I don't think anything is. However, any research based on these ideas would still be unusable in the US. The rest of the world is quite a large place, so the scientific research would still happen. The problem is that the US would be unable to benefit.
It does seem that the next step would be to patent the process of acquiring a patent and then suing anyone who uses it. Granted, that would be too broad, but if you were slightly more specific, for example, specifying that the patent for the invention has to be in a specific field, you would end up effectively abolishing all patents in that field.
Seriously, if you tried giving anyone beer than had been dyed green in Ireland, you'd be introduced to that other tradtitional Irish custom of having your head smashed against the bar.
But decryption shouldn't cause that much overhead (and maybe it doesn't... people are questioning the methodology). Most encryption algorithms are based on shifting and boolean operations on bits. Even algorithms like PGP use something like this for the actual message. Surely this should need considerably less CPU power than the FFT type algorithms used in audio decompression.
Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray players are backward compatible AFAIK, so whats the problem?
Lower resolution.
And a high-def version of a movie isnt covered by the same license as the DVD version either way.
But why should someone have to pay twice just for the same movie? It's exactly the same intellectual property. It doesn't cost them any more to make a movie at 1080 lines than it does at 480, apart from the additional mastering costs. Since the buyer has already paid for the rights to watch the movie, what difference does it make to them what resolution he watches it in?
Well, iTunes could easily be pulled out of France without any significant effect. EU law will allow people to buy music from any other EU nation. Losing a portion of their revenue will be a more significant matter though. This will give their competitors a handhold on the market, and France makes up quite a substantial portion of the EU market.
I liked the plot. It was just badly handled with a poor script. The basic idea of going into the computer and teaming up with a superhero program is kinda goofy but a pretty cool idea for kids. Plus I think the idea of anthropomorphic computer programs working in the computer was pretty cute. The same basic concept was used fairly well on Reboot.
No. We're not aware of the problems we have because w esimply don't see them as problems. But perhaps in 20 years, people will have music composition devices, and will be surprised that people once had to play exactly the same music again and again. Or maybe in 100 years there will be a garage industry providing extra limbs. And if we can develop strong AI we'll probably find dozens of uses. What about the possiblities provided by ultra lightweight rocket motors? interplanetary travel and personal rocket packs would be viable, but we'll also be able to operate orbital hotels and sports arenas.
And the thing is - most of these ideas are going to seem silly in the future because I've completely failed to consider a fundamental invention (a bit like Arthur C Clarke's huge manned telecoms satellites because he failed to predict miniaturisation).
But I would like an extra pair of arms, so if the biotech people can get working on that I'll be most grateful.
FWIW, we aren't living an a democracy either, its a republic.
Only if your knowledge of politics is based on Sid Miers' Civilization. The US is a federal democratic republic with a president elected through inderect democracy as the head of a nation made up of a number of states many of which provide at least some form of direct democracy, and most of which are representative democracies.
Democracy and republic are not mutually exclusive.
They say that if you break the rules you'll be punished. Right?
But not that programmable keyboards are against the rules.
Well, they also say they can punish you any way they see fit. Right?
They say "Accounts are closed when a player has excessively and/or grossly violated our policies. When an account is closed, the player is no longer able to access the account. Account Closures are rare and represent a player who is unable to abide by our rules and insists on negatively affecting other players' enjoyment of the game or harming the service itself.". The user has neither excessively or grossly violated their policies. He has indicated he is willing to abide by the rules since they have been clarified. He has not negatively affected other playrs enjoyment except in a very abstract manner, and has not harmed the service. So no.
Does said keyboard has a separate LCD panel and set of keys that allows the user to create Macros?
I don't know. And since they didn't ask, presumably neither did they
If they're going to write the agreement and be the ones interpreting it, then they should be a lot more clear about it than this, as well as what the penalty is for violating hese terms.
Blizzard have completely destroyed something that has value to this user based on something that is a violation of an unclear term in their user agreement, and in doing so have reacted considerably more extremely than their stated policy indicates. Thheir legal right to do so doesn't make it reasonable.
So why don't they say so in the T&Cs? If they're going to ruin several months worth of gameplay then they should make it clear beforehand that they're going to do so!
This isn't even an interpretation issue, since the TOS is quite clear.
Really? I searched for "keyboard" and got nothing. I searched for "macro" and got 2 terms, one of which was clearly not relevent, and the other was "(vi) You may not use software products which... provide scripting and/or macroing to obtain information from World of Warcraft to gain a competitive advantage over other players.".
A keyboard is not a software product.
Then there's the "penalty volcano". "Accounts are closed when a player has excessively and/or grossly violated our policies. When an account is closed, the player is no longer able to access the account. Account Closures are rare and represent a player who is unable to abide by our rules and insists on negatively affecting other players' enjoyment of the game or harming the service itself". The violation was minor and doesn't even justify a 3 hour suspension according to these rules.
It missed the point before. It still misses the point. People are arguing its unfair so you provide an argument that it's legal. Things can be legal and unfair.
Does the person signiong the contract have legal training? Can he negotiate? Does he have any option other than take it or leave it? No he doesn't. The initial negotiating positions aren't balanced.
Now, this person contests that he didn't breach the TOS. The TOS are not clear on the use of programmable keyboards, and Blizzard seem to have violated their own procedure for permanantly banning a user. Yet Blizard are using their own interpretation of the contract. Clearly, this user interprets it differently.
Yaawn! Contract, TOS, Their server... Yeah. Heard it all before. Totally misses the point.
The point is the perceived unjustness that someone can arbitrarily deny a user access to a character that has value to the person, without any real right of appeal.
But it's still a game design issue. The developers need to create more rewarding ways to get ahead in the game. The only way to stop people from buying from gold farmers is to stop them from wanting to buy from gold farmers.
You think you've got problems? I've been playing The Sims. Now I can't stop myself from cooking, watching TV, going to work, and attempting to build relationships.
But parents don't take the BBFC rating seriously on games (and I'm not sure about the shops). I heard a couple of kids (14 or so) on the bus, talking about GTA:San Andreas. Either they managed to buy it or their parents decided it was suitable for them.
Okay, I don't think this is too bad - I liked some pretty gruesome games at that age too, and was quite able to tell the difference between games and reality - I don't think the interactive experience has yet got to the point where we can consider games to be genuinely realistic, but such open arbitrary scorn for a legally enforced ratings system is not a good thing.
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I don't think anything is. However, any research based on these ideas would still be unusable in the US. The rest of the world is quite a large place, so the scientific research would still happen. The problem is that the US would be unable to benefit.
It does seem that the next step would be to patent the process of acquiring a patent and then suing anyone who uses it. Granted, that would be too broad, but if you were slightly more specific, for example, specifying that the patent for the invention has to be in a specific field, you would end up effectively abolishing all patents in that field.
Seriously, if you tried giving anyone beer than had been dyed green in Ireland, you'd be introduced to that other tradtitional Irish custom of having your head smashed against the bar.
But decryption shouldn't cause that much overhead (and maybe it doesn't... people are questioning the methodology). Most encryption algorithms are based on shifting and boolean operations on bits. Even algorithms like PGP use something like this for the actual message. Surely this should need considerably less CPU power than the FFT type algorithms used in audio decompression.
if someone has original beatles records, they deserve upgrades to new media perpetually forever.
If he's willing to pay for the cost of media, then why not?
Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray players are backward compatible AFAIK, so whats the problem?
Lower resolution.
And a high-def version of a movie isnt covered by the same license as the DVD version either way.
But why should someone have to pay twice just for the same movie? It's exactly the same intellectual property. It doesn't cost them any more to make a movie at 1080 lines than it does at 480, apart from the additional mastering costs. Since the buyer has already paid for the rights to watch the movie, what difference does it make to them what resolution he watches it in?
Fair enough:)
I did consider putting in a comment about the typical linguistic ability in the Netherlands, but the comment was a little too rambling.
"You may copy this content and reproduce it, but not for profit" (or whatever) couldn't get much clearer.
Unless your native language is Dutch.
So won't the French, who want an iPod, just roll through the Chunnel, and buy one?
Or more likely order over the internet. But they would lose out on the sales from local shops, and some people do prefer to buy this way.
Well, iTunes could easily be pulled out of France without any significant effect. EU law will allow people to buy music from any other EU nation. Losing a portion of their revenue will be a more significant matter though. This will give their competitors a handhold on the market, and France makes up quite a substantial portion of the EU market.
You shouldn't usually sacrifice security for productivity, unless you don't need the security.
Not true. Computers owuld be more secure, and a lot less productive, if they weren't networked. Everything gets compromised
I liked the plot. It was just badly handled with a poor script. The basic idea of going into the computer and teaming up with a superhero program is kinda goofy but a pretty cool idea for kids. Plus I think the idea of anthropomorphic computer programs working in the computer was pretty cute. The same basic concept was used fairly well on Reboot.
I wasn't aware of a wireless monitor adapter?
Well, you could use a composite monitor and a wireless TV sender... Would that count?
No. We're not aware of the problems we have because w esimply don't see them as problems. But perhaps in 20 years, people will have music composition devices, and will be surprised that people once had to play exactly the same music again and again. Or maybe in 100 years there will be a garage industry providing extra limbs. And if we can develop strong AI we'll probably find dozens of uses. What about the possiblities provided by ultra lightweight rocket motors? interplanetary travel and personal rocket packs would be viable, but we'll also be able to operate orbital hotels and sports arenas.
And the thing is - most of these ideas are going to seem silly in the future because I've completely failed to consider a fundamental invention (a bit like Arthur C Clarke's huge manned telecoms satellites because he failed to predict miniaturisation).
But I would like an extra pair of arms, so if the biotech people can get working on that I'll be most grateful.
FWIW, we aren't living an a democracy either, its a republic.
Only if your knowledge of politics is based on Sid Miers' Civilization. The US is a federal democratic republic with a president elected through inderect democracy as the head of a nation made up of a number of states many of which provide at least some form of direct democracy, and most of which are representative democracies.
Democracy and republic are not mutually exclusive.
They say that if you break the rules you'll be punished. Right?
But not that programmable keyboards are against the rules.
Well, they also say they can punish you any way they see fit. Right?
They say "Accounts are closed when a player has excessively and/or grossly violated our policies. When an account is closed, the player is no longer able to access the account. Account Closures are rare and represent a player who is unable to abide by our rules and insists on negatively affecting other players' enjoyment of the game or harming the service itself.". The user has neither excessively or grossly violated their policies. He has indicated he is willing to abide by the rules since they have been clarified. He has not negatively affected other playrs enjoyment except in a very abstract manner, and has not harmed the service. So no.
Sell one to Pakistan. Wait for them to reverse engineer the thing (Apparently they do this a lot). Buy the software back from them:)
Does said keyboard has a separate LCD panel and set of keys that allows the user to create Macros?
I don't know. And since they didn't ask, presumably neither did they
If they're going to write the agreement and be the ones interpreting it, then they should be a lot more clear about it than this, as well as what the penalty is for violating hese terms.
Blizzard have completely destroyed something that has value to this user based on something that is a violation of an unclear term in their user agreement, and in doing so have reacted considerably more extremely than their stated policy indicates. Thheir legal right to do so doesn't make it reasonable.
So why don't they say so in the T&Cs? If they're going to ruin several months worth of gameplay then they should make it clear beforehand that they're going to do so!
This isn't even an interpretation issue, since the TOS is quite clear.
... provide scripting and/or macroing to obtain information from World of Warcraft to gain a competitive advantage over other players.".
Really? I searched for "keyboard" and got nothing. I searched for "macro" and got 2 terms, one of which was clearly not relevent, and the other was "(vi) You may not use software products which
A keyboard is not a software product.
Then there's the "penalty volcano". "Accounts are closed when a player has excessively and/or grossly violated our policies. When an account is closed, the player is no longer able to access the account. Account Closures are rare and represent a player who is unable to abide by our rules and insists on negatively affecting other players' enjoyment of the game or harming the service itself". The violation was minor and doesn't even justify a 3 hour suspension according to these rules.
It missed the point before. It still misses the point. People are arguing its unfair so you provide an argument that it's legal. Things can be legal and unfair.
Does the person signiong the contract have legal training? Can he negotiate? Does he have any option other than take it or leave it? No he doesn't. The initial negotiating positions aren't balanced.
Now, this person contests that he didn't breach the TOS. The TOS are not clear on the use of programmable keyboards, and Blizzard seem to have violated their own procedure for permanantly banning a user. Yet Blizard are using their own interpretation of the contract. Clearly, this user interprets it differently.
Yaawn! Contract, TOS, Their server... Yeah. Heard it all before. Totally misses the point.
The point is the perceived unjustness that someone can arbitrarily deny a user access to a character that has value to the person, without any real right of appeal.
But it's still a game design issue. The developers need to create more rewarding ways to get ahead in the game. The only way to stop people from buying from gold farmers is to stop them from wanting to buy from gold farmers.
You think you've got problems? I've been playing The Sims. Now I can't stop myself from cooking, watching TV, going to work, and attempting to build relationships.
This game should be banned!
But parents don't take the BBFC rating seriously on games (and I'm not sure about the shops). I heard a couple of kids (14 or so) on the bus, talking about GTA:San Andreas. Either they managed to buy it or their parents decided it was suitable for them.
Okay, I don't think this is too bad - I liked some pretty gruesome games at that age too, and was quite able to tell the difference between games and reality - I don't think the interactive experience has yet got to the point where we can consider games to be genuinely realistic, but such open arbitrary scorn for a legally enforced ratings system is not a good thing.