The rider I'd attach would be to require continual surveillance of all federal elected officials and their families for attempts at copyright violation.
C'mon, fellow Californians! We can do better than this start petitioning our legislature. Remember, we (Los Angeles) are one of the seats of the recording industry.
I propose: - Mandatory registration of all CD's - "Use a CD, go to prison" laws - 10 day waiting period for all CD purchases.
Oh! Maybe I should (just in case) add: 4 - ??? 5 - Profit!!!
I suspect that something like this happened to me the other day. The only change I experienced was that the theme I had set was suddenly lost, and it went to the plain Google logo setting. Everything else about my homepage remained intact.
AFAIK, prosecutors' offices always evaluate whether to prosecute a case based, in part, on whether or not it's even possible to get a conviction. If the case is weak, they are more motivated to accept the offer of a plea bargain from the accused.
If the case is very weak, they frequently have no choice but to drop it.
As you know, in a deposition in January, I was asked questions about my relationship with Monica Lewinsky. While my answers were legally accurate, I did not volunteer information.
Indeed, I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible.
But I told the grand jury today and I say to you now that at no time did I ask anyone to lie, to hide or destroy evidence or to take any other unlawful action.
I know that my public comments and my silence about this matter gave a false impression. I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that.
While he doesn't actually use the word "lied", and insisted that his answers were "legally accurate", the fact that he was punished for it pretty well says what the court thought of his answers.
I would imagine that the breakthrough theory that allows FTL travel (FTLT) will be published in some scientific journal.
Immediately, someone other than the researcher who discovered the breakthrough will file: Patent #1: Method of transporting passengers through space using FTLT. Patent #2: Method of shipping cargo through space using FTLT. Patent #3: Method of sending text messages through space using FTLT. Patent #4: Method of sending voice messages through space using FTLT. etc.
Now, once the method for FTLT becomes apparent, why would each of those ideas merit a patent? And yet they seem to, under the current system.
If there is no other way to implement VOIP, then is the patent even valid? It would seem to me that if you want to perform some task, and there is exactly one way to accomplish that task, that the solution is clear and obvious.
But obviousness is supposed to invalidate a patent, isn't it?
Then again, I guess that hasn't exactly been the standard that the patent office uses anymore, is it?
Right off the top of my head, putting a "For Sale" sign on a domain within minutes of registering it would be a good indicator of squatting.
That happened to me a couple of years ago. I was trying to grab an expiring domain for myself, but it was taken, instead by someone in some Eastern European country, and included a "For Sale" notice right there in the domain registration info the moment it was registered.
Your point is pretty much the one I was going to make: Apple stands to make few, if any, new hardware sales by releasing Leopard. The people that want Leopard are most likely already loyal Mac users.
The iPhone, however, stands to create an entirely new user base. For many people, the iPhone will be their first exposure Mac-ness, and could even lead to new sales of other Apple products.
I posted this in another thread but it was deeply embedded, so I'll repost it here where more people might see it and have this question answered.
Unless I'm misinterpreting it, DSLExtreme's TOS (for example) says:
12. TERMINATION BY DSLEXTREME. If, in DSLExtreme's sole discretion, (a) a Subscriber is in breach of any of the terms of this Agreement (including but not limited to the Acceptable Use Policy);...snip... or (e) DSLExtreme for any reason ceases to offer the Service, then DSLExtreme at its sole election may terminate or suspend such Subscriber's Service immediately without notice. For a termination in accordance with this paragraph, Subscriber remains liable for all unpaid fees and other charges accrued or otherwise payable under the terms of this Agreement, including without limitation the Early Termination Fee and equipment charges set forth herein, if applicable.
So, yeah, some companies explicitly say they can shut you off and you're still on the hook to early termination fees.
12. TERMINATION BY DSLEXTREME. If, in DSLExtreme's sole discretion, (a) a Subscriber is in breach of any of the terms of this Agreement (including but not limited to the Acceptable Use Policy); (b) a Subscriber's use of the Service is prohibited by law or is disruptive to, adversely impacts or causes a malfunction to the Service, DSLExtreme's servers or other equipment, or the use and enjoyment of other users; (c) a Subscriber acts in an abusive or menacing manner when dealing with DSLExtreme's technical support staff, customer service staff or any other DSLExtreme employees or representatives; (d) DSLExtreme receives an order from a court to terminate a Subscriber's Service; or (e) DSLExtreme for any reason ceases to offer the Service, then DSLExtreme at its sole election may terminate or suspend such Subscriber's Service immediately without notice. For a termination in accordance with this paragraph, Subscriber remains liable for all unpaid fees and other charges accrued or otherwise payable under the terms of this Agreement, including without limitation the Early Termination Fee and equipment charges set forth herein, if applicable.
You're probably thinking of the Zune marketing director, Jason Reindorp, who referred to Jobs' call for an end to DRM as "irresponsible, or at the very least naïve".
I would also nominate the IBM PS/2. IBM's idea was to kill off the old ISA architecture that they had mistakenly given to the world for free, by coming up with a newer architecture: Microchannel. In doing so they made themselves irrelevant.
Even IBM didn't want it.
I was working for a company that embedded off-the-shelf PCs in our units at the time IBM came out with their new machines, and IBM happened to place an order with us. At one point, IBM's rep looked at our salesman with big puppydog eyes and said "You wouldn't use someone else's PC in our units, would you?"
Naturally, our saleman said "Oh, of course not! We're devoted IBM users!", and we immediately placed an order for a dozen PS/2s - the ones with (IIRC) the 80286 processors in them and the Microchannel bus.
In a later meeting, the fact that these machines were being installed was discussed, and IBM's response was "You're not using those are you? We want to use the other PS/2's - the ones with the ISA bus."
So another order was placed, this time for the other PS/2s, and for the next couple of years our development machines were PS/2s, with Microchannel buses:-)
Slashdot Mirror
The rider I'd attach would be to require continual surveillance of all federal elected officials and their families for attempts at copyright violation.
Personally, I'm holding out for him to finish his "Howard the Duck" trilogy.
No internet access while on the subway???
But you're sitting right there, in one of the tubes!!!
C'mon, fellow Californians! We can do better than this start petitioning our legislature. Remember, we (Los Angeles) are one of the seats of the recording industry.
I propose:
- Mandatory registration of all CD's
- "Use a CD, go to prison" laws
- 10 day waiting period for all CD purchases.
Oh! Maybe I should (just in case) add:
4 - ???
5 - Profit!!!
Judging by the post a few above yours, you won't have to worry about it for long. Your domain will probably be suspended in a few hours.
I suspect that something like this happened to me the other day. The only change I experienced was that the theme I had set was suddenly lost, and it went to the plain Google logo setting. Everything else about my homepage remained intact.
Who fined him and suspended his license?
Judge Susan Webber Wright, and the state of Arkansas and the U.S. Supreme Court, for the respective actions.
Did they have to be certain beyond a reasonable doubt?
I don't know for certain, but I wouldn't think such actions would be done on whims.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,138621,00.html
AFAIK, prosecutors' offices always evaluate whether to prosecute a case based, in part, on whether or not it's even possible to get a conviction. If the case is weak, they are more motivated to accept the offer of a plea bargain from the accused.
If the case is very weak, they frequently have no choice but to drop it.
Then why was he fined and had his law license suspended?
From Clinton's address:While he doesn't actually use the word "lied", and insisted that his answers were "legally accurate", the fact that he was punished for it pretty well says what the court thought of his answers.
Yay monkeys! (My favorite news quote of 2002.)
I would imagine that the breakthrough theory that allows FTL travel (FTLT) will be published in some scientific journal.
Immediately, someone other than the researcher who discovered the breakthrough will file:
Patent #1: Method of transporting passengers through space using FTLT.
Patent #2: Method of shipping cargo through space using FTLT.
Patent #3: Method of sending text messages through space using FTLT.
Patent #4: Method of sending voice messages through space using FTLT.
etc.
Now, once the method for FTLT becomes apparent, why would each of those ideas merit a patent? And yet they seem to, under the current system.
If there is no other way to implement VOIP, then is the patent even valid? It would seem to me that if you want to perform some task, and there is exactly one way to accomplish that task, that the solution is clear and obvious.
But obviousness is supposed to invalidate a patent, isn't it?
Then again, I guess that hasn't exactly been the standard that the patent office uses anymore, is it?
Right off the top of my head, putting a "For Sale" sign on a domain within minutes of registering it would be a good indicator of squatting.
That happened to me a couple of years ago. I was trying to grab an expiring domain for myself, but it was taken, instead by someone in some Eastern European country, and included a "For Sale" notice right there in the domain registration info the moment it was registered.
Your point is pretty much the one I was going to make: Apple stands to make few, if any, new hardware sales by releasing Leopard. The people that want Leopard are most likely already loyal Mac users.
The iPhone, however, stands to create an entirely new user base. For many people, the iPhone will be their first exposure Mac-ness, and could even lead to new sales of other Apple products.
Unless I'm misinterpreting it, DSLExtreme's TOS (for example) says:So, yeah, some companies explicitly say they can shut you off and you're still on the hook to early termination fees.
I hate it when people understate the popularity of the Zune like this.
There are, in fact, sixteen Zune owners.
You're probably thinking of the Zune marketing director, Jason Reindorp, who referred to Jobs' call for an end to DRM as "irresponsible, or at the very least naïve".
I downloaded some malware from the internet that was offered for free, and now they want to charge me for maintaining it?
That's it for me. From now on I'm using only open-source malware.
This is outrageous! It's extortion, that's what it is! It's downright criminal... Oh!
I have, sitting on my desk right now, a parallel port based zip drive. I think I've used it once since it was given to me a couple of years ago.
But at home I have a USB 250MB zip drive, and I still use it to back up photographs and such.
I would also nominate the IBM PS/2. IBM's idea was to kill off the old ISA architecture that they had mistakenly given to the world for free, by coming up with a newer architecture: Microchannel. In doing so they made themselves irrelevant.
:-)
Even IBM didn't want it.
I was working for a company that embedded off-the-shelf PCs in our units at the time IBM came out with their new machines, and IBM happened to place an order with us. At one point, IBM's rep looked at our salesman with big puppydog eyes and said "You wouldn't use someone else's PC in our units, would you?"
Naturally, our saleman said "Oh, of course not! We're devoted IBM users!", and we immediately placed an order for a dozen PS/2s - the ones with (IIRC) the 80286 processors in them and the Microchannel bus.
In a later meeting, the fact that these machines were being installed was discussed, and IBM's response was "You're not using those are you? We want to use the other PS/2's - the ones with the ISA bus."
So another order was placed, this time for the other PS/2s, and for the next couple of years our development machines were PS/2s, with Microchannel buses