Current contracts remain valid for Windows XP and earlier Windows versions.
It's spin, the contracts remain valid except for the clause in question, if Japanese Law is like most places. So instead of saying the clause no longer applies they say the contracts are valid. All part of Microsoft's Trustworthy PR initiative.
Well I dug a little deeper in order to rise to your challenge. Here's a summary of what I found, model retains copyright is correct in the UK where I'm from, but not in the US. I'd assumed that because I found references for such forms in the US they were for the same purpose. They're not, the US releases pertain to privacy laws of which there are none in the UK. FWIW the difference seems to due to there being no "work for hire" provision in UK law. In the UK copyright transfer needs to be explicit.
Does that mean that National Geographic photo's are un-copyrightable
No, but who owns the copyright would be interpreted differently in different jurisdictions. Another example of how if copyright laws were actually rigidly enforced the whole system would collapse.
Does he get all the guests to sign a model release form? Are the shots taken in a public place (i.e. a place the photographer doesn't need permission to be). If the answer to both these questions is no, then he owns the negatives but not the copyrights. So the question is can you buy the negatives, not can you buy the copyright.
The terms of the settlement prevent MS from offering different prices to different OEM's. So Dell would be very foolish if that was their tactic. What they might be doing is trying to increase the rebate^H^H^H price they get for participating in the "OEM recommends Microsoft Windows Version" campaign that was set up to get around that restriction.
While I agree with your general point, (I've always found Winblowz particularly irritating), I have to disagree on the specific. M$ is a widely used and unambiguous abbreviation, the more correct MS has multiple meanings. So, unless the context makes it very clear M$ will do for me. Having said that I tend to use MS.
I kI know that xp sp2 protected against the Mozilla exploit
Are you posting from the future, sometime like september? Which might be after sp2 is finally released, because given MS's history just because something is fixed in the beta doesn't mean it will make the final cut.
only fixed "in the open source world" seem pretty specious
The three products you mentioned all use the same formula: generate name recognition through advertising so that you can sell massive amounts ordinary products for premium prices. It's a formula known as marketing 101, or selling crap to gullible masses.
Guilty as charged, I'm hardly an expert on these issues, but I did feel that the tone of this thread required it be pointed out that there are reasons why Islamic countries have fallen behind technologically. Distaste for usury is something that most people can relate to, and so provides an example of a positive aspect of Islamic culture that has negative consequences. The gradual decline in the prohibition of usury was also one of the catalysts of Western capitalism which allowed for a shift in the technological lead from Islam to Christendom. Unfortunately Slashdot debates come and go in hours, so it is generally not possible to produce polished responses if you wish to get a point across to a lot of readers.
So, think about venture capital where the lender co-owns your invention, rather than just borrowing money from a bank who bases their income on debts of others.
Western inventors will often seek similar means of finance. However, before doing so they will likely incur significant debt in order to produce and refine a prototype to the stage where it is marketable to a venture capitalist. They will also take out patents in several countries otherwise when they do make such approaches they will just be giving their invention away. For most people the only way to raise the capital needed for this is to take on significant debt, perhaps through a re-mortgage. At any rate it is difficult to raise cash for secret projects without having to pay interest.
The problem that Islamic countries in general have is not that they have stopped being inventive, but that strict prohibition of usury makes it difficult to create the kind of economy that we know in the west. Much of todays technological innovation requires big bucks to bring it to market, and it's hard to start up a technological firm without borrowing money.
At least stealing is not automatically wrong, it's just the act of obtaining something surreptitiously. My son steals music all the time, he borrows my CD's without telling me, and I steal them back. I'm fine with this, as long as he doesn't thieve them. Theft is wrong and as you say copyright infringement is not theft. Children should be encouraged to steal music so that the can learn about it, and broaden their knowledge. A child that listens only to music they have bought and payed for, or that the media conglomerates see fit to broadcast is a child that is deprived of the riches of our culture. A society that tolerates such deprivation in the pursuit of corporate profit is truly decadent.
Despite that fact, and despite the fact that we have not yet reached the 20,000 subscriber
Have you ever considered changing your pricing structure. I'm sure I'm not the only one put off by the subscription model, I just don't want another automatic $5 a month on my credit card bill. Several times I've considered taking out a subscription, but each time I've decided against it. If you charged a straight $30, and allowed a upgrades for a year, or the next major version, I'd probably be a regular customer. I'd be willing to bet that such a pricing model would generate more income than your current one.
It's like I told him.
on
Wired on McBride
·
· Score: 0, Offtopic
Good post, I agree with everything you say apart from one nitpick.
writing really isn't that difficult. Let's face it: a lot of science-types look down on those who majored in literature and humanities stuff in college. The feeling among scientists is that all the writing stuff is easy compared to the hardcore technical stuff that they do.
Speaking as someone who can write technical papers very well, but who can't write prose, other than poetry for love nor money I have to take issue with the typical 'scientist'. The two skill sets are very different. Good prose seems to depend on an ability to lay aside one's inhibitions and let yourself be exposed to ridicule, good technical writing sets emotion aside and concentrates on the argument.
Now to add something to the debate: I have a rule for technical writing, and it is that before stating a conclusion the reader should have already reached that conclusion. If I can't achieve this then either my writing skills are lacking, or I have discovered a flaw in my argument.
What is it that you are offering for hire? I submit that it is not the game, but the venue which includes heat, lighting, a network and a machine per player. The majority of gamers will have their own copy of the game the wish to play, so problem solved. Image the hard disk and restore it after each session, let the customer bring their own copy of the game and install it for the session, and at the end of the session restore the image. That way the company loses the licensing fees that you currently pay and you retain your business. If they want to play hardball let them, you can play hardball too.
Command mode being the default will confuse average users to death. Text boxes should clearly be emacs...
So, just make insert mode default and 95% of users will never notice anything, but if you make emacs the default you'll end up with a browser within the editor within the browser. I know that browsers have been touted as an alternative to operating systems but let's not make that alternative OS emacs.
Would the ones that promote disabling features really want to go back to the crappy featureless, tool-less, mostly text internet that we had only 7 or 8 years ago?
Why did you have to work around the activation process?
Because it's an OEM copy and according to Microsoft it is only licensed for use on the laptop.
I've had to re-activate so many times because I am CONSTANTLY uprading my machine. Before I actually called I was really pissed at MS the first time thinking it was going to waste my day and be painful.
Just as a point of principle I refuse to ask the permission of any company, especially a criminal one, to do anything that I have a right to do. As a customer I am not answerable to Bill Gates he is answerable to me.
Oh well, I hate Microsoft, but since I use their products I follow their procedures
Once I have paid for a product my obligation to the manufacturer of that product is over, however their obligation that the product must be fit for the purpose for which it was sold remains. In the case of software this obligation is often met by the issue of patches to fix problems with the software, and the issue of such patches is their duty. How and where I choose to use their product is my business and if I choose to use it in a way that they do not approve of then that is their problem, but it does not excuse them of their duties.
I have a laptop that came with a copy of XP home on which I dual boot Linux and a legally acquired copy of XP pro. The copy of XP home which came with the laptop is now installed on a self built machine so that my son can play games on it. In order to get it installed on that machine I had to work round the activation process using a keygen. Despite what Microsoft would have you believe I am well within my legal rights to do this, and if Microsoft were to ever try and sue me for copyright infringement they would lose and lose heavily. An unauthorised key is not the same as an illegal copy of Windows and MS know it.
You're right that you're not as up to date on Italian politics as you should be, but I can assure you that I don't wake up in the morning thinking I wonder what's happening in Italy today. I am however fortunate that my sources of news are such that big stories like Berlusconi's fascist tendencies and links are unlikely to pass me by. If I were you I'd be asking myself how come nobody told me about this, after all it's through control of the media that Berlusconi has been able to assume power in Italy.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but according to conservatives isnt the 'invisible hand' of competition supposed to be a self-regulating force that works best without government intervention?
No that's liberalism a philosophy that seemed radical in the eighteenth century and so was mindlessly opposed by the conservatives of the period. Now in the early twentyfirst century such nonsense is just tired old dogma and part of the dominant ideology which means it is fervently and mindlessly promoted by the conservatives of today.
Slashdot Mirror
Current contracts remain valid for Windows XP and earlier Windows versions.
It's spin, the contracts remain valid except for the clause in question, if Japanese Law is like most places. So instead of saying the clause no longer applies they say the contracts are valid. All part of Microsoft's Trustworthy PR initiative.
Proof, law, sources please?
Well I dug a little deeper in order to rise to your challenge. Here's a summary of what I found, model retains copyright is correct in the UK where I'm from, but not in the US. I'd assumed that because I found references for such forms in the US they were for the same purpose. They're not, the US releases pertain to privacy laws of which there are none in the UK. FWIW the difference seems to due to there being no "work for hire" provision in UK law. In the UK copyright transfer needs to be explicit.
Does that mean that National Geographic photo's are un-copyrightable
No, but who owns the copyright would be interpreted differently in different jurisdictions. Another example of how if copyright laws were actually rigidly enforced the whole system would collapse.
Does he get all the guests to sign a model release form? Are the shots taken in a public place (i.e. a place the photographer doesn't need permission to be). If the answer to both these questions is no, then he owns the negatives but not the copyrights. So the question is can you buy the negatives, not can you buy the copyright.
The terms of the settlement prevent MS from offering different prices to different OEM's. So Dell would be very foolish if that was their tactic. What they might be doing is trying to increase the rebate^H^H^H price they get for participating in the "OEM recommends Microsoft Windows Version" campaign that was set up to get around that restriction.
While I agree with your general point, (I've always found Winblowz particularly irritating), I have to disagree on the specific. M$ is a widely used and unambiguous abbreviation, the more correct MS has multiple meanings. So, unless the context makes it very clear M$ will do for me. Having said that I tend to use MS.
I kI know that xp sp2 protected against the Mozilla exploit
Are you posting from the future, sometime like september? Which might be after sp2 is finally released, because given MS's history just because something is fixed in the beta doesn't mean it will make the final cut.
only fixed "in the open source world" seem pretty specious
That's not what was said and you know it.
the formula for Obsession
Marketing
the formula for Coca-Cola
Marketing
11 secret herbs & spices
Marketing, marketing, marketing, marketing, marketing, marketing, marketing, marketing, marketing, marketing and marketing.
The three products you mentioned all use the same formula: generate name recognition through advertising so that you can sell massive amounts ordinary products for premium prices. It's a formula known as marketing 101, or selling crap to gullible masses.
No you were right enough, invalid is for fake addresses and example is documentation, see RFC2606 section 2.
It didn't appear for me until I reloaded the page with javascript turned on.
Here you (perhaps unintentionally) oversimplify.
Guilty as charged, I'm hardly an expert on these issues, but I did feel that the tone of this thread required it be pointed out that there are reasons why Islamic countries have fallen behind technologically. Distaste for usury is something that most people can relate to, and so provides an example of a positive aspect of Islamic culture that has negative consequences. The gradual decline in the prohibition of usury was also one of the catalysts of Western capitalism which allowed for a shift in the technological lead from Islam to Christendom. Unfortunately Slashdot debates come and go in hours, so it is generally not possible to produce polished responses if you wish to get a point across to a lot of readers.
So, think about venture capital where the lender co-owns your invention, rather than just borrowing money from a bank who bases their income on debts of others.
Western inventors will often seek similar means of finance. However, before doing so they will likely incur significant debt in order to produce and refine a prototype to the stage where it is marketable to a venture capitalist. They will also take out patents in several countries otherwise when they do make such approaches they will just be giving their invention away. For most people the only way to raise the capital needed for this is to take on significant debt, perhaps through a re-mortgage. At any rate it is difficult to raise cash for secret projects without having to pay interest.
The problem that Islamic countries in general have is not that they have stopped being inventive, but that strict prohibition of usury makes it difficult to create the kind of economy that we know in the west. Much of todays technological innovation requires big bucks to bring it to market, and it's hard to start up a technological firm without borrowing money.
At least stealing is not automatically wrong, it's just the act of obtaining something surreptitiously. My son steals music all the time, he borrows my CD's without telling me, and I steal them back. I'm fine with this, as long as he doesn't thieve them. Theft is wrong and as you say copyright infringement is not theft. Children should be encouraged to steal music so that the can learn about it, and broaden their knowledge. A child that listens only to music they have bought and payed for, or that the media conglomerates see fit to broadcast is a child that is deprived of the riches of our culture. A society that tolerates such deprivation in the pursuit of corporate profit is truly decadent.
And working for your school district makes you an expert in Ugandan copyright law, how? Stop spreading FUD.
Despite that fact, and despite the fact that we have not yet reached the 20,000 subscriber
Have you ever considered changing your pricing structure. I'm sure I'm not the only one put off by the subscription model, I just don't want another automatic $5 a month on my credit card bill. Several times I've considered taking out a subscription, but each time I've decided against it. If you charged a straight $30, and allowed a upgrades for a year, or the next major version, I'd probably be a regular customer. I'd be willing to bet that such a pricing model would generate more income than your current one.
The sight of road kill makes me want to vomit.
Good post, I agree with everything you say apart from one nitpick.
writing really isn't that difficult. Let's face it: a lot of science-types look down on those who majored in literature and humanities stuff in college. The feeling among scientists is that all the writing stuff is easy compared to the hardcore technical stuff that they do.
Speaking as someone who can write technical papers very well, but who can't write prose, other than poetry for love nor money I have to take issue with the typical 'scientist'. The two skill sets are very different. Good prose seems to depend on an ability to lay aside one's inhibitions and let yourself be exposed to ridicule, good technical writing sets emotion aside and concentrates on the argument.
Now to add something to the debate: I have a rule for technical writing, and it is that before stating a conclusion the reader should have already reached that conclusion. If I can't achieve this then either my writing skills are lacking, or I have discovered a flaw in my argument.
What is it that you are offering for hire? I submit that it is not the game, but the venue which includes heat, lighting, a network and a machine per player. The majority of gamers will have their own copy of the game the wish to play, so problem solved. Image the hard disk and restore it after each session, let the customer bring their own copy of the game and install it for the session, and at the end of the session restore the image. That way the company loses the licensing fees that you currently pay and you retain your business. If they want to play hardball let them, you can play hardball too.
If there's one thing that Reagan has taught us, is that truth always beats falsehoods.
I don't remember that.
Command mode being the default will confuse average users to death. Text boxes should clearly be emacs...
So, just make insert mode default and 95% of users will never notice anything, but if you make emacs the default you'll end up with a browser within the editor within the browser. I know that browsers have been touted as an alternative to operating systems but let's not make that alternative OS emacs.
Would the ones that promote disabling features really want to go back to the crappy featureless, tool-less, mostly text internet that we had only 7 or 8 years ago?
Yes please!
Why did you have to work around the activation process?
Because it's an OEM copy and according to Microsoft it is only licensed for use on the laptop.
I've had to re-activate so many times because I am CONSTANTLY uprading my machine. Before I actually called I was really pissed at MS the first time thinking it was going to waste my day and be painful.
Just as a point of principle I refuse to ask the permission of any company, especially a criminal one, to do anything that I have a right to do. As a customer I am not answerable to Bill Gates he is answerable to me.
Oh well, I hate Microsoft, but since I use their products I follow their procedures
Once I have paid for a product my obligation to the manufacturer of that product is over, however their obligation that the product must be fit for the purpose for which it was sold remains. In the case of software this obligation is often met by the issue of patches to fix problems with the software, and the issue of such patches is their duty. How and where I choose to use their product is my business and if I choose to use it in a way that they do not approve of then that is their problem, but it does not excuse them of their duties.
I have a laptop that came with a copy of XP home on which I dual boot Linux and a legally acquired copy of XP pro. The copy of XP home which came with the laptop is now installed on a self built machine so that my son can play games on it. In order to get it installed on that machine I had to work round the activation process using a keygen. Despite what Microsoft would have you believe I am well within my legal rights to do this, and if Microsoft were to ever try and sue me for copyright infringement they would lose and lose heavily. An unauthorised key is not the same as an illegal copy of Windows and MS know it.
You're right that you're not as up to date on Italian politics as you should be, but I can assure you that I don't wake up in the morning thinking I wonder what's happening in Italy today. I am however fortunate that my sources of news are such that big stories like Berlusconi's fascist tendencies and links are unlikely to pass me by. If I were you I'd be asking myself how come nobody told me about this, after all it's through control of the media that Berlusconi has been able to assume power in Italy.
My aren't you quick on the uptake.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but according to conservatives isnt the 'invisible hand' of competition supposed to be a self-regulating force that works best without government intervention?
No that's liberalism a philosophy that seemed radical in the eighteenth century and so was mindlessly opposed by the conservatives of the period. Now in the early twentyfirst century such nonsense is just tired old dogma and part of the dominant ideology which means it is fervently and mindlessly promoted by the conservatives of today.