UDE (Upper Deck Entertainment) Released a card game for WoW last week, it is one of the better CCG's (collectible card game) we've seen in a long long time.
In each pack of cards is a 'FREE' UDE points card, it is worth 100 UDE points, which are good for redeeming UDE merchandise and in game WoW items.
The submitter (and invariably slashdot) have a pretty tainted view of things, since this item is free and is there simply as a value add to the card game, they of course make no mention of the 'loot' cards you can pull in the set that give you in game mounts one of which is currently ebaying for $250~300.
Only complaints about the free item they put into the card packs, which reward the CCG game players for purchasing the packs.
Any WoW online player that bought the packs only for the possibility of getting online items is a huge and total fool.
People want to complain when a product that wasn't meant to be used in a certain way doesn't work the way they want it too as is the case here.
This is a CCG rarity and scarcity are a factor for people who play a game like this, you either grok that and are okay with it and play the game or you don't.
Also as another note, this game is so good it's sold out within the week at 100's of stores across the country (including mine)
I can tell you, since I sold 90% of the product at my shop no one there even cared about the points (or if they did, it was an after thought)
My results were: You got 10 out of 10 correct, or 100 %
Some how I managed to spot every one right without the links, and I think that may in fact be part of what they are trying to show, that if just given the face value of the e-mail without links (like most web users who disregard the true value of a link) the important ability is in being able to spot what is fraud before you follow through, because for most once they've clicked they've been hooked/phished/taken the bait already.
This is the catch 22 of the DMCA. The real question is; is it in the spirit of the law; was the anti-circumvention aspect meant to keep those out who own a tangible good and to extend an overly broad reach by those who control and form of IP?
Or was it meant to criminalize the act of breaking a system meant to keep you out when you really have no right to be there (I.E. the system isn't in your possession/control, somebody else's machine (who BTW almost certainly doesn't want you there.)
If the DMCA was really meant to keep criminals out, and it is letting people who own IP (I don't personally believe in the concept of IP, however I digress) behave in a way that ought to be criminal, wouldn't you say that the DMCA has itself been circumvented?!
This law is in contempt of itself.
It's supposed to punish criminals when they break the law, but what it really does is turn the law against regular people who are not doing anything unethical/immoral and it turns them into criminals.
I do truly believe the politicians that voted this law into existence just didn't understand the harm they were doing, I don't think they did it in bad spirit, they just didn't understand that the potential abuse of this law was greater (and it is) that the value of that which they are trying to protect.
I mean really, there are other laws that protect copyright and IP, etc, etc.
Anyway, I'm going to write a letter, I suggest you do the same.
Funny you call me a whiner, all you are doing is whining about me telling a story (of which never once do I ask for any sympathy from anyone) - Especially ignorant Anonymous Cowards like yourself.
I was looking for a second TV but I was being as frugal as possible, but I also wanted to get the highest quality I could afford. I was working with a Female sales associate who treated me just fine, I had some question she couldn't answer so she went back to ask a co-worker when she came back out two gentlemen (or not so gentle actually, as it turns out.) started to help me, I explained what I was thinking and that I had my eye on an open box Toshiba, they suggested the PSP and I said 'It's an analog TV it only needs to last me 2-3 years (till HD) and if it dies I don't really care as this is a secondary TV for my house) and if I buy that TV I can't afford the PSP.
Then (I shit you not) the one I had been talking with said "Well, you can't afford this TV then, you should get one that is cheaper so you can afford the PSP." I again politely said I am not interested in the PSP, I used toe work at Best Buy (yadda ya) I don't by a warranty unless it is 10% or less than the cost of the item because less than 10% of the electronics I buy either obsolete themselves or don't break within 4 years. The he was like "But do you know that the PSP covers.... I cut him off and said Look I don't want the PSP so please stop talking about it, I'm feeling harassed right now please stop asking me to buy it because the answer is No. Then I said I'd like this open box TV can you have it brought up to the register please. He said, "You should really buy the PSP." Then I calmly said "Do not mention the fucking PSP again, this is abusive, I have stated clearly 3 times that I am uninterested and have also kindly asked you to simply just stop talking to me about it at all. You don't seem to get it.
Here can you understand this "I don't want the fucking PSP"
Then quicker than lightning the other guy who was working with him was standing with his face less than 1/2 inch (really) from mine and said if you are going to swear I'm going to have to ask you to leave, you can't swear here. I said "I'm trying to leave but he won't stop badgering me about a PSP, he crossed the line and is being a jerk" - then the guy in my face pushed me, and I restrained myself entirely and said "Are you going to help me take the TV up to the front? He said "No." and then I said okay then I'll get a cart and do it myself, thanks for nothing. "He then said, you can't buy it" "I thought about engaging him in debate but said you don't have the right to tell me I can't you have assaulted and insulted me, you are not doing you job at all. Then I turned around and walked towards the operations center and talked with the manager we all went back to Home audio where they were now and I had to argue with them because all they would talk about was the fact that I swore (as a defense to the abusive tactics they were trying to employ). You know the rest I stated it above.
I did contact a Lawyer because I was so upset at how things had happened, however since it was at night I left a voicemail for him. I never got a call back and I just kinda let it go, knowing that people who act like that will eventually get theirs or learn to not act like that (either case is fine with me)
I was actually assaulted at a Best Buy for refusing to purchase a PSP (pushed), and then they refused to bring my item to the front register to purchase saying "You can't buy it now"
The operations manager was in the store so I found him and I told him what had just happened (had witnesses, and they have video surveillance) and I said I wanted an assurance that the two employees you assaulted and insulted me would be reprimanded, we went over to where they were and essentially I had to argue with them and the manager just to get the manager to get them to say they shouldn't have done that. I wanted those people fired after having been treated that way, I didn't want these two jerks bullying people there ever again. In the end the manager said "We will deal with them as we see fit" and after all that he says, well you can buy the TV if you want.
I said if you aren't going to fire two employees who assaulted and insulted a customer than I'm not buying anything from your store.
I never went back to that branch again, MAPLEWOOD MINNESOTA, I have had enough experiences with Best Buy that intrestingly enough I still am a customer... I did specifically spend money elsewhere for a few years after that experience however.....
Just so you know - and just so I'm being objective, here is a quote from the article:
Best Buy executive vice president Philip Schoonover said the idea of "firing" some customers is one place where Best Buy disagrees with Selden. The company will try to find ways to make money-losing customers profitable, he said.
It was some other shmuck that was talking about "Firing a customer".
I got a coupon in the mail for 10% off just about anything at Best Buy. I happened to need a fridge anyway so I just waited for the one I wanted to go one "sale" and then went in to use my coupon (still valid) and they tried to tell me I couldn't use it with "Any other promotion" and that the coupon would come off of the full retail price.
Bugger that I thought, and I escalated the matter up to the floor manager, and he said they couldn't do it.... I said okay ring it up for me here and if the coupon isn't supposed to work with a "sale" price than it won't deduct from the total. He starts to ring it up for me and then stalls for a second to say well even if it dos work I can't give it to you for that price (I just wanted to be certain he wasn't full of it that is why I wanted to see the computer reject it) The computer did not reject the coupon it applied it correctly just like I thought it would.
Then came the argument that if is wasn't allowed then the computer shouldn't allow it..... He said the margin was too low and they would make only 1-2% off of me so it wouldn't be worth it to them (I think about this and in my head say "He gets $9-12.00/hr if he's lucky why does he even care...). I rebutted his argument by saying that I would buy the 4 year "Performance Guarantee" which is $200.00 and almost all profit if he just rings it through with my coupon as well, he thinks about it and then I could see the greed ("I get to sell this PSP, that'll look good on my Up-sales record.") and boom 10 minutes later I was out the door...
The moral of the story is, that I know that everything there (except media and computer stuff) has a 30-day return policy.
I returned the worthless PSP the next day, and got my sale price.
Just like a con, except it was perfectly legal and in the end THEY made money off of me (granted as little as possible)
Yeah, the customer is so wrong he has to argue to give you his money.
It really must have taken a lot of work to build it; he built this out of love I'm sure.
Too bad he didn't realize that the world is bigger than Swindon, Wiltshire UK, and fails to be willing to ship it. After 125,000 page views on this auction mostly from nowhere near him he just terribly screwed himself.
I've got warp cores for sale, but first I'll need your SSN# to do a background check; we can't let these babies fall into the wrong hands if you know what I mean.
Yes the "blue" light headlights are in fact very irritating. I hadn't really know anything about the technical reasons behind the blue LEDs showing up in mass quantity, I have however chosen not to make a few purchases because of their invasiveness, in specific, the HP pavilion f1703 17 inch flat panel.
Here is a picture of it with the power button off.
Now when you turn on the power button located right in the center bottom of the screen it is illuminated bright blue for the whole switch and is so distracting you can't block it out. I had looked at the unit at a local Best Buy and hoped that in the digital menus it would have a way to turn that off, but no alas it did not and they (and HP) lost a sale because of the bad decision to make place a annoying light in my face where I would have to look constantly. Reading the article I would assume that the gentle man has a HP monitor with one of those power buttons, as it is roughly as he describes it the size of a quarter.
Sure it looks like a cool device, but said looks make it unusable for any "useful" length of time and since I have the ability to exercise free choice I bought instead an entirely different monitor which low an behold has a teeny light green on LED and is orange when the monitor is inactive.
Sometimes the best thing is not to screw with something that works perfectly well and has no good reason to change other than "because we can now"
You have got to be kidding me, you must be a total fuckwad if you can't tell the difference between property and life. One is replaceable while the other is not.
Anyone who thinks Apple is any different in hoping to domintate your computing experience is sadly mistaken. They have already instituted the use of DRM with Itunes, the fact that the DRM is pretty user friendly is in fact not the point. They expect you to pay for something that is lower quality than you can get for free via filesharing. The only reason people do this is becuase they think it won't cause a problem. The limitation that is added in and of itself is a problem; it is just one many users haven't realized yet. Apple just wants control just Like M$.
It is in fact a war against freedom and open source. If they can make your data & Hardware propriatary they can add yet another hurdle to get out of track of the OS you've been riding for so long.
It's not a feature. To every user it ought to be considered a bug. That is how I see it.
The first rule of trusted computing is do not trust someone who is trying to sell you something other than what you want.
I read the article and thought about it, at first I thought it might be reasonable for EB to require compensation but then I thought about how they took the risk of footing the bill by selling the items before 15 days. I think they should have no right to charge a profit however. That is asinine.
Call me old fashioned but I wrote a very well stated E-mail that suggested in very friendly and non aggressive terms how I felt (that they should replace this merchandise free of charge to the victim for making the mistake of not holing it long enough) and I suggested that I would stop spending the $200.00+ that I spend with EB every year if they don't rectify the problem. (enough of us together and that'll make a dent) It is certainly better than just complaining here; they might even fix this problem for the victim. I would suggest you go and do the same if it upsets you that this is what has happened.
Well while I agree it's entirely asstastic of them to just up and point the finger at everyone it has been effective to some small degree, that is there is someone who bought the hardware and did use it for the reasons Direct TV Assumed and they modified thier behavior because how can they know what Direct TV does and does not know. For all they know Direct TV may have evidence, so for each of the people who did pirate they have to think about continuing it; I highly doubt they give a flying fuck about the money; they want to stop the people who program the cards and sell them; the people who bought them for entirely different reasons can raise thier hand as say hey you jerks I'm not a pirate; it's a hell of a lot harder to say that if you are in fact a pirate (because you are now a pirate and a liar.
It was naughty of them to file the lawsuits it would have been a crapton more efective for them if they had played the SC0 dance, but maybe more people are paying for this than I expect (I'd guess out of 9,000 less than 50 paid up) something tells me though those that did pay have paid for the expense of filing against everyone.
Anyway there is one way to stop this sort of behaviour and only one way because jus suing them isn't really going to stop it; it might stop this instance or that instance but the best course of actuon is Boycott, something I would think to be so much more effective in a capitolistic society, go fig the people don't exercise thier freedom of choice and don't care about making informed decisions of they are whores and don't care that they pay a company that does this kind of crap because they want thier Cable/Satilite/Internet/Telephone/Radio/(insert just about anything here) more
If they hold an international copyright that is recognized by the UK than yes, the thing that would stop them is that filing a Trans Atlantic lawsuit is prohibitively expensive. (and of course vice versa)
Part of me feels that it is a good thing that it wasn't upheld.... How can you force someone to add code, I think though you may not realize it it's better this precedent didn't get made.
Are You *INSANE* ? When did following unjust laws become morally correct?
Last time I checked America revolted because of the Tyranny of the British government at the time. You think you should sit and idly take commandments from our governing institutions to not use our god given right to alter our own possession (and to propagate that information) for your own benefit.
Just as it is Illegal to feed parking meters your opinion is asinine like poorly written laws not made in the best interest of humanity but that of profit.
How fucked up is it that IP protections displace freedom of speech and freedom of press.
Write your congressman, Scream in the streets, Piss on your neighbors Mercedes, But Damnit ERASE this attitude that it is all right for these laws to be made and exist.
Slashdot Mirror
I run a retail game shop so I will explain:
UDE (Upper Deck Entertainment) Released a card game for WoW last week, it is one of the better CCG's (collectible card game) we've seen in a long long time.
In each pack of cards is a 'FREE' UDE points card, it is worth 100 UDE points, which are good for redeeming UDE merchandise and in game WoW items.
The submitter (and invariably slashdot) have a pretty tainted view of things, since this item is free and is there simply as a value add to the card game, they of course make no mention of the 'loot' cards you can pull in the set that give you in game mounts one of which is currently ebaying for $250~300.
Only complaints about the free item they put into the card packs, which reward the CCG game players for purchasing the packs.
Any WoW online player that bought the packs only for the possibility of getting online items is a huge and total fool.
People want to complain when a product that wasn't meant to be used in a certain way doesn't work the way they want it too as is the case here.
This is a CCG rarity and scarcity are a factor for people who play a game like this, you either grok that and are okay with it and play the game or you don't.
Also as another note, this game is so good it's sold out within the week at 100's of stores across the country (including mine)
I can tell you, since I sold 90% of the product at my shop no one there even cared about the points (or if they did, it was an after thought)
Is there any real reason they couldn't have done .M or .MOB or .MBL Or anything that didn't have Fscking 4 characters?!
A sign really that the Star Trek Franchise has seen better days.
My results were: You got 10 out of 10 correct, or 100 %
Some how I managed to spot every one right without the links, and I think that may in fact be part of what they are trying to show, that if just given the face value of the e-mail without links (like most web users who disregard the true value of a link) the important ability is in being able to spot what is fraud before you follow through, because for most once they've clicked they've been hooked/phished/taken the bait already.
This is the catch 22 of the DMCA. The real question is; is it in the spirit of the law; was the anti-circumvention aspect meant to keep those out who own a tangible good and to extend an overly broad reach by those who control and form of IP?
Or was it meant to criminalize the act of breaking a system meant to keep you out when you really have no right to be there (I.E. the system isn't in your possession/control, somebody else's machine (who BTW almost certainly doesn't want you there.)
If the DMCA was really meant to keep criminals out, and it is letting people who own IP (I don't personally believe in the concept of IP, however I digress) behave in a way that ought to be criminal, wouldn't you say that the DMCA has itself been circumvented?!
This law is in contempt of itself.
It's supposed to punish criminals when they break the law, but what it really does is turn the law against regular people who are not doing anything unethical/immoral and it turns them into criminals.
I do truly believe the politicians that voted this law into existence just didn't understand the harm they were doing, I don't think they did it in bad spirit, they just didn't understand that the potential abuse of this law was greater (and it is) that the value of that which they are trying to protect.
I mean really, there are other laws that protect copyright and IP, etc, etc.
Anyway, I'm going to write a letter, I suggest you do the same.
I've worked retail, I've even worked for Best Buy.
I like how you use circular logic, it suits you.
Funny you call me a whiner, all you are doing is whining about me telling a story (of which never once do I ask for any sympathy from anyone) - Especially ignorant Anonymous Cowards like yourself.
I was looking for a second TV but I was being as frugal as possible, but I also wanted to get the highest quality I could afford. I was working with a Female sales associate who treated me just fine, I had some question she couldn't answer so she went back to ask a co-worker when she came back out two gentlemen (or not so gentle actually, as it turns out.) started to help me, I explained what I was thinking and that I had my eye on an open box Toshiba, they suggested the PSP and I said 'It's an analog TV it only needs to last me 2-3 years (till HD) and if it dies I don't really care as this is a secondary TV for my house) and if I buy that TV I can't afford the PSP.
Then (I shit you not) the one I had been talking with said "Well, you can't afford this TV then, you should get one that is cheaper so you can afford the PSP." I again politely said I am not interested in the PSP, I used toe work at Best Buy (yadda ya) I don't by a warranty unless it is 10% or less than the cost of the item because less than 10% of the electronics I buy either obsolete themselves or don't break within 4 years. The he was like "But do you know that the PSP covers.... I cut him off and said Look I don't want the PSP so please stop talking about it, I'm feeling harassed right now please stop asking me to buy it because the answer is No. Then I said I'd like this open box TV can you have it brought up to the register please. He said, "You should really buy the PSP." Then I calmly said "Do not mention the fucking PSP again, this is abusive, I have stated clearly 3 times that I am uninterested and have also kindly asked you to simply just stop talking to me about it at all. You don't seem to get it.
Here can you understand this "I don't want the fucking PSP"
Then quicker than lightning the other guy who was working with him was standing with his face less than 1/2 inch (really) from mine and said if you are going to swear I'm going to have to ask you to leave, you can't swear here. I said "I'm trying to leave but he won't stop badgering me about a PSP, he crossed the line and is being a jerk" - then the guy in my face pushed me, and I restrained myself entirely and said "Are you going to help me take the TV up to the front? He said "No." and then I said okay then I'll get a cart and do it myself, thanks for nothing. "He then said, you can't buy it" "I thought about engaging him in debate but said you don't have the right to tell me I can't you have assaulted and insulted me, you are not doing you job at all. Then I turned around and walked towards the operations center and talked with the manager we all went back to Home audio where they were now and I had to argue with them because all they would talk about was the fact that I swore (as a defense to the abusive tactics they were trying to employ). You know the rest I stated it above.
I did contact a Lawyer because I was so upset at how things had happened, however since it was at night I left a voicemail for him. I never got a call back and I just kinda let it go, knowing that people who act like that will eventually get theirs or learn to not act like that (either case is fine with me)
I was actually assaulted at a Best Buy for refusing to purchase a PSP (pushed), and then they refused to bring my item to the front register to purchase saying "You can't buy it now"
The operations manager was in the store so I found him and I told him what had just happened (had witnesses, and they have video surveillance) and I said I wanted an assurance that the two employees you assaulted and insulted me would be reprimanded, we went over to where they were and essentially I had to argue with them and the manager just to get the manager to get them to say they shouldn't have done that. I wanted those people fired after having been treated that way, I didn't want these two jerks bullying people there ever again. In the end the manager said "We will deal with them as we see fit" and after all that he says, well you can buy the TV if you want.
I said if you aren't going to fire two employees who assaulted and insulted a customer than I'm not buying anything from your store.
I never went back to that branch again, MAPLEWOOD MINNESOTA, I have had enough experiences with Best Buy that intrestingly enough I still am a customer... I did specifically spend money elsewhere for a few years after that experience however.....
Just so you know - and just so I'm being objective, here is a quote from the article:
Best Buy executive vice president Philip Schoonover said the idea of "firing" some customers is one place where Best Buy disagrees with Selden. The company will try to find ways to make money-losing customers profitable, he said.
It was some other shmuck that was talking about "Firing a customer".
Actually the CEO of Best Buy Refused his last bonus offering and had it dispersed among lower ranking employees
4 /05/17/daily12.html
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/200
Beware ignorance.
This reminds me of a funny story.
I got a coupon in the mail for 10% off just about anything at Best Buy. I happened to need a fridge anyway so I just waited for the one I wanted to go one "sale" and then went in to use my coupon (still valid) and they tried to tell me I couldn't use it with "Any other promotion" and that the coupon would come off of the full retail price.
Bugger that I thought, and I escalated the matter up to the floor manager, and he said they couldn't do it.... I said okay ring it up for me here and if the coupon isn't supposed to work with a "sale" price than it won't deduct from the total. He starts to ring it up for me and then stalls for a second to say well even if it dos work I can't give it to you for that price (I just wanted to be certain he wasn't full of it that is why I wanted to see the computer reject it) The computer did not reject the coupon it applied it correctly just like I thought it would.
Then came the argument that if is wasn't allowed then the computer shouldn't allow it..... He said the margin was too low and they would make only 1-2% off of me so it wouldn't be worth it to them (I think about this and in my head say "He gets $9-12.00/hr if he's lucky why does he even care...). I rebutted his argument by saying that I would buy the 4 year "Performance Guarantee" which is $200.00 and almost all profit if he just rings it through with my coupon as well, he thinks about it and then I could see the greed ("I get to sell this PSP, that'll look good on my Up-sales record.") and boom 10 minutes later I was out the door...
The moral of the story is, that I know that everything there (except media and computer stuff) has a 30-day return policy.
I returned the worthless PSP the next day, and got my sale price.
Just like a con, except it was perfectly legal and in the end THEY made money off of me (granted as little as possible)
Yeah, the customer is so wrong he has to argue to give you his money.
Ooops looks like the listing ended 14 hours ago!
He said he is moving and can't take it with him......
It really must have taken a lot of work to build it; he built this out of love I'm sure.
Too bad he didn't realize that the world is bigger than Swindon, Wiltshire UK, and fails to be willing to ship it. After 125,000 page views on this auction mostly from nowhere near him he just terribly screwed himself.
What a waste of free exposure!
I've got warp cores for sale, but first I'll need your SSN# to do a background check; we can't let these babies fall into the wrong hands if you know what I mean.
Here is the picture I was talking about, just imagine the power button being a bright LED blue.....
8 62 .jpg
http://ugr.e-nitiative.be/products/images/11618
Yes the "blue" light headlights are in fact very irritating. I hadn't really know anything about the technical reasons behind the blue LEDs showing up in mass quantity, I have however chosen not to make a few purchases because of their invasiveness, in specific, the HP pavilion f1703 17 inch flat panel.
Here is a picture of it with the power button off.
Now when you turn on the power button located right in the center bottom of the screen it is illuminated bright blue for the whole switch and is so distracting you can't block it out. I had looked at the unit at a local Best Buy and hoped that in the digital menus it would have a way to turn that off, but no alas it did not and they (and HP) lost a sale because of the bad decision to make place a annoying light in my face where I would have to look constantly. Reading the article I would assume that the gentle man has a HP monitor with one of those power buttons, as it is roughly as he describes it the size of a quarter.
Sure it looks like a cool device, but said looks make it unusable for any "useful" length of time and since I have the ability to exercise free choice I bought instead an entirely different monitor which low an behold has a teeny light green on LED and is orange when the monitor is inactive.
Sometimes the best thing is not to screw with something that works perfectly well and has no good reason to change other than "because we can now"
You have got to be kidding me, you must be a total fuckwad if you can't tell the difference between property and life. One is replaceable while the other is not.
Anyone who thinks Apple is any different in hoping to domintate your computing experience is sadly mistaken. They have already instituted the use of DRM with Itunes, the fact that the DRM is pretty user friendly is in fact not the point. They expect you to pay for something that is lower quality than you can get for free via filesharing. The only reason people do this is becuase they think it won't cause a problem. The limitation that is added in and of itself is a problem; it is just one many users haven't realized yet. Apple just wants control just Like M$.
It is in fact a war against freedom and open source. If they can make your data & Hardware propriatary they can add yet another hurdle to get out of track of the OS you've been riding for so long.
It's not a feature. To every user it ought to be considered a bug. That is how I see it.
The first rule of trusted computing is do not trust someone who is trying to sell you something other than what you want.
I read the article and thought about it, at first I thought it might be reasonable for EB to require compensation but then I thought about how they took the risk of footing the bill by selling the items before 15 days. I think they should have no right to charge a profit however. That is asinine.
Call me old fashioned but I wrote a very well stated E-mail that suggested in very friendly and non aggressive terms how I felt (that they should replace this merchandise free of charge to the victim for making the mistake of not holing it long enough) and I suggested that I would stop spending the $200.00+ that I spend with EB every year if they don't rectify the problem. (enough of us together and that'll make a dent) It is certainly better than just complaining here; they might even fix this problem for the victim. I would suggest you go and do the same if it upsets you that this is what has happened.
Well while I agree it's entirely asstastic of them to just up and point the finger at everyone it has been effective to some small degree, that is there is someone who bought the hardware and did use it for the reasons Direct TV Assumed and they modified thier behavior because how can they know what Direct TV does and does not know. For all they know Direct TV may have evidence, so for each of the people who did pirate they have to think about continuing it; I highly doubt they give a flying fuck about the money; they want to stop the people who program the cards and sell them; the people who bought them for entirely different reasons can raise thier hand as say hey you jerks I'm not a pirate; it's a hell of a lot harder to say that if you are in fact a pirate (because you are now a pirate and a liar.
It was naughty of them to file the lawsuits it would have been a crapton more efective for them if they had played the SC0 dance, but maybe more people are paying for this than I expect (I'd guess out of 9,000 less than 50 paid up) something tells me though those that did pay have paid for the expense of filing against everyone.
Anyway there is one way to stop this sort of behaviour and only one way because jus suing them isn't really going to stop it; it might stop this instance or that instance but the best course of actuon is Boycott, something I would think to be so much more effective in a capitolistic society, go fig the people don't exercise thier freedom of choice and don't care about making informed decisions of they are whores and don't care that they pay a company that does this kind of crap because they want thier Cable/Satilite/Internet/Telephone/Radio/(insert just about anything here) more
If they hold an international copyright that is recognized by the UK than yes, the thing that would stop them is that filing a Trans Atlantic lawsuit is prohibitively expensive. (and of course vice versa)
Part of me feels that it is a good thing that it wasn't upheld.... How can you force someone to add code, I think though you may not realize it it's better this precedent didn't get made.
Are You *INSANE* ?
When did following unjust laws become morally correct?
Last time I checked America revolted because of the Tyranny of the British government at the time. You think you should sit and idly take commandments from our governing institutions to not use our god given right to alter our own possession (and to propagate that information) for your own benefit.
Just as it is Illegal to feed parking meters your opinion is asinine like poorly written laws not made in the best interest of humanity but that of profit.
How fucked up is it that IP protections displace freedom of speech and freedom of press.
Write your congressman, Scream in the streets, Piss on your neighbors Mercedes, But Damnit ERASE this attitude that it is all right for these laws to be made and exist.