF, Word managed to interpret it differently. I propose that everybody should use Wordperfect 5 format for everything.
This can be difficult. A friend had a conversation that went a bit like this:
Manager: So how much does this Linux thing cost? Tech: Well, you just have to use my CD M: We can't do that. we need to pay for a licence T: No you don't. It's free M: But how about a commercial licence? T: It's GPLed code. You don't need a licence. You can do anything you want to it. You can even resell it. M: But isn't that piracy?
Okay, he explained it after a while, but it isn't easy.
The Washington Post makes me sick with their pro-MS slant to everything,
I think someone giving an oposite opinions helps. It means you can be sure that all the information is available rather than just the information that one side wants you to see. Personally Ithought that the WP artile was quit balanced though.
Ooops. Ddin't think of that. Although by telling people where they could find the posts with instructions on how to circumvent the EULA, Microsoft has breached the DMCA, and should therefore sue themselves. (I came to a similar argument in UK Libel law as well, whereby if you could sue a remote ISP for libel, then you should also be able to sue your own ISP, because it is part of the delevery system, and therefore you could sue yourself, as another part of the delvivery system.
Slashdot Mirror
I mentioned this in a another post on this article. As well as another possible way of working out who pays.
This does have a problem. England uses the Loser pays system. Microsoft once attempted to use the fact that a company sueing them for copyright violations wouldn't be able to pay MS's legal costs if MS won.
Unfortunately for Microsoft, they were being sued under Scottish law. The article didn't actually explain how that works, but did say something about scottish law allows you to be poor and right.
I did hear a suggestion that damages should be based on a multiple of the loser's costs. Quite a nice idea, but breaks down if someone decides to defend themselves.
"both copyright and trademark law favor broad consumer choice."
Is he actually familiar with copyright law?
Its the lawyers being ultra paranoid that somebody might pirate their header files. It's not that people can't get almost identical header files elsewhere, its just that THEY created them, so YOU can't use them. Then they decided to make the terms more general so that they cover everything.
Its a bit like the copyright notice in the UNIX true program (the empty script version, not the GPLed version with the help options)
Yes it would. It is also hard to claim that it breaches copyright since it only allows people to look at sites in a different way, and by putting material on a public wwebsite, you implicitly give permission for people to download it. Then there's the isue that since they are claiming this is contributary to breach of copyright, the "save as" menu option on netscape is also contributary.
The problem is that you have to argue this point. Corporations are very very slow witted. And what benefit would it give? Its so much less hassle to just agree.
A "We hate your continent" Troll on the front page
Why? I think that history has shown us many times that the English and French do not mix
Not referring to that little spat we had called the Hundred Years War are you? It was all in the spirit of gentlemanly fun. There were no hard feelings on either side.
Go easy on the guy. Some people set the mode to flat. It's easy to make this sort of mistake.
No, I don't like Star Trek for its feeble attempts at indoctrination and social conditioning disguised as an "optimistic" view of the future.
Ahhh, so you prefer the indoctrination and social conditioning that you received.
Everyone knows... The only true Science Fiction on TV or film is Doctor Who!
Is it my imagination, or has the stance taken by the media shifted slightly regarding DeCSS, and the DMCA. A short time ago, the DeCSS was described as a program that allows copying of DVD's. Here it is described as a "utility that is used to defeat the encryption on DVDs". Perhaps we could keep it up, and get it described as "a tool to allow people to watch DVD's without paying a cut to the MPAA"
If I ever meat the guy who's been leaving beef in my garden I will KICK HIS ASS!
This code has no honor. It deserves to be executed.
My contract says something along the lines of the company gets first refusal on anything developed in my own time, and I'm not allowed to offer a more desirable deal to any other company.
It might also be possible to insist on a perpetual non-revokeable licence for company use of any work written by the employee.
If they want to release under GPL, then this is not a problem. If they want to release as shareware, then they get all the money, apart from what the company would have paid.
I'd also insist on restricting it so that it only applies to work directly relating to the company, or fields that the company might reasonably be expected to branch into.
Thats a god point. Setting off a Nuke on the moon would have been a total PR disaster! Once it had gone off, the soviet ruling classes would have claimed that it was a demonstration of the miliatary might of the USSR!
Do you know just how many countries the US has bombed since WW2,
Its somewhere in the region of 30 isn't it? Germany bombing England worked about as well in WW2.
The USSR probably had the technology to put a nuke on the moon before the US. If they had done this, would the US have thought that they would never win against the might of the mighty Soviet Union?
I wonder why I'm even responding to this......
Why should we waste our money on presumptive research, 90% of which will turn out to be a complete waste of time and money?
Because 10% is worth the time and money. Electricity was considered a scientific curiosity for many years. If that was abandoned because it wasn't profitable, then I think the 20th century would have looked a bit different.
what if it approached another sun?
Has anyone worked out the maths on this? I would expect it to fall towards the sun (if the sail was taken down), miss, and head away again at approximately the same speed. The sail would be able to give it a good boost especially if it got very close to the sun. It might even be possible to use a nearby planet as a slingshot. This would mean that we'd have to get to a star before deciding where to go next though.
Tell them that there's lots of one player games for Linux.
>So according to you, I can't tape anything on TV and watch it later, unless there's a disclaimer?
If you don't want to break any laws, pretty much, yes.
Not true. Taping for later viewing is considered fair use (dealyed viewing). Strictly speaking you have to erase the tape after you watch it.
MS Works was the problem in my case. The only Word processor that doesn't handle Word Format is made my MS. Strangley enough, last tinme I tried RTF, Word managed to interpret it differently. I propose that everybody should use Wordperfect 5 format for everything.
Explain the GPL to them,
This can be difficult. A friend had a conversation that went a bit like this:
Manager: So how much does this Linux thing cost?
Tech: Well, you just have to use my CD
M: We can't do that. we need to pay for a licence
T: No you don't. It's free
M: But how about a commercial licence?
T: It's GPLed code. You don't need a licence. You can do anything you want to it. You can even resell it.
M: But isn't that piracy?
Okay, he explained it after a while, but it isn't easy.
The Washington Post makes me sick with their pro-MS slant to everything,
I think someone giving an oposite opinions helps. It means you can be sure that all the information is available rather than just the information that one side wants you to see. Personally Ithought that the WP artile was quit balanced though.
Ooops. Ddin't think of that. Although by telling people where they could find the posts with instructions on how to circumvent the EULA, Microsoft has breached the DMCA, and should therefore sue themselves. (I came to a similar argument in UK Libel law as well, whereby if you could sue a remote ISP for libel, then you should also be able to sue your own ISP, because it is part of the delevery system, and therefore you could sue yourself, as another part of the delvivery system.